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Is a life spent working in a customary job a purposeful one?

xixgun · M
Of course, because it isn't the work which always determines purpose, but how it allows us to interact with others.

Example: A waitress (yes, I said "waitress" and not a fucking "server").
While you may think slogging coffee all over a cafe may seem unimportant, the smile or kind word ("Hun", "sweety", etc.) may be the only light some people have in their lives.
So, they have a [i]great [/i] purpose.
KaiserSolze · 46-50, F
@xixgun or not because they're miserable and pour coffee on people 😂

I agree with you. It's the individual rather than the role that creates purpose or not. Although possibly the miserable waitress tips coffee on someone who deserves it? Lol So, nope, I changed my mind back to "purpose is undeterminable"
Dan193 · 26-30, M
I'd probably have one of those breakdowns and end up in an youtube video breaking my desktop computer.
MarkPaul · 26-30, M
@Dan193 Would the video go viral?
Dan193 · 26-30, M
@MarkPaul Probably. Everyone wants a quick laugh at a weirdo that's ruining his life on film.
Well it's a customary life, right? A life can be given purpose unrelated to a job. Maybe someone works as a store clerk or custodian his/her whole life, but outside of work feeds the homeless or works for the environment or just becomes a meaningful parent/grandparent to the next Einstein.

Purpose can come from anywhere. It doesn't have to come from a job.
MarkPaul · 26-30, M
@IAmJess I suppose. But doesn't a job take up a whole hell of a lot of time?
@MarkPaul Depends. Maybe you're the next Einstein and you work 80 hours a week developing clean free energy sufficient to replace all the carbon we burn and reverse climate change. So your purpose comes from your life's work.

But maybe you work 30 hours a week in some job that pays your bills, but you go out and help people directly in some other way for 20-30 hours a week. Then your purpose comes from your mission outside of work.
KaiserSolze · 46-50, F
No one knows
KaiserSolze · 46-50, F
@MarkPaul so like 99% of jobs? Lol

I think some people are purposeful irrespective of work roles and some are not.
MarkPaul · 26-30, M
@KaiserSolze I guess I am thinking of more spiritual types of purpose.
KaiserSolze · 46-50, F
@MarkPaul not necessarily achieved by a working role.

I sought a spiritual purpose type of role for years. What I realised along the way of that is that pretty much everything is basically spiritual in some way depending.

For example I cleaned houses for a while. You can clean the blind ladies house badly thinking she won't notice and it doesn't matter or you can clean it really good and she says "I love it when you clean because I can feel it's cleaner"

Spirituality is about intent imo "right thought. Right word. Right action" which is much harder than it sounds. Spirituality you can bring to any job role because it's how you do the job as much as what the job is.

A nurse is better than a kitchen fitter? - The kitchen fitter with good intent made the nurses life easier and less stressful and she was more relaxed and her patients benefitted.

Whatever you do, do it with a good heart. Finding something you enjoy is important because it makes it easier to do it with love.
Xuan12 · 31-35, M
Well, my job helps people directly. So it's not difficult to feel like you made a difference.
MarkPaul · 26-30, M
@Xuan12 Helps people, how?
Xuan12 · 31-35, M
@MarkPaul Medically.
Crazywaterspring · 61-69, M
Job pay bills and make other things possible. Don't love it or become too emotional.
MarkPaul · 26-30, M
@Crazywaterspring So, just become one of the walking dead?
SW-User
Somewhat. Emancipation from the bosses and workplace democracy will finish the job.
JustNik · 51-55, F
What gives a life purpose isn’t what job you do.
AnneHoney · 36-40, F
One that pays
MartinTheFirst · 22-25, M
Your job doesnt have to be your life
MarkPaul · 26-30, M
@MartinTheFirst But, doesn't it take up most of your awake time and demand most of your awake attention? And, what about how it tries to influence you?

 
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