Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Why we define ourselves by our jobs
In old days, most people got the jobs that their parents were doing. A carpenter, miller, farmer, and fisherman only to name a few. Also, most people didn’t have so much time or money to do other things than their jobs. So, personal identities tended to be generational and occupational. Even in the previous century, many people worked just one job or developed a career in a certain profession, such as a factory worker, postman, bank clerk, editor, engineer, policeman, and civil servant. So, occupation or profession has been naturally the most common identity when people introduced themselves to a new acquaintance. Indeed, occupation or profession speaks the financial, educational, and intellectual profile of the person explicitly and implicitly. It is a quite convenient identity as long as the person stays in the course. But things change more often and drastically these days. You may change or lose your job, start a new career, or retire from work at some point. Do you want to be identified as a retired sales representative or personal assistant? Also, you may not want to be known about your jobs for whatever reason. So, tying your identity to your job may not be such a good idea especially these days. Instead, you may want to develop a new cultural identity gradually. You can start by asking what the other person enjoys doing instead of what the person does for work. Then, you can talk about what you like instead of what you do for a living.
Enjoy reading the article and think about your identity and self-worth.
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210409-why-we-define-ourselves-by-our-jobs
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