Does your career define you?

[Boilermaker]

The way this question is asked is actually trying to soften the grim reality of the truth behind it.

You are what you do.

What does "career" really mean? For a college professor to get promoted to be a distinguished professor may not be the defining element in his life,

but what IS a man if you don't define by him by what he does, at the end of the day?

What defines Richard Dawkins? Why would you be interested in the details of the life story of the late Mandela?

What do you first think when you hear the names Kasparov, Feynman, Lincoln?

Our petty and modern lives may seem to have diluted the true meaning of a man's life, but make no mistake, you are still defined by what you do in life, as a man.

When I think of anyone I respect, it is always a combination of envy and obsession or curiosity about what they do. I can't understand any other definition of a man, really, if there has to be one.

This is of course apart from our common denominators, that we all poop, eat, sleep, breathe and die. Yeah, that's common to all.

 

[samspade]

Why would you be interested in the details of the life story of the late Mandela?

Was just going to mention Mandela. Every obit headline has the words "South African leader..."

Sure, he was a lot of things, but in summation the guy was a politician and prime minister. Before he was that he was head of the ANC and a political prisoner. Good/bad father/husband? That's all secondary. Any man can fukk a woman and spawn a kid. What will you do to kill the Mastadon and feed them - or yourself if you're single? And don't make this about Mandela - he was a man with a job like all of us.

You don't have to liberate a population or win a gold medal. But you must do/be something. It's not "society" dictating that. It's evolution. You will produce, or you will perish, or you will leech and be a bottom feeder. It's why "what do you do" is one of the go-to questions within meeting someone, and it's why people introduce you as "he does so and so" or "he's our such and such." Even if you're a billionaire playboy, that's what you are and if you don't want to be thought of as such you'd better hop on the philanthropy and investment so people's perceptions of you change.

Yes life is about more than work and yes you can change your career. Yes you can parlay your deepest desires into a career if you put your mind to it - but you'll still have to work and produce. The Beatles loved making music but they worked hard at it. It wasn't all natural talent.

And as the Joker said, if you're good at something, never do it for free.

 

[origin138]

In light of Mandela's death, I think its important that all men take an honest look at not only their careers or life paths, but what kind of legacy they'll leave behind if they were to die today. Mandela, Lincoln, Ghandi all had careers, but their legacies speak more about them as men, and define them much better as men.

It's the quality of a man that defines him, not his career, although many of the ways his qualities develop are through his career. Many things tie into the quality of a man...his values, strength of character, loyalty to his friends and family. Career is only one aspect. We all know Lincoln was a president, but his legacy exposes much more than that.

I want my legacy to be something like "Origin was highly respected. He walked through life with his head up and led by example. He was a man of action, not a man of complaint. He made a difference just by entering or exiting the room. He was great with women and a leader of men, and didn't compromise his values even in the face of adversity. He lived life on his own terms and not at the expense of those around him. He made a difference and he is respected even in death."

Sounds better than "Origin the small business owner who nobody knew because he worked all the time and never really made any kind of impact on the world."

 

[VladPatton]

In my opinion, whatever you are most successful at is what defines you. What else would? You do that thing the best because you have a natural talent for it, therefore you got better at it by putting in hours upon hours of practice, therefore it is the love and passion for it that drives you. Nothing is greater than excelling at whatever you have the most passion for.

Oh, and if you have no passions in life then you're fooked! lol