Earning your living — choose your niche

[Park]

[1] It is essential for you to do what you want. Your work has to match your goals and ambitions. How much you make is of lesser priority than doing something that is in line with your personal motivations and aspirations, something which brings you closer to your goals. You persist.

[2] It is essential for you to make money and be continuously involved in something. Your work shapes your goals and ambitions, not the other way around. What you do is of inferior importance as long as you make a good living and lead a good life. You adapt.

[EDIT] I constructed this dichotomy to reflect two opposing philosophies and personality inclinations I've been thinking about lately. They are clearly separated in my mind but, judging by the responses so far, I'm not sure I've done the greatest job in translating my thoughts into words. Try to infer the opposing implications and decide where you stand.

[Park]

Liking the opening post doesn't answer the poll, unfortunately.

[Words]

Dumb.

[Park]

Dumb.

Nice to meet you.

[Creepy-bg]

i don't like either, but 1 would be the closest.

[1] It is essential for you to do what you want. Your work has to match your goals and ambitions be interesting enough to keep you occupied while there, while staying out of your life outside (unless when choosing to think/plan extra about it. How much you make is of lesser priority than doing something that is in line with your personal motivations and aspirations, something which brings you closer to your goals. work is work, outside of work (personal motivations, aspirations, and goals) is outside of work.

[Words]

OK, well I don't think reducing it to a dichotomy covers all the bases, what bg did was pretty good, I just went for the shorthand answer, now I explain some more....

[jet city woman]

[1] It is essential for you to do what you want. Your work has to match your goals and ambitions. How much you make is of lesser priority than doing something that is in line with your personal motivations and aspirations, something which brings you closer to your goals. You persist.

[2] It is essential for you to make money and be continuously involved in something.Your work shapes your goals and ambitions, not the other way around. What you do is of inferior importance as long as you make a good living and lead a good life. You adapt.

The bolded fits me. I think I'm a combination of the two. I have to do what I want.... at the same time, I have to make a certain amount of money doing it. So my wants are to have a certain amount of money while following a career I'm interested in and one that I like and want to do. I also have clearly-defined goals for the next two years, but after that, it's more fuzzy as to where I will actually end up, so I will adapt according to money, opportunity, and interest. Once I've chosen a goal, I persist until I have completed that goal, then I make a new goal.

[FDG]

The bolded fits me. I think I'm a combination of the two.

The point of the survey IS that you can't just say I'm a combination of the two, otherwise it's too easy "I want to do something I love and earn a shitload of money".


Anyway, for me, 1 more than 2.

[jet city woman]

The point of the survey IS that you can't just say I'm a combination of the two, otherwise it's too easy "I want to do something I love and earn a shitload of money".

Why can't I?

[FDG]

Why can't I?

Of course you can in real life but this is not the point of this kind of survey...are you playing dumb?

[jet city woman]

Of course you can in real life but this is not the point of this kind of survey...are you playing dumb?

No, I just answered the survey truthfully. I really don't care what the point of the survey is or was. I just did what I wanted to....
I don't follow Te rules, sorry.

[Finale]

Of course you can in real life but this is not the point of this kind of survey...are you playing dumb?

Or perhaps the survey is too polarizing or too simplistic? Or maybe even only applies to very simple people?

For example, a poll on "How do you primarily eat food? For nutritional value or for taste?" Simpletons may have such black & white values for their food intake (and likely die early because of it), but health minded or more adult people take both into account with every food choice.

[InvisibleJim]

The point of the survey IS that you can't just say I'm a combination of the two, otherwise it's too easy "I want to do something I love and earn a shitload of money".

Anyway, for me, 1 more than 2.

Well if you can then it's not truly dichotomous is it? SOCIONICS SPOILER.

[anndelise]

The point of the survey IS that you can't just say I'm a combination of the two, otherwise it's too easy "I want to do something I love and earn a shitload of money".


Anyway, for me, 1 more than 2.

I would agree with you, except that the dichotomy added other descriptions to choose from than simply interest vs money.

It also included persisting vs adapting. But it failed to take into account the people who persist through a job they don't care for because it provides more money. Nor the people who adapt their lifestyle to better suit a lowered income so they could continue in the job they love.

He also added in being continuously involved in something vs having goals/aspirations. Consider the type of person who is constantly trying out new things. They aren't doing it for the money cuz there's really not much money in constantly switching jobs (unless the job involves constant change). Nor would they necessarily be persisting towards some overall long term goal/aspiration.

The best way to make his dichotomIES simpler and more accurate is to keep each dichotomy to one non-conjunctive sentence.
interest vs money
persisting vs adapting
goals vs busywork vs new experiences

[FDG]

I would agree with you, except that the dichotomy added other descriptions to choose from than simply interest vs money.

It also included persisting vs adapting. But it failed to take into account the people who persist through a job they don't care for because it provides more money. Nor the people who adapt their lifestyle to better suit a lowered income so they could continue in the job they love.

He also added in being continuously involved in something vs having goals/aspirations. Consider the type of person who is constantly trying out new things. They aren't doing it for the money cuz there's really not much money in constantly switching jobs (unless the job involves constant change). Nor would they necessarily be persisting towards some overall long term goal/aspiration.

The best way to make his dichotomIES simpler and more accurate is to keep each dichotomy to one non-conjunctive sentence.
interest vs money
persisting vs adapting
goals vs busywork vs new experiences

Yeah, I would agree that such division would make the survey more significant and add depth to the answer. Still, "some people" (read jcw) just above wanted to contemporarily choose money, interest, goals, experiences...and my point was, who wouldn't

[jet city woman]

Yeah, I would agree that such division would make the survey more significant and add depth to the answer. Still, "some people" (read jcw) just above wanted to contemporarily choose money, interest, goals, experiences...and my point was, who wouldn't

I can't change what I am, FDG. Lol..... The descriptions are there to fit me; I don't pry myself into the descriptions.

[krieger]

oh i was supposed to choose. my bad. i'm more of the 1 philosophy but most my real life problems derive from not being enough of 2. so i would advise people like me to be 2, not 1, since it brings about a more workable balance.

[Park]

It also included persisting vs adapting. But it failed to take into account the people who persist through a job they don't care for because it provides more money. Nor the people who adapt their lifestyle to better suit a lowered income so they could continue in the job they love.

It didn't fail to take them into account. The people who persist through a job they don't care for because it provides more money fall under category #2. The other group under #1. Now of course, if you take the words 'persist' and 'adapt' out of their original context, you can fuck that up.

He also added in being continuously involved in something vs having goals/aspirations. Consider the type of person who is constantly trying out new things. They aren't doing it for the money cuz there's really not much money in constantly switching jobs (unless the job involves constant change). Nor would they necessarily be persisting towards some overall long term goal/aspiration.

The reason the word 'something' was emphasized is to stress the irrelevance of 'it' being aligned with one's goals/aspirations. The type of person who is constantly trying out new things is probably very flimsy.

The best way to make his dichotomIES simpler and more accurate is to keep each dichotomy to one non-conjunctive sentence.
interest vs money
persisting vs adapting
goals vs busywork vs new experiences

Right. That way you can come up with thousands of contradicting contexts for each side, making your choice "easier".

[ashlesha]

2

[Kim]

I would say 1).

[Pa3s]

Definitely 1 for me.

[anndelise]

[1] It is essential for you to do what you want. Your work has to match your goals and ambitions. How much you make is of lesser priority than doing something that is in line with your personal motivations and aspirations, something which brings you closer to your goals. You persist.

[2] It is essential for you to make money and be continuously involved in something. Your work shapes your goals and ambitions, not the other way around. What you do is of inferior importance as long as you make a good living and lead a good life. You adapt.

I'm not sure my answer would be helpful, but here it is.

It is essential that I enjoy what I am doing and/or that it aligns with my motivations and/or ideals. More so than the income it does or doesn't supply. In fact, I have preferred homelessness rather than staying in something that countered my ideals. So 1>2.

I don't have long term goals nor ambitions, but I do feel a need to be involved in doing something, even if that something constantly changes. Because that something constantly changes, and because I lack sufficient persistence, I adapt to suit the changing circumstance, even if adapting means dropping it and pursuing something completely different. So 2>1.

[Ryan]

I don't know. I don't think it's that simple.

I spent the first eight/six months after high school doing tests and interviews for a local airline to be accepted into their pilot program. Passed everything. Failed the medical exam. I wore glasses and apparently that was an issue for them. The deal was pretty good, which is why graduates from all over the country applied for the opportunity to work there. I only went through it because that was the only thing going for me at the time. It was either two years of that or private college.

I haven't actually chosen a profession until I applied for college, which I guess what most people do? I picked what seemed interesting to me. I had a little programming background. I wanted to work on developing games/animation, etc. so I chose IT. My interests widened - in and outside of IT. I ended up specializing as a web programmer, and picked up a minor in business.

For me, the question of money is of utmost importance. I don't want to do something that is not going to push me forward, as I have a desire to work for my own eventually - doing a lot of things. But I do believe I can make lots of money doing anything so this isn't really something I'm worried about. While I see a future in some of the things I'm interested in, I'm also realistic about the opportunities I get. Thankfully, my interests are big enough, and I'm not really set on my ways so they are always evolving, that I don't have to worry about doing something I don't like, for the time being.

I was going to say dumb thread btw. Sorry. I wrote this because I haven't actually went back and evaluated any of this before, I guess.

[Raver]

[1] It is essential for you to do what you want. Your work has to match your goals and ambitions. How much you make is of lesser priority than doing something that is in line with your personal motivations and aspirations, something which brings you closer to your goals. You persist.

[2] It is essential for you to make money and be continuously involved in something. Your work shapes your goals and ambitions, not the other way around. What you do is of inferior importance as long as you make a good living and lead a good life. You adapt.

1.5. I bolded the aspects I could relate to from each point. It sounds like a contradiction, but is it?

[Finale]

I persistently adapt.

[jet city woman]

Yea, I didn't want to try to explain why, finale, so I just answered that way.

[RedBeard]

[1] It is essential for you to do what you want. Your work has to match your goals and ambitions. How much you make is of lesser priority than doing something that is in line with your personal motivations and aspirations, something which brings you closer to your goals. You persist. [2] It is essential for you to make money and be continuously involved in something. Your work shapes your goals and ambitions, not the other way around. What you do is of inferior importance as long as you make a good living and lead a good life. You adapt.

[EDIT] I constructed this dichotomy to reflect two opposing philosophies and personality inclinations I've been thinking about lately. They are clearly separated in my mind but, judging by the responses so far, I'm not sure I've done the greatest job in translating my thoughts into words. Try to infer the opposing implications and decide where you stand.

I think you've done a decent job of describing the dichotomy, but it's concise enough to be interpreted as simplistic and even false. I would be most successful in the camp of "1"; it denotes that I've learned enough from the experiences earned from mode "2" to gain momentum in life with satisfaction. By successful, I mean that I would feel like I was living healthily in at least one aspect of my life - arguably the most fundamental aspect. It would be an active and stimulating challenge. Being in mode 1 for anyone with refined taste probably means that you had to carry a cross on your shoulder until you narrowed down the feasible possibilities that spoke to you. Both camps demand that you incorporate a sense of realism and logical deduction in order to get anywhere professionally. EDIT: I'm at odds about what the gist of the question is. Is this kind of like a typological muse, or are you giving us two options to consciously choose from? Dichotomies get really hairy when you deal with any dynamic thing, especially when recounting every instance that applies to either dichotomy becomes tedious and time consuming. Anyone with even a modicum of life experience would scratch their head thinking about this question for a while if they took it as a serious "type me" thing.

[Park]

I was going to say dumb thread btw. Sorry. I wrote this because I haven't actually went back and evaluated any of this before, I guess.

Well, it made you think, so that's something.

EDIT: I'm at odds about what the gist of the question is. Is this kind of like a typological muse, or are you giving us two options to consciously choose from? Dichotomies get really hairy when you deal with any dynamic thing, especially when recounting every instance that applies to either dichotomy becomes tedious and time consuming. Anyone with even a modicum of life experience would scratch their head thinking about this question for a while if they took it as a serious "type me" thing.

Two options to consciously choose from. You can't be the type of person who jumps from job to job to keep the money flow and look for ways to increase income and at the same time have the character to tailor your life to your intrinsic needs, talents, and ambitions, which requires you to consciously give up certain comforts (like, be jobless for a while) and have the endurance to suffer and go through hardships in order to design the life you aspire to have. Option #2 might sound like "the easy way out", but what it's ought to emphasize is that one does not care much about where he or she travels as long as they can extract the benefits from the journey, while option #1 is for those who know where they want to go and consciously choose to overcome obstacles and resist opportunities that compromise their voyage. It's about difference in values, I guess.

I found it easy to answer because it was exactly the choice I had to make at one point. I wanted to get a doctorate and become a teacher/researcher in a given field, which meant a long time of schooling and poverty with very uncertain prospects. I was tempted to go into in another career in which I already had a foot in the door (working for a company while a student), could follow my interests, and realistically have a good career with good money. I would have gone into marketing/public relations and while I would not have been able to reach my ultimate goal, there were other quite attractive opportunities and interesting career development paths.

Perhaps this is a bit of a real life description of what the choices entail? Sometimes life really is that black and white.

That perfectly illustrates my point. If you were faced with the same situation again, you'd choose the same.

[InvisibleJim]

Decidificate or the curse of the Fabio will be upon thee!

[Pa3s]

So simple, yet so hard to understand.

[InvisibleJim]

Fabio enters thread - check
Fabio calls people names - check
Fabio claims people are causing drama - check

Ones average experience of Fabio played out in one thread.

Im about 72% Category 2 on the Parkogram.

[FDG]

Fabio enters thread - check
Fabio calls people names - check
Fabio claims people are causing drama - check

Ones average experience of Fabio played out in one thread.

Well well, at least I'm not making things boring

[InvisibleJim]

Well well, at least I'm not making things boring

less than 3

[jet city woman]

Oh Shut Up and Go Away FDG.

[blackburry]

Choice number one.

[Kim]

I found it easy to answer because it was exactly the choice I had to make at one point. I wanted to get a doctorate and become a teacher/researcher in a given field, which meant a long time of schooling and poverty with very uncertain prospects. I was tempted to go into in another career in which I already had a foot in the door (working for a company while a student), could follow my interests, and realistically have a good career with good money. I would have gone into marketing/public relations and while I would not have been able to reach my ultimate goal, there were other quite attractive opportunities and interesting career development paths.

Perhaps this is a bit of a real life description of what the choices entail? Sometimes life really is that black and white.

[squirreltual]

Daytime - 2
Evening - 1

[Absurd]

Daytime - 2
Evening - 1

Wonder what you do when dead.

[squirreltual]

Wonder what you do when dead.

[Absurd]