This is just my personal philosophy. I think it all comes down to whether you feel recognition and respect for your work.
This recognition comes from yourself, your direct peers, your superiors, your subordinates, your customers, your friends, and your family. If any one group thinks lowly of what you do it has a strong effect. If all of them think that way it would be very distressing.
The only way anything matters is as it relates to recognition from any of those groups. Your own background and the people around you have a tremendous effect what works and what doesn't.
For example, a financial planner who made $5 million last year might be thrown into depression if they were reduced to doing taxes for middle-class clients for $50,000 per year. But a junior college graduate from a poor background might be filled with importance to have that opportunity. Likewise being praised by a Nobel laureate would probably be much different than being praised by your barber who thinks your app is cool.
So, figure out what would make you respect yourself. Work for someone who respects you and has customers that respect what they do. Have peers that respect you. And hire subordinates that respect you. Surround yourself with people whose respect is meaningful and earn it. Respect can come in the form of money, but any one form of respect can get negated if the others are lacking. It sounds egocentric to type it out, but I think that's what we really want at the end of the day.
This recognition comes from yourself, your direct peers, your superiors, your subordinates, your customers, your friends, and your family. If any one group thinks lowly of what you do it has a strong effect. If all of them think that way it would be very distressing.
The only way anything matters is as it relates to recognition from any of those groups. Your own background and the people around you have a tremendous effect what works and what doesn't.
For example, a financial planner who made $5 million last year might be thrown into depression if they were reduced to doing taxes for middle-class clients for $50,000 per year. But a junior college graduate from a poor background might be filled with importance to have that opportunity. Likewise being praised by a Nobel laureate would probably be much different than being praised by your barber who thinks your app is cool.
So, figure out what would make you respect yourself. Work for someone who respects you and has customers that respect what they do. Have peers that respect you. And hire subordinates that respect you. Surround yourself with people whose respect is meaningful and earn it. Respect can come in the form of money, but any one form of respect can get negated if the others are lacking. It sounds egocentric to type it out, but I think that's what we really want at the end of the day.