What is more important in a career, to be financially stable or to be happy?
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M$9 Answers
I would say that this depends on your life goals. If your intention is to live as a single person for your entire life, then perhaps you can deal with financial instability in order to do what makes you happy. However, as soon as you add a spouse or children, anyone dependent, to your life then your responsibility to them means that stability will be more important. Sometimes a couple is fortunate to find each other and live without children, both pursuing happiness always making it work from paycheck to paycheck.
This is entirely fine so long as it is a conscious agreed upon condition. Ultimately that decision is up to you. But at any time a dependent comes into the picture, then things change. I've known my share of people who have thought they never wanted kids, followed "starving artist" types of dreams and then found that either their goals changed as they got older or the unexpected happened. In my opinion and experience, this is where a well rounded education comes in handy. At least in such a situation, there is always a background to start from for a career change if needed.
Personal experience
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M$
There has been some studies that show that those employees who were given benefits and incentives for a job well done produces more and quality output. And an employee who is financially stable will be happy and that will affect his work and career as well. This will not only give him a boost of his morale but he will feel more accomplished because he and his family will be able to enjoy the fruits of his labor.
Own opinion.
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M$I personally think that in order to be happy, you have to have some level of financial stability. That level depends on your personal goals in life.
But having financial stability definitely does not automatically mean that you will be happy. In order to be happy, you need to have the things in life you really want to have. And that's the big trick, deciding what it is you really want and what other things are not so important. In an ideal world, the important things to make you happy would be a happy home with a happy family and that's about it. But a few other pursuits in life can be a good thing, as long as they are kept in perspective.
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M$
"happiness is not so much about having what you want as appreciating what you have."
Thanks @philipy, that is essentially what I was trying to say (I just didn't word it very well)
Great points.
> In order to be happy, you need to have the things in life you really want to have
You're thinking like an American there Brian. :)
Other cultures and many psychologists would say happiness is not so much about having what you want as appreciating what you have. They also would not be quite so obsessed with "the pursuit of happiness" in the first place.
There is a lot of research on how incomes are or aren't related to happiness.
Basically the findings go something like this....
Up to the level that you need to have a decent roof over your head, food on the table, run a car, be able to buy a gift or a treat now and then, more income matters a lot to your happiness. After that level, not nearly so much. In the US that level could be a as low as $12,000 pa.
However people find it hard to be happy when they think they are doing worse than their peers. You might be living happily on $20,000 until you learn that all your friends are on $50,000 and have different lifestyles to you.
If you can be relaxed about things like that then as long as you're making enough to live decently, happiness is probably more important than money in a career.
http://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/getArticle.cfm?id=1763
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$A career has nothing to do with being financially stable or being happy. You can be financially stable without a career and you can be happy without a career. Regardless, a career does not automatically make you financially stable or happy. There have been times in my career where I have been happy and unhappy. There are times when times are financially rough and others that are good. That's all part of life.
What you should be asking yourself is "What makes me happy, that can also make me financially stable?". This is a much harder question and it's not something you will get from a web site. You need to look and find out what careers are like. If possible, interview people that have careers that you are interested in. Dont necessarilly ask them if they like it, because what you like may not be what they like. Part of this advice also is to not expect an opportunity to be there simply because you like something. You may need to settle for something you can live with, instead of waiting for the "ideal" career opportunity that may never come.
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M$
