What is a meaningful job?

Well, my goodness, "what is the meaning of life?" you ask. "What is the meaning of "meaning" in your question? And whose life? A worms?
John Updikel

So I have been pondering what exactly do I mean by a meaningful job and how do I expect to find it. So I have two questions or thought streams about this concept.

First, since I am a word nerd, defining what meaningful is, has proven to be a philosophical and perhaps a psychological conundrum.

I ran across a Philosophy paper entitled "The concept of a Meaningful life," by Thaddeus Metz, on just what is the meaning of "meaning." The essay poses some very interesting questions. First it says that, like the quote above, defining what a meaningful life is, is much too vague a concept, which I agree with.

So now we ask is meaning solely derived from a desire to fill some spiritual or humanistic duty on earth. For myself, is it to assist humanity in its progress towards a more peaceful, wholesome existence?


I would say yes. But I believe that, as I stated in another blog, to make a more peaceful world at every level you must and can start at any level. By that I mean that peace does not limit itself to the cessation of armed combat. Some of our most violent confrontations take the form of verbal arguments. Not to mention the economic violence that certain powers assert over weaker groups or individuals.

Therefore I am confronted by my own argument. What is it that this meaningful job that I am looking for, since all jobs have meaning if striving towards a more peaceful society, contains?

Latter in the essay the author questions if meaning is associated with a certain level of happiness. Latter they dispute this since consuming ice cream makes me happy but I do not find meaning in eating it. Or at least I don't anymore ;).

all this questioning leads me back to what I hear at so many job seminars mainly, that your value should not be tied up in your career achievements. I see and hear about so many people who claim to be unhappy in their jobs or seem to have no feelings whatsoever about their job. They simply care that it gives them what they need to achieve the lifestyle they desire. This makes me feel that perhaps I am alone in my drive to find a job that makes me happy and also fulfills my desire to contribute to our progress towards peace. However, I know that I am not alone in my desire to find a meaningful job.

So my second question is, Is our desire to find a meaning in our employment new? This question is harder to answer and I could not find reference to it. I read about people throughout history and society who did amazing things in their lifetimes. But have we, in retrospect given their life meaning? Did they feel like they were fulfilling some cosmic role?

I hope that in the near future I can interview people who have attained the status of a meaningful life in our society. I would like to ask them if they knew or even felt that they were fulfilling their calling? Did they know it was their calling from the beginning or did it become apparent at the end.

Any thoughts on the idea?