I’m going to start a new weekly post. I’m going to call it “Would You Rather Wednesday”
Alright, I was having a debate with my roommate about this. And it was actually her boyfriend who started it. He had a job interview today for something that is totally unrelated to his degree. He texted me earlier today saying “Here’s my dose of mean: I will probably get a job that pays more than you will ever make teaching. Hahaha”. So then I responded with “At least I’ll be using my degree”, to which he said “Whatever. Tell that to your bank account.” I then told him “It doesn’t matter about the money, if it did, I would have picked a different career.”
So then when I got back to my room I asked my roommate, “Would you rather do something you love and get paid a little or do something you hate and get paid a lot?” You know which one she said? The second one. Then she went off about how if you love your job and get paid a little, you’ll be miserable because you won’t have a lot of money. Well I then said that if you hate your job but get paid a lot, you will still be miserable because you won’t like your job. So either way, both scenarios would kind of suck. But you know what, I’m willing to get paid a little to do something I love, which will be teaching. If I wanted to get paid more, then I would have gone to school to be a doctor or a lawyer, but I wouldn’t like either one of those jobs. Who cares if I’m not getting paid a lot? Then I will just have to get my priorities straight and not splurge on things I need. If I want to go on vacation I can just save money and go every other year or every few years.
So now I wanna know, what are your thoughts on this topic? I put up a poll on the right side of my blog so vote and leave me your comments letting me know what you think.
I would do something I love and get paid little for it. I would hate life if I did something I hated just because of the money and money doesn't make people happy!
ReplyDeleteI don't think my side here was represented well. I would choose money. There are a few reasons why I believe it is better:
ReplyDeleteIn our society money talks without it you don't have much power or say. Not only that, the world isn't kind. Sure you can have love but biochemically speaking, the "love" feeling will going away. Love is a biochemical reaction of oxytocin, dopamine, and a few others that I won't bother to name. The fact is people will say love because it's consider bad taste to say money. However, the majority of divorce is because of money issues. Without money, you had more stress which also shortens your live.
Eventually, love will end. Either because you fall out of love or because some one dies. You will be left alone. You will be alone, and just getting by. This for the common person leads to depression.
Money might led to a life without a lover, but I have my family. I also don't have to stress about where my next meal is coming from. So, I hate my job. I can afford to take a break and travel. I could also adopt a child, and give them a life they would never thought they had.
Being in love isn't everything. Even with marriage you end up alone. Those are the facts of life.
No offense Nicole, but you're comment about picking a different major isn't really a good reason. Being pre-med is extremely hard and a lot of work. I seen your work habits, I don't think you would be able to hand that much work. You enjoy your free time too much. As a BioChem major for one class I have over nine hours of outside work, and seven hours of in class. Pre-med have way more per class.
I think what it comes down to isn't love vs. money. I honestly, believe the people who choose love don't logically or critically think about this decision. I think people who choose love do it because they don't believe they could become rich, however love is a possibility to they validate their lifestyle by saying they would choose love over money. Whether that is true or not.
People come to American everyday for the "American Dream". This dream is not about finding love. This dream is about getting rich and creating a better lifestyle. My family came here for that reason.
Okay, to summarize everything I just stated.
When it comes to love. It doesn't last. It is a biochemical reaction nothing more. When that feeling goes away, people get divorces (the current divorce rate is 53%). Or they simply stay together as a couple but its more like best friends (hence, why most married couples don't have sex as the years go by).
Why money might not bring happiness,it can help me achieve things that does bring happiness.
I respect everyone's opinions, and some of what Anonymous said is true. But "love" is not a chemical reaction. infatuation is the chemical reaction that fades over time. Love is what is sometimes left behind once the chemical reaction has gone. Love can make you happy, it just depends on your personality. If you are the type of person who is more motivated by physical things, then love is lower on your satisfaction priority list. I, on the other hand, am motivated by emotional stimulation, and so love and helping others is my priority. There is nothing wrong with either view, but they are both very different and therefore produce very different opinions about the above question, “Would you rather do something you love and get paid a little or do something you hate and get paid a lot?” So to answer that question, I would choose to do what I love and I would be a very happy monetarily challenged stay at home mother...OOOh, look! here comes my paycheck now! (my 8 year old just gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek. She must want something.)
ReplyDeleteI assume you also want to provide for said daughter. If you choose a career where you just get enough to get by, and not afford the extras. Simply because your whole paycheck goes to food, and bills. So you wouldn't be to afford clothes from the mall or other stores besides maybe the good will or walmart.
ReplyDeleteYour daughter would get teased by the others kids. Kids are cruel, they tease those who aren't alike. If you couldn't afford to sent your daughter on the school trip and she is upset because everyone else gets to go but she has to stay. You are telling love of a job is enough to make up for all the hardship of your child is facing in school? And you will be perfectly okay with it?
As for love, it fades. It is a psychological and biological process nothing more. Love ends think of past boyfriends you thought you loved. With enough time, you can get over the lost of ex. I am not saying family love, but for a lover it's not there unless you work at it all the time.
Personally, I would see more benefits to taking a job you dislike. It creates a better home. Sure, you aren't happy about your career. But you won't bring stress and hardship to your family.
I am sure as a mother you want to do everything for you child, and that would include taking a job you didn't like to provide the best for her.
Oh and side love is a biochemical reaction, if you don't believe that's fine. You can ask someone with a degree in the field, or google it. But I am currently studying biochemistry at college And as far the science community is consider love is based on chemicals. They vary in degrees as the relationship prolongs. But there is chemicals that go off in to create love, it's not just infatuation, or lust.
ReplyDeleteAnd if any of my comments offend you, I am sorry it is not my intend. I just enjoy debates. :)
I can find way more rich people who are miserable than people who just get by.
ReplyDeleteI'd rather just get by than be materialistic and superficial.
I totally agree with you other annonymous!!!
ReplyDeleteBeing rich doesn't make you materialistic or superficial. That depends on the person, look at Bill Gates the majority of his income goes to charity. In fact, in his will almost all of his money is going to charity over his children.
ReplyDeleteIf people honestly didn't care about being rich, there wouldn't be the lottery, or all these quick rich plans, such as survivor, Big Brother, The singing bee, Cash Cab, and ect.
Money is not the answer to every problem. The difference is it answers all your real needs. such as food, and shelter.
Just getting by isn't going to provide basic necessities, if that was the case we wouldn't need welfare. However, because of the where the United States is my state decided to cut funding for education by over 100 million dollars including cutting FASA. However, they are giving $600 million to welfare.
People won't be able to afford college, it will simply be something you get attend if you can get a scholarship or can actually afford it.
I think taking a job you hate is less selfish, because you are doing it for the good of your family.
If you take a job you love and barely get paid. You are putting your family in a burden they don't need to live through.
Let's take it to an extreme:
Would you rather be married to a homeless guy (which means you would be homeless as well) whom you loved or be extremely wealthy (think top 2%) but never get married?
Also, note I put marriage I said nothing about your other family members, pets or children. Which could be possible in both situations.
i understand that being rich does not make you superficial or materialistic. However, some of the reasons you were citing were, such as not being able to affor high-end clothes. That is materialistic and superficial. As long a me and my family have clothes, a place to live, and food, we can be happy. I do commend the wealthy people like Bill Gates and Oprah who dedicat their money to helping others, it is wonderful, and I hope that you when you are making millions in your biochem job that you do the same, as I know I will even if don't make much money. I don't make much money now, but I ALWAYS give what I can and have a few organizations that I am dedicated to helping.
ReplyDeleteAs for the get rich quick plans, think of the people who usually play on those. Its usually middle class people who have enough, but want more. Do truly poor and less fortuante people go on there? Not generally.
As for the PA budget cuts, its just going to widen the divide between the upper and lower class because as you said many people are not going to be able to afford college, even at the state school level, as you said. But should only the wealthy get that opportunity. you have to know that some people are just the victims of circumtance. not everyone on welfare is lazy, never worked a day in their life. People need opportunity.
Also, someone has to take the low-paying dirty work. We can't become a service only society or America will have no base, and would fall apart at the seems if foreign alliances were voided. Someone needs to do these jobs, and while it is not good to oppress, wouldn't you want the people who are doing the low paying jobs to be people who want to do them and enjoy doing them?
I think we have different views on what "getting by" means... to me it means being able to afford everything we need, but not necessarily everything we want. I take it that your view is not being able to afford the necessitites like food. While it is not my goal to "just get by" in life, of course I aim higher, I am not personally willing to sacrifice my happiness for it. I also believe that I value relationships more than you- I would marry the man I love despite what he does. Granted, it would be hard for me to fall in love with a homeless man because I myself am a very driven person and are attracted to people with drive, goals, and motivation, but if I truly loved someone, even though it may only be temporary as you say, it would be worth it to me. Call me a romantic, sentimental, or overly optimistic but that's just the way I see it. and FYI teaching is not a "just get by" proffession, and anyone who goes into teaching knows that them money is not there. Who do you want educating your children, or nieces or nephews, or neighbors, or siblings? People who love to do it and have the best interest of the children at heart? Or should no one want to be a teacher becasue the pay isn't wonderful, and then there's no education? What is your soulution to this?
To say that it is less selfish to take a job you hate to make more money for your family can go either way. What if your children never get to see you becasue you work tons of hours. You are making a huge sacrifice by monopolilzing your familial relationships. Children want parents more than money.
As you said previously, it is not my intent to offend either. I'm enjoying debating with you. :)
and in case you were wondering, I am a FIRM BELIEVER that money is the root of most evils.
ReplyDeleteI never said "high-end" clothing. I said average clothing. I don't consider the clothes at an average mall high end. I was talking about the common clothes you see on the average income person.
ReplyDeleteI think you are forgetting about a child's maturity level. Sure, all you need is the basic to be happy. But a child won't understand that, and will want what others have. And a mother couldn't be happy to see her child upset. Although, you could be a happy in a career, your child not being happy wouldn't make your home live happy.
I always plan for charity. I donating everything I can. In fact, my biggest part of my college application was my charity work, and donations.
I agree with your points about the reality tv shows.
The jobs such as those in factories are going over-sees. It is cheaper to the company to have foreign work force, because people here demand more. Grant some of those demands are humane and should be require. But that doesn't change the fact this is happening.
I really can't see anyone happy working at fast food for life or jobs on this level. There might be one in a thousand but reality is they are not happy.
The psychology of a person is they want to keep up withe Jones. It is human nature to want more. No matter how happy they are in a job, they can help but to think what if.
I by no means don't value relationships. I love my boyfriend. However, I also am aware that feeling is temporary and because of so I work to make sure we are always best friends. Judging for most people I see in relationship and they are soooooooo in love. they don't really talk about important things or real issues because they believe the love they have will be everything they need.
To break it down in simply terms the chemicals in love works like this:
Lust:
testosterone and estrogen
Then comes in the pheromones.
Attraction:
Dopamine
Norepinephrine
Serotonin
nerve growth factor
Attachment:
Oxytocin
Vasopressin
There are few more but I am sure you get the picture.
I never said teaching was a getting by job. However the average salary is PA of a teacher is only $23,000, and it gets to about $30,000 according to the government website.
Let's say you go to college for four year and pay $14,000 more semester. That is roughly about 56,000 dollars in debt for just school loans. That is at a small amount $560 a month for your loan for the next ten years, You get $2,000 a month before taxes. That is about $1,00 a month after taxes, and $940 after loan payment and include car, gas, rent and other bills so maybe another 600. That leaves about $360 for food for the whole month.
So in this situation, money is tightly.
I am still not sure where you think I hate education. If anything science major love it and we think more education should happen for science since American is over 20 years behind in science compare to other countries.
If you are making a lot, both parents don't need to work. I lived in a household were my father wasn't around a lot but I had a home maker for a mother. Sure, I would miss my father but I understood why I couldn't see him. it really didn't make me unhappy. I am actually really close with my father and I talk to him everyday.
I couldn't never say money is the root of all evil. Money doesn't make us do anything. It's the person with the money who might do evil things. It's the same thing with a gun. Guns are not the reason people get killed. They might be the object used but someone pulled the trigger.
Now for welfare.
I don't believe those are welfare are lazy. I have a few people who are super close to me on welfare. However, I have seen people milked it, the way same SOME people milk unemployment.
Education cuts in PA.
ReplyDeleteMy college is cutting funding to students you need it by 88%. They are getting rid of labs, professors salaries are getting cut, and classes are getting bigger. Oh and the tuition is going up.
So for those who don't make a lot but just for food, and shelter. May not have the credit or assets to get a private loan they may need for college.
I am not saying this will happen soon. But at this rate college will be for the intelligence and the bourgeoisie.
Clothing argument: My child will learn quickly that clothes and having the newest ipod and such will not make you happy. I will NOT raise such a superficial and materialistic child, and no one should aim to. So every time your child wants something you are going to get it for them? Go ahead and perpetuate the belief that things make you happy.
ReplyDeleteI admire you for donating to charity.
Factories: that is not the way it should be. If you are all for being self-sustaining and relying on yourself then you would not support the United State's outsourcing all of these jobs that we rely on to keep our society going.
I've never been one to keep up with the Jones's and this is one of the things that leads to my belief that money and greed lead to problems. This is why so much of America is in debt, and is raising spoiled selfish asshole children.
Love: If love for people fades, so does love for things. you may love the armani shoes you have, or the porsche in the garage, but won't you love for them fade just as fast if not faster than love for your partner, or job? Then you just need to buy more things, spend more money, while it is less likely to skip around through people, or jobs.
I am under no delusion that love is the only thing needed to keep a relationship together. I agree that many people settle, or just get comfortable. I value intelligent conversation, debates and truly thought provoking conversations in a relationship also.
Love chemicals: Oxytocin... If I remember correctly, this is the chemical in animals like swans and such mate for life. While I am not certain animals are capable of the emotion of love, persay, they can stay with one mate forever.
You are lucky that you were fortunate to have a stay at home mother, as was I. However, if you should sacrifice to make enough for your family to live a highly comfortable life style, then in some families this may mean both parents working. Also, if a parent goes to a job they hate to "sacrifice" it may not benefit the family in the end. The person will be so miserable and depressed that no one will want to be around them.. and that can end a marriage in divorce just as easily as money problems can.
Love of money, and greed is what the issues is. It's like drugs. It controls. Guns do not control or compromise the people who use them where as drugs and money do.
In the end, either way you're going to be slightly miserable, and we're debating what we'd rather be miserable about. Its personal preference. Miserable for lack of money, or miserable because of your job.
You bring up all good points. But I think the real difference between the two choices. If you have a job you hate you can easy change the job. If you are a saver over a buyer. you can save the money you make and then go for a career you love.
ReplyDeleteOxytocin primarily is acts in neuromodulator in the brain. It is one of the first peptides. It helps letdown Ex. lactate. It is found in both men and women during sexual arousal though there isn't much studies on why. And finally, evokes feelings of contentment, reductions in anxiety, and feelings of calmness and security around the mate. Hence, why some believe in soul mates, it's Oxytocin at work.
You probably didn't want all of that information. lol
I wasn't saying give everything your child wants. Because I agree that will lead to a spoil child. However, I am saying that never getting anything can led to a bitter child.
I am glad you don't keep up with the Jones, but you are a rare breed of human. At least for now, hopefully time will change this. But until, human nature changes. People will see others on TV want that lifestyle and go into extreme debt to get.
Money doesn't control. Money is inanimate. If you were to give money to someone who never knew what it was. It wouldn't cause that person to become evil. It's the concept, people have with money that causes greed. It is more for the lust of power money creates than money itself. Guns do the same thing. Guns gives people control over some one's life. With that power, some go on serial murders just like BTK although he was into ropes.
The divorce rates show that divorce isn't common in upper class marriages. In fact, the highest divorce rate is middle class. That's because people in upper class marriages tend to stay together regardless of a real relationship, think Bill Clinton and Hilary.
I haven't read through the comments, so hopefully I'm adding something new here.
ReplyDeleteI would rather make more money for a job I like or can tolerate. Work itself isn't what really defines whether you like a job in many cases; it's the company you keep at work. So, unless you hate absolutely everyone in your office, you can make work enjoyable.
Here's the thing - there are levels of making money. It's not just a have or have not type of situation - you can make less money than others at a job you like, and you can live quite comfortably. You don't need to make the most money to be happy.
That being said, making lots of money can be a great motivator to like your job more...so I guess I'm playing both sides of the coin!