Is the amount of money a person earns the most important part of a job?
To some extent, what we earn is very important to all of us. All of us need to earn a certain amount of money in order to provide a reasonable standard of living for ourselves and our families. Otherwise we struggle to make ends meet.
It is also good to be able to earn a bit more so that we can afford not just the basics, but also a few luxuries, such as holidays, entertainment, occasional gourmet meals out and so on. These luxuries certainly make life more enjoyable.
Earning a good salary can also add to the self-esteem of workers. They often feel that the level of their salary reflects their value to their employers and, indeed, their status in society.
All of this is quite understandable and acceptable, provided that it is not taken to excess. However, it has to be remembered that money is not everything, whatever aspect of life you are considering.
Most of us know people who earn an incredible amount of money, but who earn it at a price. They work incredibly long hours, working far longer than the average working day. Indeed, they are hardly ever away from work.
This presenteeism is sometimes a result of the demands of unreasonable bosses. Sometimes, however, it is motivated by ambition and the desire for higher salaries, on the part of the employees. They sometimes work long hours to earn extra money. However, they sometimes do so to demonstrate their dedication to their jobs and their loyalty to the company, in the hope that they will soon get promotion and an accompanying increase in salary. Their main aim in life is to climb the promotional and financial ladders.
People who work long and stressful hours, even if they earn a great deal of money by doing so, have little time or energy left for their families, friends or hobbies. They focus all their energies on their work and are exhausted at the end of the day. The time spent out of work thus brings them little pleasure, although they have the money to indulge in leisure pursuits and luxuries.
Sadly, such people often do not enjoy their work either. Sometimes they hate it and often they are stressed by it. They do not experience the most important aspect of work-job satisfaction.
We spend a very large part of our lives at work. Surely, then, it is far more important that we should find a job that we like or one that gives us a feeling of satisfaction, than that we should seek jobs just because they are highly paid. Obviously, if we stay some time in a particular kind of job we will gradually earn more money, but money should not be regarded as the be-all and the end-all of the job.
Society could not survive if everyone regards their salary or wage as the most important part of their work. Fortunately, there are a great many people in the world who do not regard money as the most important aspect of their lives. There are many jobs which are traditionally not very well paid in many countries, but which are absolutely essential for the survival of society. Think of nurses and primary school teachers.
