Fast Company Daily The case for not loving your job
Dec 1, 2025
Exploring the pressures of loving your job, the discussion reveals a divide between those who see work as passion versus those who view it as pay. Research suggests that moralizing intrinsic motivation can lead to guilt and burnout, potentially trapping individuals in unsuitable roles. A study also points out that coworkers tend to support passionate colleagues more than disengaged ones. Finally, the conversation highlights how recent work trends and employer practices can exploit unpaid efforts, emphasizing that loving work is more about privilege than moral superiority.
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Passion Became A Moral Standard
- Moralizing passion makes loving your job a virtue rather than a preference.
- That shift stigmatizes other motives and pressures workers to overinvest in roles.
Guilt And Burnout From Expected Enthusiasm
- Moralizing intrinsic motivation makes workers feel guilty for normal disengagement or tedious tasks.
- That guilt can increase burnout and trap people in ill-fitting roles.
Passion Bias Harms Teamwork
- Those who moralize passion tend to look down on colleagues motivated by pay or recognition.
- The study found they were less willing to help teammates they saw as less passionate.