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Define Yourself: Are You Your Job?
Why People Define Themselves by their (Inflated) Careers!
Ah, the classic conversation starter at any social gathering. It’s the kind of question that rolls off the tongue as effortlessly as someone might ask about the weather.
So you’re at a social event, one that entails a networking mixer or a family reunion. Someone walks up to you and, in an almost ritualistic manner, drops the question. It seems harmless, right? But watch closely as it works its magic, transforming ordinary people into job-title-slinging superheroes.
Take Steve, for instance. (I changed his name from Bob to protect the innocent). Steve is the guy who puffs up with the kind of pride you’d expect from someone who just broke a world record.
“I’m Steve, Senior Vice President of Strategic Engagement at FutureTech.”
He then dives headfirst into a spiel about how his company is revolutionising the digital landscape, leveraging cutting-edge synergy metrics, and blah, blah, blah.
Now, don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing inherently bad about being enthusiastic about your job. I mean, “Go Steve!”, right? Good for him, having a job that’s presumably as mind-blowingly awesome as it sounds.
