skizziks

Cool topic.

I'm retired Army, and I saw so many officers whose whole life revolved around them being an officer. I would ask them "what's going to happen when you get out? No one will care what you did or that you were a Colonel or any of that. " They didn't get it.

When I was in the military, and even now, people would thank me for my service. I would tell them its just a job, and to me, it was just a job. I got free travel, I got to have fun, I learned a lot, but there was no higher motive or any of that. I was strictly mercenary about it, it gave me money to pursue my hobbies and what I really enjoyed. People wouldn't believe I was active duty, I didn't act all "Army." I just acted like myself.

I currently work in retail. It in no way defines me. But I don't see how any retail job can define someone.

Your job shouldn't define you. It isn't bad if it does, you are lucky if you fit your job so perfectly, but I think you can be an excellent hard core facts only kind of scientist at work and be a creative free flowing I believe in ghosts non scientist (as an example) when you are off duty.

Like Tyler Durden said, "you are not your job, you are not how much money you have in the bank"