I received an email from a very nice person seeking advice and help
about their future career choice. I replied saying that I don’t usually give
advice because of how complex individuals can be. One piece of advice that
might work for one person, may be detrimental to another. However, what I did
do was speak from my own experiences – hoping that themes within them apply to
their personal situation. I noted that what I wrote could be utter rubbish!

The email correspondence between us helped me to get some of my thoughts down on paper. And, I would like to put them up on my blog just in case someone else finds value in my experiences. This is the third of five blog posts.

The blog post discusses Alex’s search for a job that involves working with people who share their values and interests. He recommends looking into non-profit organizations and charity jobs, as well as utilizing resources like “80,000 hours” to find meaningful work that aligns with one’s values. Alex emphasizes the importance of working together with others to help those in need, as the emotional reward is stronger when working as a group. They suggest that an emotional education, such as active listening, is necessary for effectively helping others. Additionally, Alex suggests that highly skilled or uniquely skilled people can make a significant impact in helping those in need.

As much as the motivational videos try to make it out that you can go it alone through force of will, I have most definitely found that you can’t. The strongest motivational mood state I have experienced is when I’ve been trying to help someone else. The emotional reward is even stronger when a group of us work together to try to help someone or a group of people I care about. The emotional reward I receive lasts, it pervades through the years.

Continue reading