Would I Still Show Up If I Didn’t Need the Money?
A colleague recently made an offhand comment that stuck with me. We were talking about how we got into our profession. She’s also a lawyer, and I mentioned that my academic background in value theory still informs my approach to my work in legal ethics and professional responsibility. I was explaining how—and don’t roll your eyes here—I actually enjoyed what I did for a living. In response she quipped, “Well, we wouldn’t be doing this if they weren’t paying us.”
I understood the sentiment. After all, most of us need to earn a living. But it struck me as incomplete. Compensation matters, of course, but I don’t think it fully explains why people do the work they do, or why some of us find genuine fulfillment in it. In other words, if I were independently wealthy, would I still show up for work? Not just for any work, but for this work?
Behavioral studies suggest that people don’t really enjoy prolonged idleness as much as they might expect. There’s this general conception that retirement, as a reward for years of labor, is supposed to be filled with leisure. But in practice, people who retire without a clear sense of purpose often struggle. They probably don’t miss the structure of work. I think instead they might miss the engagement, the challenge, and the sense of contribution. Retirees with meaningful activities—whether through part-time work, volunteering, or creative pursuits—tend to be healthier and, in many cases, live longer.
I suspect that even if I were independently wealthy, I would still be doing something very similar to what I do now. Not necessarily because I feel any sense of duty about it, but because I enjoy the problems. A practice in legal ethics means grappling with intricate and layered questions. They’re questions about professional responsibilities, integrity, and how institutions shape individual choices. To me, these are problems worth thinking about, and I find real satisfaction in trying to solve them.
That’s not to say work should define us entirely, or that everyone must love their job in the same way. But I do think there’s something to be said for work that engages the mind and provides a sense of purpose beyond a paycheck. Because overall, most of us aren’t looking for nothing. We’re looking for something that’s worth it.
