To what extent are people defined by the job they do and how old they are?

Question

To what extent are people defined by the job they do and how old they are?

Answer 1

Depends on the person.

Answer 2

A person at retirement that has been a lawyer and has had an amazing career will be recognised more than a person at retirement that has been a cleaner all their life. Don't you think?

My job is c**p but i console myself with the fact i am going to university, however my mum never had this chance because she gave birth to me and has never had a career.

Society defines people by their jobs, a person is more likely to have respect for a doctor, whatever age, than someone that washes cars. You might not be as polite to a tree surgeon as you would to a brain surgeon and so on.

Does it really matter that my gran worked as a waitress all her life, and then became maitre'd and then retired early??? She would still have the love of the people who MATTER to HER. She could have been a burlesque dancer and we'd have loved the same.

It's down to your individual views and self worth if your job matters to "society".

Answer 3

I think some people think that after 30 you should have a career going for you instead of working at a fast food joint. Like my ex My Dad made so much fun of him that now when I bring someone home they'll tell me if he sounds like he has the loser genes. (ex That has to be taco bell  Tyrone) Be cause he is 37 and still works for Taco bells.  of course I am 28 and working on becoming an English Teacher by 32.

Answer 4

a lot

not totally, not by everyone

Answer 5

Age can define whether or not you have settled down with a family, career and life in general ie calmer and wiser than older! but as for jobs, sometimes a job can define you ie a footballer is more than likely to be an active athletic person from a young age.  However, you can be doing a job purely for financial reasons or lack of ambition, eg I am a part qualified Accountant and worked in accounts purely because I am good at maths and the money was great - can't stand the job and left recently.

Answer 6

People are definitely judged by their jobs, but does that judgment define them as a person.  And are they defining themselves or is society defining them.  I don't believe people define themselves by their jobs, but often others do when personal details are left out of the equations.  What I mean by that, is, when you go to the bank, or to a restaurant, or someones office, that is all you know them by, all you recognize them by.  Often, it's hard to place a face you recognize when that person is removed from the environment you know them from.  Therefore, you define them by their job.  It's easy to forget that these faces have a personal life absent of their employment.  How about a college professor, if you are their student.  You know nothing of them outside of class, and therefore you have defined him/her by their profession and nothing else.  Now, how do you think that same professor defines them self?  He/she probably in some way defines them self as a professor, because it is a personal role they take pride in.  If one holds a job position they don't take pride in, they probably don't define themselves by it, instead by something else in their life that gives them a sense of pride and self, such as being a mother.  

As for age - people are greatly defined by age when other's look upon them.  With high ages, society associates experience and wisdom regardless of actual examples of these traits.  Elders can also be seen as frail and helpless.  When one is younger, they can be seen as careless, wistful, among many other things.  

Age is a definite factor when defining individuals, but I am uncertain which has a stronger connotation when one certain individual is defined.  I would imagine that with younger or higher ages - employment isn't used as strongly, simply because employment isn't an issue, but during working years it would used more vastly.

Answer 7

Age is a hindrance once you get to having responsibility..

Answer 8

old as old is old.  man are they old!

Answer 9

Only to the extent that they themselves believe that they are defined by such things. You can do what you think you can do, self fulfilling prophecy so to speak. Have faith, believe, expect the best from God, and you can achieve more than you can possibly imagine.

Answer 10

age gives you wisdom and jobs give you knowledge and both give you general life skills

Answer 11

age only really

Answer 12

Age is always the big factor. Not some much the job, because jobs come and go.

Answer 13

When a newspaper or magazine does a how much do they make according to their job you don't usually see any waitresses or burger jocks listed.

Athletes, movie stars, rock stars and politicians are most definately defined by their jobs and highy visable in the media. Most of us peons are not.

Answer 14

Unfortunately so. However, the irony is that, the older you get, the more you realise what you do for a job and how old you are does not define your worth as a person.

Answer 15

I think that we don't have  to be defined by those things at all - Its personal choice how you define yourself and on what basis.

At times I have got off on my job and have felt that it describes aspects of me well. What others make of me - my age and occupation is none of my business.

Nothing is true about me till I say so.