Idk, man. I think there’s a genuine leftist vibe to the saying “love what you do and you’ll never work a day in your life”. There are definitely career paths where the pay is mediocre but the sense of fulfillment is overwhelming.

The problem is that most of these career paths are in fucking Cuba.

American businesses are, by intent or consequence, all about profit margin and growth rate. Nothing else matters because nothing else is allowed to matter. I would love to work at a business that was genuinely invested in the Good Vibes. And I know there are more than a few that cultivate that as a secondary concern. Everyone I’ve talked to who works at H.E.B. practically glows with approval when they talk about how that business is managed, in no small part because they honestly do seem to invest in their workforce and cultivate a certain degree of compassion towards staff. But they only get to do that shit because the firm is entirely privately owned, successfully operated, and not beholden to a bunch of vampiric outside investors. Even then, they’re tethered to credit just like everyone else. And their owners are absurdly wealthy, long past the point at which their labor contributes to the operation of the firm.

It would be incredibly cool if you could invest in your career like you invest in a personal hobby or craft and not end up ruthlessly exploited. It should be that way. People having a passion for what they do shouldn’t be seen as a fucking weakness in their character that some other asshole can exploit.