UKC

I know there is a nature vs nuture arguement about psychological development generally.

I just wondered when it comes to adult life, (over 30 years of age or older) how much do you think your job affects/alters your views/perspective?

In reply to Blizzard:

About 38%

In reply to Blue Straggler:

V funny, only you could answer like in percentage terms ( and made up????)

I wasnt looking for percentages. More specifics.

In reply to Blizzard:



You might have been better off by asking "how do you think your job affects your perspectives", rather than "how MUCH"

In reply to Blizzard:

My old job made me depressed. It also made me very cynical about politics, but I don't think that would have been much different had I not seen it in detail, first hand.

Rather than affecting my view or perspective, I think my old job gave me insight. Other people in the profession had very different views and perspectives to me.

When I start working again later in the year in my new job, seeing 15 or so patients a day, it might give me a bit of insight into what certain kinds of people are like (but it's not like we're going to be talking about much - the conversation in this line of work generally revolves around the relative merits of lenses 1 and 2).

In reply to Blizzard:

Seeing as your job is about 50% of your waking hours (not counting weekends etc! ), it probably does have an effect!

In reply to Blizzard:

^ What he said.

How content one is when working can have a big impact on how a person's personality 'exists' for want of a better word, which can affect their outlook on life.

I say exist because I don't think personalities can't change once we become adults.

The range of people who are interacted with would have an affect as well.

In reply to Blizzard:

interesting that one. I have been doing my main job since I was 20. I first thought it was OK, then when I was 35 I hated it. Now I love it and have done for the past 9 years. The job itself hasn't changed much

In reply to Blizzard:

working with /in people has, does and always will make me depressed at their syupidity and laziness. it pays the bills so whatever

In reply to ow arm:


Seconded.

In reply to Blizzard:

I worked for Social Services, then teaching for the first 25 years of my working life. I think I was pretty well rounded, and a nice person.

Then, I set up my own private company, where I have to market and sell my ideas. I think this had made me a cynical, jealous, fairly unpleasant and richer person.

In reply to Timmd:


I changed my outlook on life in a major way when I was 40.

Brains are plastic neural networks and are capable of being rewired - just look at what happens with people who have strokes.

There is more and more evidence emerging about the plastic nature of adult brains:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/use-your-mind-change-your-brain/201305/...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-16086233

http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/0/23590545

http://www.ted.com/talks/michael_merzenich_on_the_elastic_brain

In reply to Blizzard:


An interesting question is also how much your views/perspective affect how you think about your job.

In reply to Blizzard:

I look upon my jobs (I have 4!) as a means of making money to travel and climb mountains. they mean nothing more to me. if I had a career rather than jobs it might be different

In reply to Jon Stewart:


It always feels like they already know the answer and are just testing me to see if I've been paying attention

In reply to Blizzard:

Its all part of the nurture bit. We learn from what we do, but clearly natural qualities also change the way we behave at work

In reply to Blizzard:

To be very scientific and accurate about it, I'd say roughly 00.00%

In reply to Blizzard:

It might slant your opinion. I'm an academia, when in the US I'd only work with academics, so if I didnt actively get out, meet people, I'd assume the US was some liberal, environmental state..

But if you have a varied life, not insular then it shouldn't too much.

In reply to nufkin:

They do. And if you're really struggling to decide, then you're wasting their time.

In reply to IainRUK:

Thanks for those replies. Mixed opinion. I wonder what the silent majority have to say on the subject.

In reply to Blizzard:


Nothing?

In reply to tlm:


A very good point.