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Virtue of Productiveness: finding (a) right job for your mind

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In his discussion of the virtue of Productiveness, John Galt emphasizes the importance of not choosing work that is any more or less than his mind can handle ('...to settle down into a job that requires less than you mind's full capactiy is to cut your motor and sentence yourself to another kind of motion: decay,' etc.) When one runs into difficulties in one's chosen work and starts to feel it is too much for him, what is a method by which one can determine if the work really is 'bigger than his mind can handle' or if he is just giving up too early?

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Try to isolate what is causing you to feel that the work is too much for you.

I have a problem with this periodically, but it's caused by the fact that I'm painfully shy in person and dealing with people (part of pretty much any career) is excessively stressful for me. So, when my relationships with my coworkers etc. aren't going to well, the work seems hideously overwhelming.

It is unlikely that your chosen career is actually outside the realm of your mental capabilities unless you've set yourself a bizarre goal like "be the best at X in the entire world" or "come up with a cure for cancer". If you set yourself an improper goal all you're going to do is drive yourself crazy.

There is no particular field that requires genius-level intelligence or even, absolutely, above-average intelligence if you accept the fact that you will just have to work harder at understanding than your colleagues. If you really love your work, this will not be a problem, which brings me to my final point:

If you're feeling really overwhelmed by your chosen work path, it may be that you aren't as decided that this is what you want to do as you thought you were. Ten years ago I didn't even have the mental/emotional framework to sit down and really analyze my likes and dislikes. I still occasionally have doubts and other possibilities occur to me.

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One issue not touched upon here is the monetary compensation. One can do a job that is perfect for one's skills and interests, but get paid very little. Sometimes one's requirement for income (usually a mandate from government taxation) is greater than one's ability to earn in one's chosen career, so many may work at jobs that are contrary to their interests and skills, just to pay the bills.

I've worked at many dead end jobs that caused my mind to decay tremendously. I've had the most boring and unpleasant factory jobs, and I've also been in business for my self, doing my dream career. In the former situation, I made enough to get by. In the later, I faced tax liens all the time. At least my work stress ulcers healed.

Now I'm doing a new business that is contrary to my personality, but has the most tremendous income potential. My attitude is that I'll change--I'll read books on self improvement and learn how to become an outgoing, caring person, one who can instill trust in strangers. Without that, a person is doomed to fail in this business.

I sure do wish that I could do what I enjoy and am best at and make a nice living, but that's just not how the world works.

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