# Do what you love vs. Love what you do (jobs)



## INFJenNiFer (Feb 20, 2016)

Which do you think is more important: doing what you love or loving what you do (in your career)? No 'both' option, sorry. 

I think loving what you do is more important. When I'm adding tags, though, I only found 'do what you love'. Hmm. I'll add 'love what you do'.


----------



## shameless (Apr 21, 2014)

If you do what you love you will love what you do.

Loving what you do tho does not mean you love what you do.

At least to me personally.


----------



## Parrot (Feb 22, 2015)

What I do for a career (Construction brokering) is not a hobby that I love. But I do love what I do, as a practical career I enjoy, thus the 2nd option.


----------



## Nehtaro (Aug 23, 2016)

Neither option is good advice, imho. They are too general. For me, "Do what you love!" could mean anything. "Love what you do!" makes me angry, as it suggests 'settling' and 'being realistic.' Balance is crucial. Every career path seems both enticing, and disappointing, depending on how you examine it.


----------



## INFJenNiFer (Feb 20, 2016)

Nehtaro said:


> Neither option is good advice, imho. They are too general. For me, "Do what you love!" could mean anything. "Love what you do!" makes me angry, as it suggests 'settling' and 'being realistic.' Balance is crucial. Every career path seems both enticing, and disappointing, depending on how you examine it.


Of course. But for both advices there are good things about them too. Of course no career is perfect. But what do you think is the most important? Or at least more important than the other?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## MisterPerfect (Nov 20, 2015)

INFJenNiFer said:


> Which do you think is more important: doing what you love or loving what you do (in your career)? No 'both' option, sorry.
> 
> I think loving what you do is more important. When I'm adding tags, though, I only found 'do what you love'. Hmm. I'll add 'love what you do'.


Sometimes what you love to do is not very profitable. However doing something you absolutly hate is not great either. So I think do something you are good at that you dont totally despise that makes decent pay and want to shoot yourself everyday for doing.


----------



## INFJenNiFer (Feb 20, 2016)

MisterPerfect said:


> Sometimes what you love to do is not very profitable. However doing something you absolutly hate is not great either. So I think do something you are good at that you dont totally despise that makes decent pay and want to shoot yourself everyday for doing.


I agree with you.

What I meant by doing what I love is doing what my hobby is.

What I meant by loving what I do is not necessarily doing my hobby, but I love the job even if it's not my hobby.

Sorry for bad grammar lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## MisterPerfect (Nov 20, 2015)

INFJenNiFer said:


> I agree with you.
> 
> What I meant by doing what I love is doing what my hobby is.
> 
> ...


Sometimes what you love is not very profitable. Ever hear the term "Starving Artist"?


----------



## INFJenNiFer (Feb 20, 2016)

MisterPerfect said:


> Sometimes what you love is not very profitable. Ever hear the term "Starving Artist"?


I knowwwwww

As much I love music (it's my hobby), I don't want to be a musician. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Headdesk (Jun 13, 2016)

I don't understand how they're different.


----------



## Nehtaro (Aug 23, 2016)

@INFJenNiFer it's definitely a question that makes me think. I think "Love what you do" involves a better mindset, or at least is less prone to dangerous misinterpretation. "Do what you love" has some assumptions built into it.
For instance, if you asked yourself, "Am I doing what I love?" you are assuming that there is something out there that you love. Contrariwise, if you asked yourself, "Do I love what I'm doing?" you may find yourself respond "well I don't love it, but it's pretty cool, and it makes money for my family, whom I love, and for me to have the free time to build trains, which I love," or whatever. So that's my reasoning at least.


----------



## Solar Wizard (Jun 21, 2016)

MisterPerfect said:


> Sometimes what you love to do is not very profitable. However doing something you absolutly hate is not great either. So I think do something you are good at that you dont totally despise that makes decent pay and want to shoot yourself everyday for doing.


1+

I don't believe in total behaviorism but I don't think humans' interests are rigid and inflexible either.


----------



## Reyzadren (Oct 5, 2014)

Do what you can, hence love what you do.

Just don't do what you hate


----------



## INFJenNiFer (Feb 20, 2016)

Headdesk said:


> I don't understand how they're different.


For me, doing what I love means:

What do I like to do? What is my hobby? If I were doing what I love, I would be a composer, because composing music is my hobby.

It's like doing your hobby at work or something. At least that's what it's supposed to be.

For me, loving what I do means:

Okay, so I don't have a job coming from my hobby, but I learnt/learned to love it. For example, someone has a hobby in painting, but he didn't become an artist. He got a job in something else instead, for example, accounting. It's not what he would do in his spare time and stuff, but he likes it. 

Doing what you love doesn't mean you're loving what you do. (Sounds weird? It's true.)

In the same way, loving what you do doesn't mean you're doing what you love. 

The reason why I think loving what I do is more important is because, seriously, as much as I like MBTI, I am certainly not the type of person to become a psychologist. I'm too introverted and it will be almost certain that I'll get drained by people's emotions. I am doing what I love, but I won't love doing my job. Too much energy drain! 

A person I know is a journalist. She wanted to be an actor, but she ended up being in journalism. So she was okay with the job at first, but as time goes by she began to love it. 

So yeah. If you're doing what you love and love what you do... You're lucky. 

Too bad there is no third option! 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Aridela (Mar 14, 2015)

At the moment I have a job that pays well and I don't mind doing - hell, I even find it interesting at times. 

My talents are invariably for things that make zero to trace amounts of ££ and I love to travel, hence I need a good paying job. 

Doing what I love would mean I'd have to be poor for the rest of my life, but for the chance of actually 'making it'. No, thanks! Life's taught me to be practical about such things.


----------



## INFJenNiFer (Feb 20, 2016)

Aridela said:


> At the moment I have a job that pays well and I don't mind doing - hell, I even find it interesting at times.
> 
> My talents are invariably for things that make zero to trace amounts of ££ and I love to travel, hence I need a good paying job.
> 
> Doing what I love would mean I'd have to be poor for the rest of my life, but for the chance of actually 'making it'. No, thanks! Life's taught me to be practical about such things.


Hehehe, I'm glad someone thinks so too. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## pwowq (Aug 7, 2016)

This question is a riddle and a mess. Far from easily interpreted. I won't bother to vote.

I tried getting a job where most of my natural interests are. I failed at that again and again. Because engineer jobs aren't engineer jobs anymore. -.-

Now I have a job well below the educational expectations people have when reading my CV. It's an OK job. Salery is OK by my standards. Work days and times are OK with room for the occasional adjustments. Boss is a good introvert, which I must say is the best boss I've met.


----------



## Headdesk (Jun 13, 2016)

INFJenNiFer said:


> For me, doing what I love means:
> 
> What do I like to do? What is my hobby? If I were doing what I love, I would be a composer, because composing music is my hobby.
> 
> ...


Sounds like semantics to me, tbh. Doing your ideal job vs doing a less ideal job that you also enjoy. Or get a job based off your hobbies or based off your values and broader interests.


----------

