Meaning / Purpose in relation to finance.
I went to one of my finance club meetings a couple of days ago, and realized everyone in that room seeks accomplishment through material means. How do you guys find meaning? Really starting to think that what I built a life on, greed, may have led me astray. How incompatible is true peace with Wall Street? I have spent my whole life chasing this illusory goal and managed to get myself to a T10, but now that it's in reach, it feels like any pursuit of materialism can only lead to suffering and take away, not add to my life. Any of y'all thought about how to cope with this?
Bump
I think a lot of people that go down this path are chasing validation through external means - having a sexy career, making lots of money. I definitely was and I know lots of friends who went into IB/PE who were as well. It feels good for a while but you start to question the meaning of life when all you do is work all the time. But I also think these types of people tend to be type A/want to maximize their outcomes so if I didn’t do 2+2 I would have thought the grass was always greener and regretted not “achieving my full potential.”
After I was done with 2+2 I’ve done a lot more soul searching and decided it’s time to detract from the path and pursue something I actually want to do rather than continue in PE, go to a HF, or do an MBA.
I think this is why a lot of people exit to different careers after doing IB/PE, because they realize they want different things in life. The only people who stay in the game are 1. psychos (especially people who stay in IB) and 2. absolutey love the work (saw this more with my PE colleagues)
dude just learn to have a rich inner life outside of your job. Read the classic and the western canon. Learn a language, build your body.
Your job is a means towards fulfillment and enabling you to do the things you love. Never have the mentality of I need to get to $xxM by 40 and then I can retire and live my life. (First of all the earlier you retire, the earlier you die statistically). Not only that human beings need purpose and meaning.
If you are doing IB, PE or whatever, also try to be the best you can at the job. Don't see it as a stepping stone, but really try to strive to achieve greatness in whatever domain and be present in the moment.
Living a provisional life is probably the worst thing you can do, because you will never reach the hedonic treadmill means that you will never be happy because bar is always raised.
The billionaire founder of one of the big mutual fund shops came to my university once to give a talk. A student asked him “what motivates you?” He replied “I like baseball and fishing and my job allows me to pay for those activities.” Point is, don’t look for meaning in work, you should find meaning in your personal life.
Awesome.
I disagree with this. I think a lot of people view it this way but at the end of the day you will be spending a minimum of 8 hours a day, 50ish weeks a year, for 45ish years at work. I want to be doing something that I find interesting and meaningful.
Especially with these high finance jobs there really isn’t that much time left in the day for hobbies. Like you have evenings and weekends and maybe a couple weeks of vacation a year, but most of your time is spent working. Even in a regular 9-5 you’re spending most of your day working. And the people I know at Google who work remote and travel all the time seem to be having fun but ultimately I feel like they just exist in a little bubble and don’t have any ambitions or goals beyond collecting a check.
Admittedly it’s a lot more difficult to actually pursue what you’re most passionate about because it usually doesn’t pay the most. So there has to be some balance there. And it’s hard to detract from the beaten path (I’m going through this rn).
I’m kind of just ranting now but a life that’s just focused on hobbies feels kind of meaningless to me (I’m not sure if I just have a skewed perception). I want to go achieve things and do interesting work. I’m dating someone who is more of that billionaire’s view but I feel like things get boring when you say “work is just to collect a check” and that’s all life is.
I’m sorry but I think that’s a path to being miserable and losing yourself. In finance you’ll be surrounded by people who try to find meaning at work. They end up single and alone at 50 because they poured everything into work. Do I find my job interesting? 100%. Am I passionate about it? Also yes. Does it define me? Absolutely not. Find your job interesting is not the same as finding meaning there. I love my job, but if you find meaning in putting together models and PowerPoints, then maybe you’re not looking for meaning at all.
"it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God"
Please do not share your relevation that Money isn't everything with others. We need as many money-obsessed grinders in companies as possible to maximise shareholder value (aka my portfolio).
.
Is this serious? Do you actually believe this? I mean, if you truly believe this, you are also missing the bigger picture.
This is super important to learn early on: your job/career is not the only, or even the main, place you should finding fulfillment in your life.
If your job gives you that, wonderful! I'd argue that anyone in finance who says they get emotional fulfillment or a sense of purpose from their job is lying or exceptionally shallow, but that is neither here nor there.
Find meaning in your friends and family, in pursuing your hobbies and passions, in making the world a better place to live. Go work so you can afford to do those things.
Eaque in aut voluptas. Possimus sunt voluptatibus quia sequi debitis asperiores doloribus. Pariatur at numquam necessitatibus. Id ipsum saepe veniam.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...