What is the meaning of work?

Exploring why we clock in, what we get out of it, and how to define work on our own terms.

Few topics spark more heated debate than the meaning of work. Is it just a paycheck? A platform for personal growth? A step to something bigger? Or a path to ultimate fulfillment?

While many dream of finding deeper purpose at the office, reality often throws cold water on that idea—especially if you’re not a CEO, a writer, or a movie director charting your own path. Instead, maybe you’re just an ordinary employee looking at someone else’s to-do list.

How then should you think about work’s “meaning”? Let’s break it down.

1. Why Some People Struggle to Find Meaning in Their Jobs

For many employees, the boss picks the projects, sets the direction, and decides which tasks get priority. You may have very little freedom to choose. So if you’re only a cog in someone else’s machine, is it realistic to expect your job to give you boundless satisfaction and ultimate purpose? Probably not.

Many organizational behavior studies confirm this friction. A classic work by the MOW International Research Team (1987) revealed that individuals with low autonomy often feel less satisfaction and more stress¹. They’re reacting to the day’s demands rather than setting them. You can’t fully control your daily tasks, so searching for grand meaning might create frustration.

Imagine this: You have learned various physical knowledge such as mechanics, relativity, and the speed of light. Then you find that even compared to the tiny Earth, you are so insignificant that you can’t change anything. You are just living under “established physical rules”. This is hard not to make people disappointed, right?

2. Seeing Work as a Tool, Not an End

Instead of forcing a sense of purpose out of your 9-to-5, try treating it like a hammer or screwdriver. It’s a tool. By using it well, you get resources—money, stability, or even new skills—that serve your bigger life goals.

Famous painter Paul Gauguin spent a decade as a stockbroker in Paris. He didn’t expect that job to inspire him or become his life’s calling². It was purely to earn money for painting lessons on weekends. Eventually, once he had enough savings, he moved to Tahiti, devoting his time to art (and, rumor has it, the occasional romantic adventure).

From Gauguin’s perspective, the meaning of that day job was simple: fuel his real passion.

Likewise, if you’re feeling stuck in an uninspiring job, ask yourself:

• Does it pay enough to fund the things I truly care about?
• Does it at least give me the mental or time bandwidth to do something meaningful after hours?
• If I don’t like it, can I find a better-paying or less stressful alternative, so I can focus on what truly matters to me?

That’s how you use a tool well.

Summary: For most people, the greatest significance of work is money. When you earn enough money, you have the opportunity to think about meaning and more. To put it more bluntly and simply: If you don’t have money and just think about meaning, this is unrealistic.

3. Shifting from “Weak” to “Strong”: Defining Work for Yourself

A major turning point is when you no longer let your job define you, but you define your job. In other words, you become more self-directed.

According to Carton (2018)³, leaders can transform mundane tasks by linking them to larger visions—like NASA’s mission to put a human on the moon. The same logic applies to individuals: once you have enough power or resources, you set the tone.

The trouble comes when you’re still too dependent on your paycheck to walk away. If you’re in survival mode, you can’t easily say no. But when you build a financial cushion—or develop highly sought-after skills—you suddenly have options. You can pick and choose roles that match your values. You can say goodbye to toxic workplaces.

Key Idea: If you’re not free to choose, you’re “defined” by others. If you’re free to walk away, you can define yourself.

4. Finding Meaning Through Sublimation

Not everyone views work as just a tool. Some people truly do feel a deeper, more psychological pull toward it.

Sigmund Freud, in his essay Civilization and Its Discontents, introduced the concept of sublimation—channeling strong urges or emotions into socially acceptable outlets⁴. That’s one reason some people feel gratified by their career: they’re submerging (or redirecting) aggression, creativity, or even taboo desires into a job that society rewards.

For instance, a highly energetic person who loves a good chase might become a detective. A detail-oriented mind who’s fascinated by painting or molding might find happiness as a graphic designer, ceramicist, or even a forensic scientist. If the job helps express your deeper drives (Freud called them “libidinal energies”)⁵, you may indeed discover genuine meaning.

However, as Rosso et al. (2010) suggest⁶, if your role feels too confining or repetitive, sublimation doesn’t happen. In that case, you might feel stuck in a meaningless grind.

Summary: Some see work beyond a tool. Freud’s sublimation means channelling strong feelings into approved outlets. When work expresses inner drives, it brings meaning. But if too confining, sublimation fails.

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5. When It’s Time to Move On

You’ll know it’s time for a change when:

1. You can’t see the point anymore. Even as a tool, this job doesn’t meet your minimal needs.
2. You have a better offer. Higher pay, fewer hours, or a healthier environment.
3. You can’t block out the stress. If it drains you so much that your free time feels ruined, it might be too costly a tool.
4. There’s no personal growth. As Steger et al. (2013)⁷ found, employees who experience zero growth often check out mentally. That’s a recipe for burnout.

At the end of the day, your job is there to support the life you want. Don’t expect it to be your entire life.

Summary: You’ll know it’s time to change jobs when the job serves no purpose, you get a better offer, can’t handle stress, or have no personal growth. Remember, job supports your life, not defines it.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is it wrong to seek meaning at a job I dislike?

Not necessarily. But if the job rarely aligns with your values or offers creative freedom, forcing a higher “purpose” can be frustrating. As Weisman (2023)⁸ points out, not everyone’s work automatically fulfills them.

2. Can treating work like a tool reduce my professionalism?

No. If anything, it can sharpen your focus. When you see the job as a tool, you might strive to use it more efficiently—maximizing income, skill growth, or networking while preserving time for your passions.

3. Does having no “real passion” make work meaningless?

Absolutely not. Many people don’t have a single burning passion. What matters is figuring out whether your job meets your needs (financial, social, or psychological) and leaves enough space for exploration. You can still find incremental meaning, from mastering a new skill to helping a colleague.

4. What if I want to switch careers but worry about failure?

It’s common to fear the unknown. Consider your safety net first. If you have enough resources or a supportive network, the risk shrinks. According to Berg et al. (2013)⁹, “job crafting” can also help you find meaning without fully abandoning your current position.

5. Does “meaning of work” change as I earn more?

Often, yes. Once you have financial security, it’s easier to explore intangible rewards—such as autonomy, creativity, or altruism. That’s a classic case of “higher-level needs” emerging after lower-level needs are met (Rosso et al., 2010)¹⁰.

Bottom Line

Work can be a hammer, a canvas, or a calling—it all depends on your circumstances, autonomy, and personal drives. If you’re low on freedom, see it as a tool to build the life you want. If you have the freedom to choose, shape your job around your passions. If you feel stuck, remember that your identity goes beyond your job description.

Ultimately, the meaning of work is whatever you decide it to be—once you have the power to decide at all. As you gain financial stability, autonomy, or expertise, you earn the right to define that meaning on your own terms. Until then, do what works best for you. Earn your paycheck. Build your foundation. Then, when you’re ready, define your work—and your life—on your own terms.

Trusted source

1. https://prc.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s41155-020-00167-4 ↩︎
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Gauguin ↩︎
3. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.585274/full ↩︎
4. https://www.relationalpsych.group/articles/sublimation-as-a-defense-mechanism ↩︎
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libido ↩︎
6. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2013/12/job-satisfaction ↩︎
7. Steger, M. F. et al. (2013). Research in Organizational Behavior, 2010. ↩︎
8. https://www.nature.com/articles/s44159-023-00223-7 ↩︎
9. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.585274/full ↩︎
10. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2013/12/job-satisfaction ↩︎