Legibility in work

We’re defined by our work It’s not only our desire to be seen as productive (and thus worthy) that keeps Americans from working fewer hours and leaving bad jobs. In American culture, the first thing we tend to ask a stranger upon meeting is “What do you do?” Our jobs are the most important way that we classify people — so we learn to define ourselves by our jobs and our professional skills and credentials. Without our work, who are we? We need to be legible We’re drawn to self-definition, but how we define ourselves must also be legible to others because self-authorship requires validation by others. Without social affirmation that our identity markers bear meaning, self-expression devolves into triviality. We’re faced with dueling imperatives: to create our own distinctive identities, but at the same time make those identities legible to other people. Our jobs do heavy lifting on making us legible. Non-traditional jobs are less legible Tom Critchlow writes, “When you’re fully…