Jerry Colonna has a neat excerpt from a book by Alain de Botton:
“Although the fear of being left penniless is a primary reason for our worry over the instability of our employment, it is not the only reason. We also worry-and here we return to our earliest theme–because of love, for our work is the chief determinant of the amount of respect and care we will be granted. It is according to how we are able to answer the question of what we do (normally the first enquiry we will have to field in any new acquaintance) that the quality of our reception is likely to be decided.”