I need a job; okay. Is that any reason why the job I get…
““I need a job; okay. Is that any reason why the job I get has to louse me up? Look. All I want is to get enough dough coming in to keep us solvent for the next year or so, till I can figure things out; meanwhile I want to retain my own identity. Therefore the thing I’m most anxious to avoid is any kind of work that can be considered ‘interesting’ in its own right. I want something that can’t possibly touch me. I want some big, swollen old corporation that’s been bumbling along making money in its sleep for a hundred years, where they have to hire eight guys for every one job because none of them can be expected to care about whatever boring thing it is they’re supposed to be doing. I want to go into that kind of place and say, Look. You can have my body and my nice college-boy smile for so many hours a day, in exchange for so many dollars, and beyond that we’ll leave each other strictly alone.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The speaker seeks a detached, impersonal job to preserve identity and avoid personal involvement, preferring a large, indifferent corporation that treats him as a replaceable resource.
In simple terms: Wants a job that doesn't affect personal identity.
Key Takeaway
Choose work that aligns with personal values, not just anonymity.
Themes
identity
anxiety
employment
detachment
corporate culture
Mood
cynical
reflective
detached
Type
advice
philosophical
When to use this quote
- career planning
- mental health
- work-life balance
- job search
- negotiating employment terms
Key Concepts
alienation
self-preservation
bureaucracy
meaninglessness
Questions to Reflect On
- What aspects of work are essential to your sense of self?
- Can anonymity ever be truly protective?
A Different Perspective
Such jobs may still erode self-worth and lead to long‑term dissatisfaction.