Discussions around the role of work in our lives are frequently divided into two camps. “Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life”, one side proclaims. The other: “A job just needs to pay the bills.”
The first school of thought is an example of “intrinsic motivation”. Here, the enjoyment of work for work’s sake is motivating enough, rather than relying on external rewards like money or praise. And while it’s great to love your job, recent research suggests that it can become problematic when intrinsic motivation is regarded as morally superior to other motivations.
“When a neutral preference becomes charged with moral meaning, social scientists call it ‘moralization,’ Mijeong Kwon, assistant professor of management in organizational behavior at Rice Business, recently wrote for The Conversation. “Once intrinsic motivation becomes moralized, loving what you do is seen as not only enjoyable but virtuous.”
A 2023 study co-authored by Kwon found that those who saw intrinsic motivation as virtuous, also looked down upon other common motives, such as money or recognition. So deeply embedded in the consciousness of the American workforce is the idea that it’s not enough to just have a job, you must also love that job. If you don’t define yourself by your professional achievement, it must, therefore, be a sign of something lacking.
While there are many benefits to being intrinsically motivated, there are also downsides to placing moral value on this way of working.
Most jobs (yes, even the ones we love) include long stretches of tedious work or less enjoyable tasks. When intrinsic motivation becomes a moral imperative, workers may feel guilty for not springing out of bed eager to get to the office each day.
It can also lead to burnout or result in staying too long in an unsuitable role while overlooking other important life needs, like making sure the bills get paid.
There’s also the fact that many workers will never experience this type of love for their job. This isn’t a moral failure; it’s a fact of life. Yet, researchers found those who moralize intrinsic motivation also are guilty of pushing that expectation onto others around them.
In a study of nearly 800 employees across 185 teams, Kwon and her fellow researchers found employees who moralized intrinsic motivation were less willing to help out colleagues they saw as less passionate than those they perceived as loving their job.
And yet ‘The Great Detachment’ has 79% of employees disengaged at work, the lowest level seen in a decade. Mass lay-offs and stagnant wages have only added to this feeling, as well as a pull towards career minimalism, as disillusioned workers instead save their real ambitions and passions for off the clock. After all, why give everything to a role when it may no longer exist next month?
Still, a belief in the ideal of intrinsic motivation is very convenient for those at the top of the food chain who profit from worker’s willingness to go above and beyond without the promise of being fairly compensated in return.
As many continue to reevaluate the role of work in their lives, it’s worth keeping in mind that loving what you do is a privilege—not a sign of moral superiority.