Question: Is working just for the money a good idea?

Sam Carr answered on 22 Jun 2017:

It depends what you mean by a “good” idea. In some senses, working for money “is” a good idea – because for most people survival depends upon having a way to make ends meet. There are millions and millions of people across the world who would bite your hand off for the opportunity to work for money – even if the job wasn’t…ideal.

However, there is also a lot of evidence to show that when people’s main motivation to do something (like…a job) is simply some sort of external reward (and the activity isn’t that interesting or stimulating) then it’s hard for them to feel satisfied, engaged, and enthusiastic about it. In this sense, work that is undertaken “purely” for money – can often be unsatisfying and demotivating for the individual.