Why I Disagree with HBR’s Article and the Real Question About Happiness at Work

The Western world is flooded with unhappy people who follow advice such as this one: “If you want to be happy at work, have a life outside of it.”

The article “If You Want to Be Happy at Work, Have a Life Outside of It” in Harvard Business Review, concludes that “satisfaction at work is influenced by factors such as benefits, pay, relationships, and commute length. But all of this boils down to two things being important, regardless of your circumstances: (1) having a life outside of work, and (2) having the money to afford it. If you have a job that grants you both of these, you might be happier than you realize.”

Now that’s something I strongly disagree with.

Happiness at work involves much more than that. As a matter of fact, the Western world is flooded with unhappy people that meet those requirements and they keep trying to get happy pursuing hedonistic pleasures.

True happiness at work is related to something more. We are happy at work when work is not just a way to earn money or gain power. We are happy at work when it allows us to test out our gifts and talents, and explore their meaning. We are happy at work when it provides us…