ABSTRACT
As a teenager I regarded working as both liberating and an avenue for recognition. I became more independent and was accorded a measure of prestige. I was satisfied with all those early jobs whether delivering newspapers or working as a clerk. I was satisfied with work not because the jobs were intrinsically satisfying but simply because I began to feel more like an adult. My adult colleagues were harder to please. They complained and invented ingenious ways to make the work day seem shorter. They celebrated their completion of the week. Yet, despite their mixed evaluation of work, they were not burnt out. They had few of the burnout symptoms of exhaustion, low self-esteem, a cynical attitude toward customers, and disappointments over the realities of making a living (McConnell 1982; Edelwich 1980). They were not disappointed since they had a fine grasp of the world of work and how work met some of their needs. They did not invest years in professional training to be crushed by the cruel realities of work. Nevertheless, they had some poor job experiences.
