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I find it very difficult to find meaning in a large portion of the jobs available today. Most workers are just another cog in the wheel. The system is so large that one cannot directly appreciate the effects of their work, or even know whether they are positive at all.

This contrasts with say, a subsistance farmer who produces food for their family and lives in a small community where every product of their labor has a known and appreciable impact. In that case, the equivalent goal of "changing the world" is "helping the community", which is much more attainable.

At some point you have to just like your job. No amount of "you are changing the world" feeling is going to keep you motivated for a job you hate.

I get joy from figuring out how to solve a tricky UX issue, or from finally discovering the root cause of a difficult bug.

The work itself can be fulfilling, regardless of any potential deeper meaning.

> I find it very difficult to find meaning in a large portion of the jobs available today. Most workers are just another cog in the wheel. The system is so large that one cannot directly appreciate the effects of their work, or even know whether they are positive at all.

My experience is that the same job also has a large range for meaningfulness depending on how well leadership manages to facilitate it.

> Yet I know that in other countries (e.g., Japan) there is a belief that any job, no matter how humble, is worth doing well and that passion for excellence is a virtue

That's a reason why the quality of most Japanese products is superlative. Another nation that is passionate about their stuff are Italians, but they value good looks and good food above all. The US values profits and growth and China values high output volumes.

If one works in a Fortune 500 company they're probably creating value for shareholders instead of changing the world. What they are primarily changing is the income gap, by making the rich richer.

> Another nation that is passionate about their stuff are Italians

At least where I am from, Italians have a reputation for shoddy products, laziness, and not caring. As you say: They are happy as long as the facade looks good. Behind the scenes is a mess.

You're probably from Germany, the Nederlands or Denmark then. It's a common Northern European prejudice to consider southerners "lazy".

Yea, Spaniards, Italians, and Greeks are some of the hardest working people in the world..

It's funny, because my perspective as a European is American culture places more value on the performative idea of "love your job" even for the entry level jobs where here it's much more honest about it just being a job

>if you're holding out for changing the world before you can be happy, you're (statistically) going to die miserable

You bring up Japan yet they're known for being excessively and pointlessly overworked to the point of depression and suicide. It is a culture that rewards obedience and prostration to your job above everything else. So many were peer pressured into finding meaning in their work to such an excessive extent, and of course didn't become happy because its a system that optimizes for cohesion and stability, not happiness and meaning.

We are just more full of shit in America. Being passionate and changing the world is Silicon valley kabuki theater that lasts just long enough to cash out the stock options you have.

There is also an entire generation that has been trained to pretend what they happen to do for a living is exactly what they are passionate about in life. To say otherwise with the slightest doubt would be to feel like the biggest failure.