How many of you have jobs or careers that go against your morals or beliefs?

United States
March 25, 2009 10:34pm CST
I recently quit my job as a pizza delivery driver to pursue some hopefully better opportunities where I can work from home and make more money. As I look into my options, I realize one of the biggest problems for me is that so many jobs go against my beliefs or morals in some way, large or small. For instance, I made a pretty good living on ebay for about 5 years. I stopped for numerous reasons, but one of the biggest is that I came to understand I really don't agree with the concept of advertising or marketing(at least the way it is done these days most of the time). I find even some of the most innocent-seeming advertising or marketing styles to be intrusive, manipulative, and usually misleading in at least some small way. Businesses research the perfect colors, sounds, words, timing, images, music, spacing, etc. to manipulate you into buying their products or services. It has become basically the standard to do things this way, but does this make it right? Ok, I've digressed from my original question... Who has a job that goes against their beliefs or morals in some way? Go into detail. Who doesn't? Inspire me.
3 responses
crimsonladybug
@crimsonladybug (3112)
• United States
26 Mar 09
Red and yellow are supposed to make people feel hungry which is why McDonalds are all painted red and yellow. Just to add to your thoughts on using color to manipulate consumers... I've not ever really had a job I didn't agree with, in the way you are meaning. My current boss does sometimes say things that would be offensive to a more easily offended person. Everything from "Why are they ordering smalls? No man wears a small!" to "Why is a fireman ordering 3XL shorts?" (both of which are only minorly offensive) to talking openly and boisterously (and sometimes erroneously) about religion, which can become very offensive in the right...er...wrong company. She actually once called the Hare Krishna a cult. *shrug* But as for actual business practices, no. I don't think I'd even apply for a job like that. I am a writer by blood and by education (nevermind that I'm not one by "career") and I could see avenues in that I would want to avoid - marketing being one of them. Political speech writer would be another (although, look where that got Ben Stein... and he was writing speeches for Nixon).
phoenix79
@phoenix79 (302)
• United States
26 Mar 09
I have worked a couple of jobs that went against what I believe in. I did not stay with those jobs long. I think that I would have tough if they paid more money. I would have stayed for money.
HansonFan
@HansonFan (1653)
• United States
26 Mar 09
I'm extremely lucky that my job happens to be completely fine. I am a Supervisor at a water park and I work in the Rentals department. We rent out tubes for rides and lockers. They are a bit overpriced, but no one HAS to buy anything and we give them coupons for free drinks when they bring things back. I always tell people that they don't have to buy tubes and I have saved families a lot of money by telling them that. My boss does the same thing and we encourage everyone to do it as well. However, I did have a job at Petsmart a year or two ago. I worked for two days and was informed that we had a mandatory meeting the following Saturday at noon. I went to my boss and said that I could be there but that I would be a little late due to my ACT that ended at noon. I would be maybe 15 minutes late. He told me if I didn't come at exactly noon I was fired. So, basically I had to choose Petsmart or college. Not a hard decision. I go to Petco now.