Even tho most occupations have been established and maintained
for non-Authentic reasons, we may occasionally be able to pursue
our comprehensive Authentic projects within these inauthentic structures.

     Does our work enable us to pursue our ultimate concerns?
In considering the Authenticity of our jobs, we must avoid rationalization.
Here are a few questions we can ask ourselves to help distinguish
normal occupational motivations from the quest for greater Authenticity:

 What ultimate value am I striving toward in my job?
 Did I further this value in something I did on the job today?
 Do I focus my energy around this Authentic project-of-being
 when I am not on the job, that is, when I am not being paid?
 Do I sometimes find the official procedures of my work
 in conflict with my Authentic project?
 If I were assured of the same income even tho I never when to work,
 would I still pursue the same occupation
 because it is a good opportunity to actualize my Authentic project?
 If I were not under the direction of others or a job-description,
 how would I change my daily activities
 in order to focus my life more Authentically?

III. WORK AS AN OBSTACLES TO AUTHENTIC EXISTENCE
AND THE OPTION OF VOLUNTARY POVERTY

     Even tho it would be ideal to combine occupation and Authenticity
—getting paid for pursuing purposes we believe are truly worth doing—
quite often we find our jobs at odds with our Authentic projects.
We may find ourselves do drained by the hours we spend working
that we lack the energy or time to pursue any more meaningful activities.

     Because of this frequent conflict between Authenticity and occupation,
some of us have decided to accept voluntary poverty
in order to remain free to pursue our fundamental projects-of-being.

     Autobiographical illustration:
Ever since I retired from my first profession and sold my car in 1968,
I have earned and spent less than $2,000 a year on average.
I have earned all my income in activities
I would have pursued (and in many cases did pursue) without pay.

58  BECOMING MORE AUTHENTIC: THE POSITIVE SIDE OF EXISTENTIALISM by JAMES PARK

This page is taken from Chapter 14, "Authenticity and Occupation",
which has proved one of the most interesting and useful to readers,
almost all of whom have to balance the need to make a living
with their desires to become more Authentic.
If you would like to explore this and other Authentic themes more fully, 
go to the publisher's website: existentialbooks.com
or write to the author for more information:
James Park: e-mail: PARKx032@TC.UMN.EDU