Loving That Job Could Cost You Your Self-Worth

“How can you really love your job if you don’t feel safe in your job?” Hogi asked. If the dedication you give your employer is not returned, she said, you risk normalizing mistreatment. The pattern often stems from a belief that you have to earn worth through constant achievement – working longer hours, sacrificing personal time, proving yourself repeatedly until someone finally recognizes you.

Hogi, who describes herself as a workaholic, said she refuses to tie her value to her output. University of Michigan professor Dr. Marcus Collins, who hosted the episode, reflected on his own career: being “chosen” for opportunities built his confidence but became a trap when external validation became the primary measure of self-worth.

Rather than waiting to be selected by an employer, Hogi encourages people to remember they have the agency to choose workplaces that honor their humanity. Professionals navigating burnout, toxic environments, or career transitions should ask themselves a blunt question: if a job does not respect you, is it really a relationship worth loving?

The conversation is a timely reminder that passion for work should never require sacrificing respect, psychological safety, or personal dignity. Hogi’s central argument – that love, whether for a person or a profession, must be grounded in reciprocity – applies as much to a career as it does to a relationship.