Originally Posted by
JohnBurke
Altruism is the gift of youth and fools. We're all mercenaries. Act accordingly.
I think you might be conflating altruism with meaning. You don’t have to be selfless (or even make a sacrifice) to make a positive difference in the world. There are plenty of careers that are very well-compensated and much more directly benefit the lives of other people.
Sure, for some people (such as mercenaries), money is all that matters, but I personally feel that would be a pretty empty existence. To each their own.
FWIW, I am struggling to find a sense of meaning that comes with my work as a pilot, hence why I posted this thread.