Nov 19 2021 - Dreaming about Dream Jobs

 

Why do we use "dreams" to describe things we wish and want that we consider to be intangible or unreachable?   That's very different than dreams about being chased, taking an exam, flying, teeth falling out, cannot find toilet, falling, and so on.  The contrast is remarkable, isn't it? What are some of these things we "dream" about? Things like dream jobs, dream houses, dream vacations, dream spouses, dream bodies.  They seem to be about the acquisition of things tangible and intangible where money is no object.  I want to put "dreamy" in front of these - as though we are in a semi-conscious state.  Let's look at dream jobs.  We call it dream jobs when children say what they want to do when they are adults. Here are some that we would likely agree with: Actor Archaeologist Artist Athlete Chef Dancer Detective/Investigator Doctor Environmentalist Firefighter Interior Designer Lawyer Model Musician Nurse Photographer Pilot Scientist Teacher Veterinarian Writer I found this chart comparing what people do for work when they are adults compared to their childhood ambitions.

This is an interesting chart, but I didn't notice any survey or study referenced.  I did find lots in the Joke Library scattered around the internet:  What's your dream job? Well, in my dreams, I don't work. I've been posting my resume online while I was asleep;  hoping to get my dream job. Got my dream job today. I get my own 200 thousand dollar company car and a corner window with a view of the city.. Being a city bus driver is a dream come true. I finally landed my dream job as a palaeontologist It took years of studying and hard work, but I've never been happier. As I excavated a new find from the ground, a mother and her young son passed by. She pointed at me and told him, "This is why you need to do well at school and get a good job, or else you'll spend the rest of your life digging in a hole just like him."