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When you&#39;re at a party and you meet someone new, invariably one of you will ask, &quot;So what do you do?&quot;  Mostly, it is asked mindlessly; just another piece of small talk to throw out there.  But if you&#39;ve been laid off, it suddenly becomes a source of existential angst.  Because for many people, identity is wrapped up in how you make your living.  So says the Wall Street Journal:&lt;p&gt;&quot;The deepening recession is exacting punishment for a psychological vice that masquerades as virtue for many working people: the unmitigated identification of self with occupation, accomplishment and professional status. This tendency can induce outright panic as more and more people fear loss of employment.&quot;&lt;p&gt;Maybe it&#39;s because a job title can serve as social shorthand, revealing clues about your income bracket, skill sets, proclivities, whether you&#39;re artistic, scientific, or a numbers person.  But unless you&#39;re passionate about your job, why should you necessarily define yourself by it?  My title is Producer.  Producer of what?  News and Commentary.  Well, ok.  I am indeed lucky to have a job that I enjoy (or in this climate, have a job period), but to be honest, &quot;Producer&quot; doesn&#39;t much match how I see myself.  It sounds so mechanical, prosaic, and, I don&#39;t know, &lt;em&gt;practical&lt;/em&gt;.  Would I feel better matched to the title &quot;Provocateur&quot;?  &quot;Pimpstress&quot;?  &quot;Pachyderm&quot;?  Whatever.  A person cannot be distilled into one descriptor.  Likewise, you are more than the sum of unemployed parts.  Have a great weekend!&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;em&gt;--Posted by Linda Petock, Vault News &amp; Commentary&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/b&gt;

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How to Handle Survivors’ Guilt After Layoffs 

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