OPINION: What Do You Want to Be?

April 25, 2025 by Glenn Mangurian

What Do You Want to Be? is a question that many encounter early in life and at critical life transitions such as graduation or job changes. Remember the advice Dustin Hoffman received in The Graduate movie – Plastics. It’s a question that invites us to imagine our future, to dream big, and to define ourselves by our passions and ambitions. For many, the answer changes over time as we grow, experience new things, and better understand ourselves and the world around us.

Beyond Job Titles
When we think about what we want to be, it’s easy to focus on job titles—doctor, teacher, artist, engineer. Some will seek jobs that will provide high incomes or build wealth. While financial security can certainly contribute to well-being by allowing for greater comfort and opportunities, the idea that money directly equates to happiness is a simplification. Studies have found that true happiness often stems from meaningful relationships, personal fulfillment, and a sense of purpose, which are not necessarily tied to wealth. Distinguishing Between “Doing and Being”

Job titles or professions represent what we do not who we are. Beyond these job titles lies something deeper: the kind of person we want to become.

“When I went to school they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down “Happy”. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment and I told them they didn’t understand life.” – John Lennon

Might we want to be kind, honest, authentic, live with integrity or make a difference? These qualities often matter more than the specific profession we choose. For example, someone who wants to be a doctor might be passionate about helping people to heal. Thinking about what we want to “be” will inform what we want to “do”.

Character Matters
In the end, the question isn’t just about a job or a career—it’s about becoming the best version of ourselves. We don’t have to have all the answers right away. We just need the courage to keep asking the question and the determination to keep growing into our answer. So when we ask our children what they want to be, explain it is not about what they want to do but rather about why they might want to do it. The question might be a window into the character traits they aspire to embody. They may discover that they have already started on that journey.