Question time.

Alkthash

Would you rather be underneeded or underpaid? What is more necessary to you, being necessary or being rewarded?

Kraken

I hate to sound mercenary, but I'd definitely pick being rewarded. There are a hundred other things I could do in addition to my job if I wanted to feel needed.

Alkthash

I phrased the question wrong. It's not about being paid so much as being rewarded in some way for your efforts. So take family for instance? Would you rather be necessary to your family or well liked? 

Kraken

Rather be well liked, I guess.

All Nines

I'd rather be rewarded than necessary. Though when I think about it again, it's kind of a tough question.

MadassAlex

Necessary, which I consider to be its own reward. There's nothing quite like the feeling of relevance and contribution. 

glennmagusharvey

I am not sure how I'd answer this question directly, but through various actions of mine it seems that I lean toward preferring being needed.

Crimson

Rewarded.

ClockworkUniverse

Rewarded. Though because of my creative aspirations, I kinda mentally file any work done for someone else as "crap I need to do so I can have money," even if it's relatively enjoyable, so that's probably why.

glennmagusharvey

Though sometimes I ask myself if it's because I've grown up in a middle-class family with two hard-working parents and I live my life too easily.

That said, if I really do live my life too easily, I ought to dedicate it to helping other people anyway.

MadassAlex

Being a working-class bloke of working-class parents, I feel a strong attachment to "need". We're not always on the financial line, but being working-class, there's always a sort of "in it together" sentiment going on. The financial status of the individual is less relevant than the willingness of the collective to do what supports the others. There is a strong possibility I will never leave the working class, so it's important that whatever my contributions may be, they should be relevant to those at least in my family and local community. 

InsanityAddict

*herpderp complicated life questions not reducable to either/or options*

That said, I'd go with being rewarded over being needed. Flattering as someone relying on me might be, I don't like bearing that load.

Alkthash

*herp derp its a thought exercise you irreverent fellow. You know it's simplified and silly going in and pointing that out is like whining that exercise makes you sweat.

Alkthash

That said I lean strongly towards being necessary/relevant once certain needs are met( money for basic necessities). Because feeling like I'm important and making an impact is a far better long term reward than money or praise, which will just eventually go towards transactions or savings, or in the case of praise, result in diminishing returns the more often it happens.

LouieW

I am not sure if this really answers the question, but I guess I would prefer to be useful over being rewarded. While I am not really a fan of people being super dependent on me, I think being popular and well liked is ultimately unimportant. Part of that belief might stem from a view that recognition and such can make people conceited, though a lot of it probably comes from a personal preference for staying out of the limelight.