Psychic Income

6 min readDec 12, 2020

PSYCHIC INCOME

Musings By Vikram Karve

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“You put in so much time and effort doing writing…” my Accountant (CA) friend said to me, “do you get any income from your writing…?”

“I get “psychic income” from my writing…” I said to him.

My money-minded CA friend look nonplussed — and — he said to me: “I am an expert in finance — and — I have been a tax consultant for many years — I know about all types of income — but — I have never heard about an income called “psychic income”…”

Dear Reader — do you know what is “psychic income”…?

Psychic Income is pleasure and satisfaction that someone gets from doing a job — rather than the money that they earn for doing it.

Psychic Income is intangible and qualitative — and derives from the satisfaction and enjoyment of doing something — so — psychic income may also be called “enjoyment income”.

All jobs have a “psychic income” — besides monetary income like pay, allowances, perks etc.

Psychic Income comprises qualitative rewards (prestige, pleasant work environment, job satisfaction etc) — these are rewards that are not measurable in terms of money or goods — but serve as an incentive to work in certain occupations or organisations.

Every job has two types of income — quantitative (monetary/materialistic/tangible) income and qualitative (psychic) income.

Let me give you a few examples of psychic income.

In the 1970’s — when I joined the Navy as an Officer — there was no great disparity in pay and career prospects — between the Navy and Civilian Jobs.

Those days — I remember that — the salaries and career prospects in the Navy (and Defence Services) were comparable to those in the Civilian Corporate World and Industry.

In fact — there was a glamour attached to uniform — which gave us Naval Officers a sense of pride — which outweighed the slight salary advantage our counterparts in the “civvy street” enjoyed.

I call this this “sense of pride” as Psychic Income.

So — in the 1970’s — my overall compensation (Financial Income + Psychic Income) outweighed the compensation my classmates got in the Civilian Corporates/Industry.

Today — things may be different.

My late father once told me a story.

Around 72 years ago — in the year 1948 — as a newly commissioned Air Force Officer — my father drove down to New Delhi from Ambala (where he was posted).

He wanted to get Ceremonial and Winter Uniforms stitched from the Official Air Force Tailor (a prestigious tailoring establishment in Connaught Place in New Delhi).

(Those days — military officers had to get their uniforms stitched from an official military tailor — appointed by the Army, Navy or Air Force — most officially appointed military tailors were prestigious tailoring establishments who provided top quality cloth and tailoring.

I think this practice was still in vogue when I joined the Navy in the 1970’s — and — if I recall correctly — we had Officially Appointed Navy Tailors like Fernandes at Ballard Estate in Mumbai, Sadasivan in the Naval Base at Kochi etc. — and — in Pune — we had Lords — a prestigious civil and military tailor on East Street near George Restaurant (Lords closed down many years ago).

Later — things changed — and — one could get uniforms stitched at any tailor of one’s choice…)

To come back to the story — around 72 years ago — in the year 1948 — as a newly commissioned Air Force Officer — my father drove down to New Delhi from Ambala (where he was posted) — in order to get Ceremonial and Winter Uniforms stitched from the Official Air Force Tailor (a prestigious tailoring establishment in Connaught Place in New Delhi).

After getting measured for uniforms — the tailor asked him if he would like to get a lounge suit stitched from the top-class cloth he had just received from England.

My father liked the cloth and wanted a lounge suit stitched — but he hesitated.

Seeing his hesitation — the tailor asked him if there was any problem.

My father explained: “Well — after paying for all these uniforms — I don’t think I will have any money left for the suit…”

“The tailor smiled at my father and said: “Sir — who is asking for money. You are an Air Force Officer — your credit is good as gold — please get whatever clothes you want stitched — we will open a credit account for you — as we do for all Officers — and you can pay at your convenience…”

This is Psychic Income — the respect and honour given to you cannot be measured in money.

I had a similar experience many years later — in the early 1980’s — as a Naval Officer.

I had gone to RTO Office on Tilak Marg in New Delhi to renew my driving licence.

Since I had gone directly from office on my scooter — I was wearing Navy Uniform.

I parked my scooter and went to the enquiry counter.

“Your driving licence was issued in Jamnagar — you will have to get an No Objection Certificate (NOC) from RTO Jamnagar…” the person at the enquiry counter said.

Then — he looked at me standing in Navy Uniform — and — he dialled a number — and he spoke to someone.

He put down the phone and asked me to follow him — and he took me to the office of the Deputy RTO.

The Deputy RTO introduced himself and asked me to sit down.

He ordered a cup of tea for me — and talked about the Navy.

Then — he had a look at my driving licence — and said: “No problem, Sir — I will get the renewal done — just fill up this NOC form — we will send it to Jamnagar and get the NOC — and we will renew your licence. Meanwhile — I will issue you a temporary licence…”

One month later he called me at my office and told me that my licence had been renewed.

This is “psychic income”.

Working for a prestigious organisation gives you “psychic income”.

In the 1970’s — in Pune — working for TELCO — gave one “psychic income” — as compared to one’s counterparts working in other industrial companies.

So — when you decide to take a job — consider the qualitative “psychic income” in addition to the quantitative “package” they offer you.

In fact — the qualitative “psychic income” forms a part of the “holistic package”.

Job Satisfaction, Work Environment, Reputation of your Employer, etc. — these qualitative aspects constitute “psychic income” — which may enhance or offset quantitative “monetary” aspects — so — make sure you consider “psychic income” as a part of your overall “income”.

Think about it — Dear Reader — you know your quantitative financial income (pay, perks, benefits etc).

But — have you “computed” your qualitative “psychic income”…?

Remember:

Total Income = Financial Income + Psychic Income

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CONCLUSION

To put it in a nutshell:

Quantitative “Financial Income” gives you a “Standard of Living”.

But — it is Qualitative “Psychic Income” gives you a “Quality of Life”.

And — of course — if you are a creative person who has found his “métier” — like I have done in creative writing — you can derive a “psychic income” that money cannot match.

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VIKRAM KARVE

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Disclaimer:

This story is a fictional spoof, satire, pure fiction, just for fun and humor, no offence is meant to anyone, so take it with a pinch of salt and have a laugh.
All stories in this blog are a work of fiction. Events, Places, Settings and Incidents narrated in the stories are a figment of my imagination. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.

Link to My Source Blog Post in my Writing Blog: https://karve.wordpress.com/2020/12/12/what-is-your-psychic-income/

Psychic Income

Written by Vikram Karve