You do not have to be emotionally attached to a job for it to be negatively effected by the job being terminated. The transition from income to no income can have chain effect on all other aspects of your life, especially if it usually takes you time to find your next job (a foreign concept to SV types, probably, but less so for other industries and parts of the country).

I went through layoffs four times in a row after working at each one for less than two years. Each time it was due to a downturn in the company due to poor executive decisions (in hindsight) or bad timing with the market. I actually started thinking I was cursed, and stopped taking as many chances because I saw too many companies struggle and fail up close and personal.

There was also a period of unemployment in between each one, and my finances took a beating each time (seemed like I had only just recovered when the rug got pulled out from under me again). It sucked. I'm still struggling in some ways as a result of it, years later.

As the other responder commented, I think it's about identity rather than the job itself. I imagine if I'd had the same kind of experience you had with multiple layoffs and all that I would have suffered some severe depression. One layoff didn't really impact me, but four times in quick succession would definitely wear on me.

In a way it might be a good thing if you have worked in the same place for years and wanted to browse around the industry picking up new skills. You have built in reasons why you left each position so that shouldn't work against you when looking for a new job. Hopefully you had some payout each time that could earn you more than you would have during that period. Hopefully you had a chance to retool and reinvent yourself.

There was a downsizing recently at my company and I remember getting scolded for using the term "fired" instead of "laid off" when talking about the people who were leaving the company. Apparently the terms are different enough to irk some people when mixed and matched.

"Fired" usually implies discipline/performance issues with the employee - it's on them. "Laid off" usually means it was out of the employee's hands.

People sometimes use them interchangeably, but it's a courtesy to say "laid off" if someone is simply gone because of a budget cut/re-org/merger/acquisition.

Fired can also be because of culture fit issues; it just means the employee had discipline/performance issues within that company's culture.

A single dysfunctional manager can do the trick, also -- or a bad personality interaction with a manager.

I'm with you there, I've been laid off multiple times. Within a month I'm somewhere else and everything is fine.

I've been divorced with a kid. It's been over a year and I'm still in therapy. My identity was shattered.

Like you, I have never defined myself by my job, it was what I did to provide for my ... family. Divorce hit me way harder financially as well than job loss. No job every took 50% of my assets and future assets with them.

I'm sorry that happened to you. I'm about 5 years past mine and there's still things I struggle with in relationships. I'm sorry to be cliche but time does heal all wounds. Doesn't mean there won't still be scars, but it does get better over time. It's perfectly normal and healthy for you to havae a period of mourning for the life you lost. Best of luck to you.

Simply put: it’s much harder to cope with a blow to your identity than merely your situation.