I think OP is saying that it's more of an insurance policy than something to make you happy. If you asked any software dev 5 years ago what their career security looked like, I'm sure most would tell you that they feel extremely confident. A lot has changed in 5 years. Being good at one thing and expecting that to support you for the rest of your life is a risky strategy in the fast-changing world we live in. Tech people felt immune from that, but the facade is starting to crack.