Not sure if this is related, but I only take my white-collar jobs if they involve actually making something. Not doing taxes for people who make things or fighting lawsuits for people who make things or generating capital for people who make things. Actually producing stuff that directly impacts people's lives. And when I've had the chance to get in the trenches at work, taking phone calls or moving product around a warehouse, I've always enjoyed it and derived pride from it.
Am I driven by the blue collar ethic you describe? Interesting to wonder...
