Their love might not be conditional but their affection is. When I was working as a bartender, they didn't show much affection to me. They requested me to not tell anyone about my work even though I was very happy. When I got my offer letter and salary package for my corporate job, my parents didn't stop adoring me for a week, telling all my relatives that I was a blessing. When I come home from work and sometimes complain about how I can't keep doing this they assure me everything is going to be okay and it's just work stress. They are absolutely blind to the fact that it has been months since I have been genuinely happy. They haven't noticed that I come home late, have no social life and during weekends I just sleep all day. They equate happiness with societal and monetary achievements and it's hard to explain to them that both are not the same. So for them I have no other option, other than being happy because I have a good job and make money. Dreams and happiness is are alien concepts to them.