But even your example to me is just evidence of someone "taking pride in his work."

Sure he liked it and was good at it. It would have been more depressing to me if he didn't. If he had to go into work every day and say, "I'm so miserable, woe is me, life is heck, I have to do this to support my family, but I hate it," then that is depressing.

He found a way to make money that was morally ambiguous at best, but then did an awesome job at it.