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Based on the results obtained from a set of questionnaires administered to 313 people, this article argues that affective and normative commitment contribute to well being, whereas negative emotions such as anxiety are associated with continuous commitment and isolation. The main factor determining between these different outcomes appears to be the individual’s distance from work social norms: the more the individual internalizes these norms, the more he or she is committed and psychologically balanced ; conversely, when the individual fails to internalize work norms, he or she becomes anxious, falling into emotional distress. This research supports the idea that personality can be influenced by emotional and material contexts, affective commitment stabilizing them.