Glory
If you contribute data that keeps buildings from collapsing during earthquakes, that has to make you feel pretty darn good about yourself. If you're the one who rings the warning bell for an incoming tsunami allowing thousands of people to get away in time, you have something to be proud of.
Not all the opportunities for glory have to be quite as dramatic as the last two examples. Just getting a classroom full of students excited about the same stuff you're excited about can send you home with a kick in your step. The cash you make working for Big Oil probably feels glorious to some as well.