Yes, it's this way everywhere, or nearly so, and it's a peculiar disease of our place and time to imagine that it shouldn't be. The reason people work for othe

Yes, it's this way everywhere, or nearly so, and it's a peculiar disease of our place and time to imagine that it shouldn't be. The reason people work for others instead of living a preindustrial lifestyle is to get money to buy the things they don't want to make for themselves, because they believe they will come out ahead overall that way. Work is what you do for money; it's for your employer's benefit, not yours. The benefit you get is the money. If they're not paying you enough to justify giving them your time, it's time to think about doing something different: going into business for yourself, switching to part-time, working for a different employer, leaving the workforce, demanding a raise, or some other change that will make you feel like you're getting better value for your time. Your lifetime is finite and you cannot exchange money for more of it. But the idea that what you do for money should be enjoyable is embarrassingly entitled. You're supposed to be enjoying what you do with the money, not what you do for it. Again, if the two are out of balance, it's time for a change. Otherwise, put in your time, collect your money, and don't dwell on it. Employment is just a means to an end, not the end in itself, and certainly not the only one available to you.