4 ms·

Not excusing the system, but for 99% of the population rewarding, interesting work is an oxymoron

Osmium 9y ago
Yes, to be clear, I'm certainly grateful I find (some aspects) rewarding -- if I didn't, it would be very irrational to continue, because it has very little else going for it. Academia is so dysfunctional right now. It's parasitic off the drive of young people who just want to make the world a little better. It's very unfortunate it's ended up this way.
- sjg007 9y ago
  Startups can be the same way.
wolfgke 9y ago
> Not excusing the system, but for 99% of the population rewarding, interesting work is an oxymoron This is one of the reasons why I often ask myself why the suicide rate is so low in society.
- weforgotmypass 9y ago
  I'm not sure what you mean. Are you saying that because most people tolerate their jobs, then there should be more suicides related to pressure and distaste for work? I'd think most people work because they find happiness elsewhere (family, alcohol, video games, etc) and work pays the required bills to continue this happiness.
- slavik81 9y ago
  It might feel that way, but it's really not true. Plenty of people work jobs they'd rather not do, but for most there's at least something they like in it. Even menial labour can be satisfying when the impact of the work is immediate and obvious. When people really hate working somewhere, there's often some specific piece making them miserable, like the hours, their boss or their commute. Life is a mixture of good and bad, and it's easy to fixate on the bad, but don't forget about the good. It matters too.
- alexashka 9y ago
  I think a lot of it is context. For example when I lived in Russia, I didn't know kids could be nice to each other. It was a doggy-dog world where I grew up. When I came to Canada, it took me 4-5 years to stop mad-dogging people and relax. Had I stayed there, being on alert your whole life and dropping dead at 55 would've been very normal indeed. This is why people who get someplace and then lose it, are the ones who tend to kill themselves, or folks who have a hard time fitting in from the get-go. For most people, they don't know things could be different, so they're fine with what is.
  - projektir 9y ago
    Yes. Personal mental state is a poor indicator of how well things are actually going, because people seem to mentally get used to whatever it was they grew up with. It goes another way: having some awareness of the situation is actively harmful for the same reason, because it makes it less acceptable mentally.
  - barry-cotter 9y ago
    Dog eat dog
  - slavik81 9y ago
    > It was a doggy-dog world You misheard that phrase or learned it from someone who did. The correct version would be, "It was a dog-eat-dog world." The idiom makes a lot more sense in its correct form as it describes an environment of brutal competition. I'm glad you find Canada to be a kinder place. I like it here too.

Yes, to be clear, I'm certainly grateful I find (some aspects) rewarding -- if I didn't, it would be very irrational to continue, because it has very little else going for it. Academia is so dysfunctional right now. It's parasitic off the drive of young people who just want to make the world a little better. It's very unfortunate it's ended up this way.

sjg007 9y ago
Startups can be the same way.

wolfgke 9y ago

> Not excusing the system, but for 99% of the population rewarding, interesting work is an oxymoron This is one of the reasons why I often ask myself why the suicide rate is so low in society.

weforgotmypass 9y ago
I'm not sure what you mean. Are you saying that because most people tolerate their jobs, then there should be more suicides related to pressure and distaste for work? I'd think most people work because they find happiness elsewhere (family, alcohol, video games, etc) and work pays the required bills to continue this happiness.
slavik81 9y ago
It might feel that way, but it's really not true. Plenty of people work jobs they'd rather not do, but for most there's at least something they like in it. Even menial labour can be satisfying when the impact of the work is immediate and obvious. When people really hate working somewhere, there's often some specific piece making them miserable, like the hours, their boss or their commute. Life is a mixture of good and bad, and it's easy to fixate on the bad, but don't forget about the good. It matters too.
alexashka 9y ago
I think a lot of it is context. For example when I lived in Russia, I didn't know kids could be nice to each other. It was a doggy-dog world where I grew up. When I came to Canada, it took me 4-5 years to stop mad-dogging people and relax. Had I stayed there, being on alert your whole life and dropping dead at 55 would've been very normal indeed. This is why people who get someplace and then lose it, are the ones who tend to kill themselves, or folks who have a hard time fitting in from the get-go. For most people, they don't know things could be different, so they're fine with what is.
- projektir 9y ago
  Yes. Personal mental state is a poor indicator of how well things are actually going, because people seem to mentally get used to whatever it was they grew up with. It goes another way: having some awareness of the situation is actively harmful for the same reason, because it makes it less acceptable mentally.
- barry-cotter 9y ago
  Dog eat dog
- slavik81 9y ago
  > It was a doggy-dog world You misheard that phrase or learned it from someone who did. The correct version would be, "It was a dog-eat-dog world." The idiom makes a lot more sense in its correct form as it describes an environment of brutal competition. I'm glad you find Canada to be a kinder place. I like it here too.