> Not to belittle the "average guy", but we all probably know the guy that has had the same job for 10 years and who is SO happy to go home most night of the we

> Not to belittle the "average guy", but we all probably know the guy that has had the same job for 10 years and who is SO happy to go home most night of the week - and especially to be there Sunday - to watch whatever game on his big TV. He's got the deadly but oh-so-tasty snack that he's blissfully unaware shorten his life with each mini-sausage. He's got a wife who appears to actually like sports and who provides the snacks for him and his buddies (not being sexist; just painting a typical American Dream picture). His big Ford F250 4x4 parked outside is only 1.5 years old. Life is good. If he's really rich and bad-ass, he's got a new Harley in the garage for his every-other-weekend-warrior needs. I think this is actually an ideal. But I don't think this ideal is as easy to reach as "average guy" would imply. A lot of these "average guys" hate their job, their relationship, or both, and the happiness evaporates, the Sunday game the only thing really keeping them afloat. What you describe is contentment and stability and I honestly think most people don't have that. Even the really well off engineers still have to worry about their job and the sharpening of their skills. It's very hard to just sit back and not worry about it all, because you have to continue to do work to keep it up, and therein lies the rub.