The topic of spending "too much time at work" is something I think about a lot. (Wrote 2 previous comments about this.[0]) In the 2nd thread, one reply ask, "

The topic of spending "too much time at work" is something I think about a lot. (Wrote 2 previous comments about this.[0]) In the 2nd thread, one reply ask, "Have you tried finding fulfillment in having a family?" -- I didn't reply to that but I want to do so here. It depends on the personality as a parent but it can be very dangerous to rely on your family to be the source of happiness and hoping that it overrides an unsatisfactory job. I'm heavily influenced by growing up with my unhappy mother because she had artistic ambitions that were disrupted by having children (me). She had to work at a "boring" 9-to-5 job to put food on the table and a roof over our heads. Because of her awful (but good paying) job, all of our misbehavior and problems were magnified and she lost a lot of patience with us. For our specific circumstances, we might have been all better off if she (over)worked 60+ hours at something she liked (for possibly even less pay) so we as children weren't such a glaring irritation to her. Lots of frustrations with us with exasperations such as, "Do you know how hard I have to work to put food on the table?!" Based on that, I think one of the greatest gifts you can give to your future spouse, and future children ... is to find work that's palatable. Don't bring your misery home. Don't ask your family to be the _source_ of happiness. That's too much pressure on them. Instead, see them as _enhancing_ your existing happiness. I'm not giving universal advice here. I'm emphasizing that you really need to examine yourself and understand who you really are before thinking your family and relationships will be your salvation. It wasn't for my mother and it's not for me. Maybe we're psychologically defective. I don't know. For me, I already tried the author's advice with a 40-hour job and "work/life balance". That doesn't make me happy. What works for me is to pursue an unbalanced life. Yes, there's "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy", and "nobody lies on their deathbed wishing they spent more time at the office", and "hustle porn", etc. I'm aware of all the derogatory memes that try to invalidate how I feel but I can't help it. [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9426760 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9426760 [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23924830 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23924830