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A few points: - rhetoric about loving your job tends to come from a very small minority of people who do not have an absolutely mind-, body-, and soul-crushing

by zwkrt 6y ago

A few points: - rhetoric about loving your job tends to come from a very small minority of people who do not have an absolutely mind-, body-, and soul-crushing job. Rich people like to talk about working at Wendy’s as some sort of “introductory” or “transitional” job, but this is not the case. And on top of the job itself being awful, then you get to go home and worry about the fact that you don’t have any money. There is something to be said for having a sense of Zen at work, since that will make it less miserable, but the strange capitalist utopia where everyone is whistling at work is probably a long way off. - “relationships” are more than just with your spouse. What about your friends, roommates, relatives, children, neighbors, baristas, janitors, etc. I don’t count coworkers because I believe that a work environment tends to inculcate a sense of competition and scarcity among people which is the opposite of what good relationships are made of. It is so important to have at least a few people in your life that would be there for you even if you didn’t have a fancy job or nice things, because one day you might not have those things and then where will you be?

cbanek 6y ago
Good points and fair enough! I guess my point was that it's kind of a false dichotomy, in that you can have happiness from work, and sadness from relationships as well. But I think also they are inter-related, in that good relationships can bring about more meaningful work (job opportunities, people you can learn from, etc.) and good work can lead to relationships (people you meet at work, through work, customers, etc.) While you say that coworkers are considered a bit differently, I think that also depends on the type of job. In high pressure jobs, I think you are absolutely correct, but in some of the more "soul-crushing" jobs that you mention, the coworkers are the best part. I think some of the best coworker relationships I had were when I was making pizzas. People / relationships can also move on themselves (moving, death, other changes), so those aren't permanent either.
TimTheTinker 6y ago
I’m not rich, but even I view a food service job at a fast food business (besides owning the business) as transitional. In other words, I would have no intention to stay there longer than absolutely necessary. I would forego many comforts to save what I need to make my move and get out. There’s a saying that if you took away all of a rich person’s financial assets (anything owned) they would be rich again within a few years. That may be a bit of a stretch (it might take more like 10 or even 20 years), but the point is, there is a required mindset that it takes to get out of poverty, and that is a firm determination to not accept the status quo. Don’t get me wrong: having that determination doesn’t guarantee anything (plenty of people work hard and don’t break out of it after 20 years because of hard luck or inescapable obligations), but those who do make it out always have that mindset. And those who don’t have that mindset never make it out, even if they win the lottery.

by zwkrt 6y ago

cbanek 6y ago

Good points and fair enough! I guess my point was that it's kind of a false dichotomy, in that you can have happiness from work, and sadness from relationships as well. But I think also they are inter-related, in that good relationships can bring about more meaningful work (job opportunities, people you can learn from, etc.) and good work can lead to relationships (people you meet at work, through work, customers, etc.) While you say that coworkers are considered a bit differently, I think that also depends on the type of job. In high pressure jobs, I think you are absolutely correct, but in some of the more "soul-crushing" jobs that you mention, the coworkers are the best part. I think some of the best coworker relationships I had were when I was making pizzas. People / relationships can also move on themselves (moving, death, other changes), so those aren't permanent either.

TimTheTinker 6y ago

I’m not rich, but even I view a food service job at a fast food business (besides owning the business) as transitional. In other words, I would have no intention to stay there longer than absolutely necessary. I would forego many comforts to save what I need to make my move and get out. There’s a saying that if you took away all of a rich person’s financial assets (anything owned) they would be rich again within a few years. That may be a bit of a stretch (it might take more like 10 or even 20 years), but the point is, there is a required mindset that it takes to get out of poverty, and that is a firm determination to not accept the status quo. Don’t get me wrong: having that determination doesn’t guarantee anything (plenty of people work hard and don’t break out of it after 20 years because of hard luck or inescapable obligations), but those who do make it out always have that mindset. And those who don’t have that mindset never make it out, even if they win the lottery.