If you want to enjoy working 70 hours a week, you have to enjoy doing what you consider "work". If "working" to an executive means attending parties, trade sho

If you want to enjoy working 70 hours a week, you have to enjoy doing what you consider "work". If "working" to an executive means attending parties, trade shows, and numerous business events, that 70 hours could be a lot of fun, and totally worth it. I can think of a few roles I'd like in the future that would have me working that much and I'd be all-in for it. There are hard parts, certainly, but as you described, you have control over it. However, if you are sitting at a desk laboring in front of a screen for 70 hours every week because your boss (who works as described in the previous paragraph) thinks that's what defines work ethic, then you're going to get burned out and alienated from your friends and family because all of your emotional energy is being sapped out of you by your employer. You don't have control. Your job isn't exciting and dynamic. There is a limited amount of it that you can tolerate before it starts to harm you. If the ultra-high-earning executive types enjoy their life-encompassing careers, let them have it. If I have the opportunity at a career like that I might take it myself. But if you're laboring to meet an end (and yes, most software engineers should be thought of as laborers), you need work/life balance otherwise you're just being exploited by people who don't care if they bring you misery in the process of delivering a product.