I'm inclined to agree with the premise that "large numbers of people quietly despise their lives", but I think it's generally a weak effect. Most of us will, es

I'm inclined to agree with the premise that "large numbers of people quietly despise their lives", but I think it's generally a weak effect. Most of us will, especially if questioned, find regrets that make us despise our lives; "years lost to path dependency" is probably the most common regret type. I doubt, however, work life is the nexus of this problem. It would certainly seem so if work is life to you, but I suspect that most people aren't like that. Jobs are an inconvenience or, more likely, a neutral segment of their lives. People can (and do) push their down time into working hours, saving energy and engagement for later. I wouldn't be surprised if the coulda-woulda-shouldas make most people despise their lives off-and-on, yielding a continuous churn of momentary depressives. I also doubt this a problem unless the length of bouts is high.