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These are average people right? They worked in like HR or accounting, maybe something more blue collar? Well no wonder they regretted working. I wonder what you

by mjfl 5y ago

These are average people right? They worked in like HR or accounting, maybe something more blue collar? Well no wonder they regretted working. I wonder what you would get asking people who worked for a higher purpose? Dying certainly sucks, as does aging.

shadowofneptune 5y ago
What would you regret then? These all seemed like things I could ask myself.
ivanhoe 5y ago
How do you define what a higher purpose is? Workaholics always think that they're doing something super important, no one would voluntarily invest there time into something they feel is utterly useless. What if one day they wake up with a realization that the purpose wasn't as "higher" as they've though it was? That they've missed other important stuff in their life? I've seen it happen to people around me...
- mjfl 5y ago
  Doing some kind of high impact medical research, exploring the cutting edge of science, political or intellectual revolutions, making a spaceship to Mars, etc... > hat if one day they wake up with a realization that the purpose wasn't as "higher" as they've though it was? Look if you are researching how to save lives, you are researching how to save lives..
  - bennyelv 5y ago
    Then when you're on your death bed you realise that ultimately it was all futile, because no matter what you did or how successful you could have been at it: every life ends up at the same point you are at now. The point is, I don't think it's as simple as that.
    - mjfl 5y ago
      I think that's incredibly cynical. It feels good to leave a mark on others lives.
      - npteljes 5y ago
        What I think is that you need to be mindful to decide while it's happening. It might be satisfyingly important, or it might be meaningless, just very desirable. Really no objective way to measure it. Maybe someone helped a ton of people but let down those close to them, and they end up with regret.
  - saiya-jin 5y ago
    I guess you don't have real field experience - its a super frustrating job. 10 years of efforts end up in bureaucratic quagmire, rewriting same stupid article/publication 10x. You may find out you spent all thaat time in direction which doesn't work. No, its often a properly shitty job, unfortunately. People in such field often, very explicitly, express to me how they regret going into it and how easy life I have it with my office job with tons of time for hobbies. No life, just locked in the labs. These are not anymore the days of Pasteur or Marie-Curie where fame comes to hard workers. You want rewarding job? Doctors. Teachers. But ask them and few are happy with the job. I'd say its a mindset thing - either you can be happy with little, or not and then its hard to not die with regrets. Personally, I've set my life and did all major decisions with primary aspect of 'not having regrets when dying'. It may or may not ultimately bring the result desired but it gives a clear, good direction in life which is enough for me.
    - mjfl 5y ago
      > I guess you don't have real field experience You are mindbogglingly overconfident in your opinion and experience relative to my own.
  - elteto 5y ago
    The irony here is that in order to do any of the above things and to do them to the extent that you have a large impact on the world you have to sacrifice many, many other things in your life. You can't be a dedicated parent and slave away 80+ hours/week in a lab doing research. The day has 24 hours for everybody and you can't be world class with a 9-5pm.
- danrocks 5y ago
  > How do you define what a higher purpose is? Judging by my conversations with Silicon Valley hiring managers these days: selling more ads.
germinalphrase 5y ago
I’m a teacher. In very clear and obvious ways, my works “matters”, and I have the privilege of living my values every day. Paradoxically, I am increasingly sad and angry (which is not my natural disposition) about my work and very well may be on the path to burning out. My wife and I are actively planning what will happen if I don’t return to teaching next year. What’s our runway? What will I do? (UX? PM? Sales? …?). Would it be possible to find a position where I can work 20-30 hours per week and be more present for our young son? Or - should I try to maximize income to make up for years of never making more than 45k? I have strong emotions about all of this, but having a higher purpose is only so sustaining.

by mjfl 5y ago

shadowofneptune 5y ago

What would you regret then? These all seemed like things I could ask myself.

ivanhoe 5y ago

How do you define what a higher purpose is? Workaholics always think that they're doing something super important, no one would voluntarily invest there time into something they feel is utterly useless. What if one day they wake up with a realization that the purpose wasn't as "higher" as they've though it was? That they've missed other important stuff in their life? I've seen it happen to people around me...

mjfl 5y ago
Doing some kind of high impact medical research, exploring the cutting edge of science, political or intellectual revolutions, making a spaceship to Mars, etc... > hat if one day they wake up with a realization that the purpose wasn't as "higher" as they've though it was? Look if you are researching how to save lives, you are researching how to save lives..
- bennyelv 5y ago
  Then when you're on your death bed you realise that ultimately it was all futile, because no matter what you did or how successful you could have been at it: every life ends up at the same point you are at now. The point is, I don't think it's as simple as that.
  - mjfl 5y ago
    I think that's incredibly cynical. It feels good to leave a mark on others lives.
    - npteljes 5y ago
      What I think is that you need to be mindful to decide while it's happening. It might be satisfyingly important, or it might be meaningless, just very desirable. Really no objective way to measure it. Maybe someone helped a ton of people but let down those close to them, and they end up with regret.
- saiya-jin 5y ago
  I guess you don't have real field experience - its a super frustrating job. 10 years of efforts end up in bureaucratic quagmire, rewriting same stupid article/publication 10x. You may find out you spent all thaat time in direction which doesn't work. No, its often a properly shitty job, unfortunately. People in such field often, very explicitly, express to me how they regret going into it and how easy life I have it with my office job with tons of time for hobbies. No life, just locked in the labs. These are not anymore the days of Pasteur or Marie-Curie where fame comes to hard workers. You want rewarding job? Doctors. Teachers. But ask them and few are happy with the job. I'd say its a mindset thing - either you can be happy with little, or not and then its hard to not die with regrets. Personally, I've set my life and did all major decisions with primary aspect of 'not having regrets when dying'. It may or may not ultimately bring the result desired but it gives a clear, good direction in life which is enough for me.
  - mjfl 5y ago
    > I guess you don't have real field experience You are mindbogglingly overconfident in your opinion and experience relative to my own.
- elteto 5y ago
  The irony here is that in order to do any of the above things and to do them to the extent that you have a large impact on the world you have to sacrifice many, many other things in your life. You can't be a dedicated parent and slave away 80+ hours/week in a lab doing research. The day has 24 hours for everybody and you can't be world class with a 9-5pm.
danrocks 5y ago
> How do you define what a higher purpose is? Judging by my conversations with Silicon Valley hiring managers these days: selling more ads.

germinalphrase 5y ago

I’m a teacher. In very clear and obvious ways, my works “matters”, and I have the privilege of living my values every day. Paradoxically, I am increasingly sad and angry (which is not my natural disposition) about my work and very well may be on the path to burning out. My wife and I are actively planning what will happen if I don’t return to teaching next year. What’s our runway? What will I do? (UX? PM? Sales? …?). Would it be possible to find a position where I can work 20-30 hours per week and be more present for our young son? Or - should I try to maximize income to make up for years of never making more than 45k? I have strong emotions about all of this, but having a higher purpose is only so sustaining.