The problem isn't so much with work, which many people have mentioned, it's with careers. The most famous quote, might be from Into the Wild: "Careers are a tw

The problem isn't so much with work, which many people have mentioned, it's with careers. The most famous quote, might be from Into the Wild: "Careers are a twentieth century invention." I'm aware that this quote isn't entirely accurate, but I think it makes a good point. Most people didn't have careers in past centuries, and those that did were from the upper classes. Careers as diplomats, military officers etc. I think the biggest mistake that we made as workers is to buy the lie that we must all have a career, and always be moving up. I think careers are something we got sold on, and it was an easy sell because having a career as opposed to a job is a status symbol. It seems similar to the escalation in weddings. People used to get married at the church and then have people over at the house for a wedding lunch, and that was it. Low expense, people still got to see each other and celebrate together. But over time we let ourselves get sold on the idea that upper class weddings are the proper way to do things, with the big expensive reception, the games with the cakes, and the fancy clothes you wear once. TLDR: People want to imitate the rituals of the upper classes. Having careers and seeking advancement is another example of that. Just like expensive weddings, it can lead to immiseration for no good reason. PS: If you are in tech, one good alternative to a corporate career is to be a freelancer. You can take contracts, work out their term and either sign up for another term, or leave a gap between and go traveling. As a contractors you can also remain neutral regarding office politics.