No. In an abstract sense, I wouldn't necessarily mind becoming a "lifer" but the reality of doing it in a capitalistic society is an absolute joke. Why would I

No. In an abstract sense, I wouldn't necessarily mind becoming a "lifer" but the reality of doing it in a capitalistic society is an absolute joke. Why would I consider committing myself to a company that can ditch me at a moment's notice, potentially for factors completely outside my control? That's absolute insanity. The reality, whether I like it or not, is that I need to keep my skills sharp in case I'm looking for another role on short notice. I once worked for a startup that hired a "lifer" who'd spent 30-40 years as a developer at a bank and was eventually laid off. They thought they'd scored a real gem. He was a bright guy, a good human being. Had led some big projects at the bank. In reality he was essentially unemployable for any modern development role. He literally only knew COBOL and such, no lie. With much effort I'm sure he could have reinvented himself and rejuvenated his career. In a more ideal world he could have lead us, we could have learned from each other, etc. But we had hard deadlines to meet. In reality, all he got for his "lifer" commitment was a kick in the ass out of the bank's door and a set of atrophied skills that made him more or less unemployable. We had to let him go. I never want to be that guy.