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> There is an entire class of business the "does good" by helping people navigate an intentionally hostile system. Yeah, I'm currently in this boat, and it hur
by hn_throwaway_99 3y ago
> There is an entire class of business the "does good" by helping people navigate an intentionally hostile system.
Yeah, I'm currently in this boat, and it hurts a bit when I think about it too much sometimes. That is, I tell myself "OK, you're not curing cancer, but you're helping make a shitty system less shitty for people who need to navigate it." And that is true. But I do acknowledge that a much better solution would just be to fix the underlying problem in the first place, and I admit that my company is just profiting off the unnecessary complexity that exists to begin with.
- meristohm 3y agoI appreciate that you recognize this and are not just rationalizing to protect yourself. Still, survival is a natural drive. It also feels natural to seek work that fits one's values and gives enough of a sense of meaning to life. I found this in K-12 education and now in parenting, which will have a long tail since our child has extra needs due to disabilities. I have the freedom to pick up some extra work now that school started (my spouse has a full-time job she feels good about), and this work aligns with my values but is not particularly lucrative. I use the public library for most of my entertainment and education (thank you, taxpayers of the USA; this is one of our best investments for the future), and I feel rich in non-monetary ways. All that to say- make the jump to something you feel good about doing! Edit to add: Easily-consumed media (phone games, video shorts, social media posts, etc):books and movies from the public library::highly-processed food:homemade food from your garden or local farm; these wholesome things can be difficult to get in the habit of, but they feel more than momentarily good.