I've worked in those job environments before at other places, e.g., fast food joints, and there's no joy for me in working in an environment where everyone rush

I've worked in those job environments before at other places, e.g., fast food joints, and there's no joy for me in working in an environment where everyone rushes home as quick as they can to get back to their "real life". I would far prefer to work with someone who likes his job and is okay with working over a bit, and has a github for personal code, and maybe has a tech blog, and maybe contributes to open source projects. Someone who has a personal desire to learn more overall, not just at work. To paraphrase something my dad, a highly skilled carpenter, once said: "Knowledge is our edge". If you are disdaining knowing more (in this context, taking the time (at work or not) to know more), then you're disdaining your edge in your profession. And that edge/lack of it accumulates. If you hate your job and your profession so much you can't wait for 5:01 to roll around so you can escape your workplace and software, I don't want to work with you. I code at home. I'm proud of this. And I want to work with people who understand that.