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Any job where you have to get regularly punched in the stomach is a terrible job regardless of the compensation involved. That others may have even worse jobs d

Any job where you have to get regularly punched in the stomach is a terrible job regardless of the compensation involved. That others may have even worse jobs doesn't change that.

nine_k 2y ago
Sometimes people take such jobs to get out of a bad financial situation. That can be a legitimate use, but one should remember that it's but a temporary thing to solve a particular problem, there should be an end date, and a way out. In particular, you should not start depending on the thicker stream of money such a job pays. It's rare that such a job leaves the physical damage described in the story. More often it can damage you mentally: burned out, depressed, crushed by internally felt shame and guilt. This should not be discounted too easily; it can cost you a lot of plain money to get treated, to say nothing of the suffering, both yours and that of those who care about you.
s1artibartfast 2y ago
The challenge is differentiating between absolute and relative judgements, and when to use each in your thought process. It may be a terrible job in the absolute sense, but also a good job in the relative sense because it pays well and most involve gut punches.
winstonewert 2y ago
Really? Is there no level of compensation that would make you think that getting punched was worthwhile?
- mdaniel 2y ago
  When I was younger one of my favorite punchlines was "What kind of (wo)man do you think I am?! ... Oh, we've already established that, we're just negotiating price"
  - Clubber 2y ago
    One not as funny that I made up was, "if we have to be whores, I'd rather be an expensive whore."
- recursive 2y ago
  There is some level of compensation where our protagonist could have retired after his first paycheck. His paycheck was very high, but not that high. He made a bad career move, despite the pay. For some people it would have been ok. Experienced fighters would know how to take the hit better. For them it would not have been such a problem. In the story it was a big problem. I would say there was probably no level of compensation that would make it worthwhile for the character, given he had to keep doing it on a daily basis indefinitely. His old job was fine. His new job let him pay off his mortgage faster but made his whole life worse. What good is all this money if one's life is suffering? If money lets you buy your way out of suffering, that's good.
- JohnFen 2y ago
  Sure. Pay me a million dollars and I'll take a punch. It would still be a terrible job, though.
bombcar 2y ago
Boxers get paid.
- anigbrowl 2y ago
  Boxers get paid to fight. Totally different situation.
- moregrist 2y ago
  Not to sugar coat a rough sport with a real history of terrible concussions and their consequences, but boxers get to punch back. They’re also rewarded for dodging punches when it gets them to their clear tangible goal: winning a match. In a real sense they have a lot of control over how and when they get punched. None of that applies to this allegory. Dodging the punch got the protagonist put on a three-punch PIP. Who knows what punching back would have led to.
- notevenreal 2y ago
  This is a ridiculous non sequitur.
tdb7893 2y ago
I actually know people who get punched regularly at their job and like it. Obviously there are boxing coaches but I also know someone who works with disabled and troubled youths (I'm not entirely clear on exactly what he does) and they all actually like their jobs. If it wasn't for low pay and potential brain trauma I would love to have a job where I get punched. For me it's the uselessness of it that would bother me, the actual act of getting punched is neither here nor there. I mean I pay to take boxing classes and I enjoy them.
notevenreal 2y ago
I think that's the point.

Any job where you have to get regularly punched in the stomach is a terrible job regardless of the compensation involved. That others may have even worse jobs doesn't change that.

nine_k 2y ago

Sometimes people take such jobs to get out of a bad financial situation. That can be a legitimate use, but one should remember that it's but a temporary thing to solve a particular problem, there should be an end date, and a way out. In particular, you should not start depending on the thicker stream of money such a job pays. It's rare that such a job leaves the physical damage described in the story. More often it can damage you mentally: burned out, depressed, crushed by internally felt shame and guilt. This should not be discounted too easily; it can cost you a lot of plain money to get treated, to say nothing of the suffering, both yours and that of those who care about you.

s1artibartfast 2y ago

The challenge is differentiating between absolute and relative judgements, and when to use each in your thought process. It may be a terrible job in the absolute sense, but also a good job in the relative sense because it pays well and most involve gut punches.

winstonewert 2y ago

Really? Is there no level of compensation that would make you think that getting punched was worthwhile?

mdaniel 2y ago
When I was younger one of my favorite punchlines was "What kind of (wo)man do you think I am?! ... Oh, we've already established that, we're just negotiating price"
- Clubber 2y ago
  One not as funny that I made up was, "if we have to be whores, I'd rather be an expensive whore."
recursive 2y ago
There is some level of compensation where our protagonist could have retired after his first paycheck. His paycheck was very high, but not that high. He made a bad career move, despite the pay. For some people it would have been ok. Experienced fighters would know how to take the hit better. For them it would not have been such a problem. In the story it was a big problem. I would say there was probably no level of compensation that would make it worthwhile for the character, given he had to keep doing it on a daily basis indefinitely. His old job was fine. His new job let him pay off his mortgage faster but made his whole life worse. What good is all this money if one's life is suffering? If money lets you buy your way out of suffering, that's good.
JohnFen 2y ago
Sure. Pay me a million dollars and I'll take a punch. It would still be a terrible job, though.

bombcar 2y ago

Boxers get paid.

anigbrowl 2y ago
Boxers get paid to fight. Totally different situation.
moregrist 2y ago
Not to sugar coat a rough sport with a real history of terrible concussions and their consequences, but boxers get to punch back. They’re also rewarded for dodging punches when it gets them to their clear tangible goal: winning a match. In a real sense they have a lot of control over how and when they get punched. None of that applies to this allegory. Dodging the punch got the protagonist put on a three-punch PIP. Who knows what punching back would have led to.
notevenreal 2y ago
This is a ridiculous non sequitur.

tdb7893 2y ago

I actually know people who get punched regularly at their job and like it. Obviously there are boxing coaches but I also know someone who works with disabled and troubled youths (I'm not entirely clear on exactly what he does) and they all actually like their jobs. If it wasn't for low pay and potential brain trauma I would love to have a job where I get punched. For me it's the uselessness of it that would bother me, the actual act of getting punched is neither here nor there. I mean I pay to take boxing classes and I enjoy them.

notevenreal 2y ago

I think that's the point.