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This is basically me in 2026. Life has no meaning and I'm waiting for my money to run out before I end it. Hopefully I can find a job that doesn't bore me but I

This is basically me in 2026. Life has no meaning and I'm waiting for my money to run out before I end it. Hopefully I can find a job that doesn't bore me but I'm not positive.

bsoqk 23d ago
It’s interesting to me that people find so much meaning in their jobs. To me work is just the means to obtain the money I need to actually live my life.
- sinsterizme 23d ago
  I think most people happy with their lives find meaning in their work. There’s studies on men’s happiness in particular being predominantly based on work satisfaction https://s3.amazonaws.com/harrys-cdnx-prod/manual/Harry%27s+Masculinity+Report%2C+USA+2018.pdf https://s3.amazonaws.com/harrys-cdnx-prod/manual/Harry%27s+M...
- xp84 23d ago
  As someone who has spent my currently almost 20-year career building stuff in companies - and whole verticals - I don't care about at all, I agree mostly. As long as they're still going to pay me (GIANT hopeful assumption there) I'll supervise a 'team' of Claudes or whatever and don't really mind because I was just writing boring-ass corporate software. If I can get enough money to retire before it's too late, I won't miss work at all. Unfortunately I am not sure the 'tech' industry will have a lot of use for me, pretty soon.
  - flyingshelf 22d ago
    > Unfortunately I am not sure the 'tech' industry will have a lot of use for me, pretty soon. That's the core issue. Our time is running out pretty soon anyway. I have no intention of downgrading my lifestyle to the point of near homelessness, better be dead.
ijidak 23d ago
No. Please don't think that way. I don't know how to reach you personally, but please take a look at this article: https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/questions/suicidal-thoughts-want-to-die/ https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/questions/suicidal-tho... I pray it helps you. We're much more than any economic system. The sun still shines. There's a lot out in the world to see. Even in the worst case scenario, that we're all jobless. There are mountains to explore. Beaches to walk. Forests to camp in. I don't know where this all is headed. But, I do know each human has value. Your value is far greater than any job, skill, or the number of green pieces of paper you have. Feel free to reach out to me directly.
- xp84 23d ago
  I have to admit, as a former JW, the linked article is actually not proselytizing, instead it's actually got worthwhile advice. We are each here for a reason and we all touch many lives. We may not ever know, while we're on this earth, many of the important roles we play, just by being ourselves.
  - podgietaru 23d ago
    I'll add. I once got stopped by a bunch of JW. And I wanted to practice my Dutch, and they were willing to talk to me in Dutch. They showed me a video about depression. And it was actually exceptionally good advice. It spoke about speaking to a therapist. There was a small bit about prayer, which was obviously not my bag. But I was pleasantly surprised at how grounded the advice was.
    - Trasmatta 23d ago
      Hopefully their advice includes: "take this advice, and then don't join the Jehovah's Witnesses. It's a high control abusive religion that will make your depression worse".
deepwoods 23d ago
Ending it is never the answer, I pray that you will get help. There is meaning in the struggle, even the struggle against meaninglessness.
Trasmatta 23d ago
I often feel like this as well. It's hard to talk about it with people, because they panic and immediately start sending you literature about suicidality and giving you hotlines, etc, etc, as if I haven't already seen all of that before. I'm not actively suicidal or anything (and I know all the signs of risk, and what to do about it), but there's an underlying feeling that life just hurts and has no meaning. Currently the thing that helps me stick around is the idea of "doing it for the plot". Life ends in short order either way, so I figure I'll just stick around and keep it interesting.
dang 22d ago
(HN moderator here) > I'm waiting for my money to run out before I end it Please don't do that. Someone emailed us a link to your comment and was concerned that you were in this level of distress. I didn't have another way of getting in touch with you, so I thought I'd post here and say that there are strangers on HN who care. Perhaps they (or we, rather - I'll include myself too) can't do much beyond that, but I hope it makes at least a small difference.
deterministic 22d ago
I’ve been through some really bad stuff, and one thing I learned the hard way is this: don’t automatically trust your feelings or your thoughts. Your brain can come up with completely random, untrue conclusions and make them feel 100% true. It can convince you, beyond any doubt, that something terrible is going to happen in the future. When in reality it’s just fear making predictions that never come true. So hang in there. Use your logical brain. Ask yourself: What actual evidence do I have that what I’m thinking is true? Separate what you know from what you fear. Then keep moving forward. Push through the fear. Let time pass. Give reality a chance to prove your predictions wrong. Because often the thing that feels absolutely certain is nothing more than your brain telling you a completely and utterly random story. And you don’t have to believe it.
andybalaam 21d ago
Hey, op here. Not sure if you're serious but please don't end it. My message to myself and to you is that your value is not in your work or your abilities, but inherent in yourself. You are unique and amazing. Please look around you for people you can trust and talk to them. Get help if you need it.

This is basically me in 2026. Life has no meaning and I'm waiting for my money to run out before I end it. Hopefully I can find a job that doesn't bore me but I'm not positive.

bsoqk 23d ago

It’s interesting to me that people find so much meaning in their jobs. To me work is just the means to obtain the money I need to actually live my life.

sinsterizme 23d ago
I think most people happy with their lives find meaning in their work. There’s studies on men’s happiness in particular being predominantly based on work satisfaction https://s3.amazonaws.com/harrys-cdnx-prod/manual/Harry%27s+Masculinity+Report%2C+USA+2018.pdf https://s3.amazonaws.com/harrys-cdnx-prod/manual/Harry%27s+M...
xp84 23d ago
As someone who has spent my currently almost 20-year career building stuff in companies - and whole verticals - I don't care about at all, I agree mostly. As long as they're still going to pay me (GIANT hopeful assumption there) I'll supervise a 'team' of Claudes or whatever and don't really mind because I was just writing boring-ass corporate software. If I can get enough money to retire before it's too late, I won't miss work at all. Unfortunately I am not sure the 'tech' industry will have a lot of use for me, pretty soon.
- flyingshelf 22d ago
  > Unfortunately I am not sure the 'tech' industry will have a lot of use for me, pretty soon. That's the core issue. Our time is running out pretty soon anyway. I have no intention of downgrading my lifestyle to the point of near homelessness, better be dead.

ijidak 23d ago

No. Please don't think that way. I don't know how to reach you personally, but please take a look at this article: https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/questions/suicidal-thoughts-want-to-die/ https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/questions/suicidal-tho... I pray it helps you. We're much more than any economic system. The sun still shines. There's a lot out in the world to see. Even in the worst case scenario, that we're all jobless. There are mountains to explore. Beaches to walk. Forests to camp in. I don't know where this all is headed. But, I do know each human has value. Your value is far greater than any job, skill, or the number of green pieces of paper you have. Feel free to reach out to me directly.

xp84 23d ago
I have to admit, as a former JW, the linked article is actually not proselytizing, instead it's actually got worthwhile advice. We are each here for a reason and we all touch many lives. We may not ever know, while we're on this earth, many of the important roles we play, just by being ourselves.
- podgietaru 23d ago
  I'll add. I once got stopped by a bunch of JW. And I wanted to practice my Dutch, and they were willing to talk to me in Dutch. They showed me a video about depression. And it was actually exceptionally good advice. It spoke about speaking to a therapist. There was a small bit about prayer, which was obviously not my bag. But I was pleasantly surprised at how grounded the advice was.
  - Trasmatta 23d ago
    Hopefully their advice includes: "take this advice, and then don't join the Jehovah's Witnesses. It's a high control abusive religion that will make your depression worse".

deepwoods 23d ago

Ending it is never the answer, I pray that you will get help. There is meaning in the struggle, even the struggle against meaninglessness.

Trasmatta 23d ago

I often feel like this as well. It's hard to talk about it with people, because they panic and immediately start sending you literature about suicidality and giving you hotlines, etc, etc, as if I haven't already seen all of that before. I'm not actively suicidal or anything (and I know all the signs of risk, and what to do about it), but there's an underlying feeling that life just hurts and has no meaning. Currently the thing that helps me stick around is the idea of "doing it for the plot". Life ends in short order either way, so I figure I'll just stick around and keep it interesting.

dang 22d ago

(HN moderator here) > I'm waiting for my money to run out before I end it Please don't do that. Someone emailed us a link to your comment and was concerned that you were in this level of distress. I didn't have another way of getting in touch with you, so I thought I'd post here and say that there are strangers on HN who care. Perhaps they (or we, rather - I'll include myself too) can't do much beyond that, but I hope it makes at least a small difference.

deterministic 22d ago

I’ve been through some really bad stuff, and one thing I learned the hard way is this: don’t automatically trust your feelings or your thoughts. Your brain can come up with completely random, untrue conclusions and make them feel 100% true. It can convince you, beyond any doubt, that something terrible is going to happen in the future. When in reality it’s just fear making predictions that never come true. So hang in there. Use your logical brain. Ask yourself: What actual evidence do I have that what I’m thinking is true? Separate what you know from what you fear. Then keep moving forward. Push through the fear. Let time pass. Give reality a chance to prove your predictions wrong. Because often the thing that feels absolutely certain is nothing more than your brain telling you a completely and utterly random story. And you don’t have to believe it.

andybalaam 21d ago

Hey, op here. Not sure if you're serious but please don't end it. My message to myself and to you is that your value is not in your work or your abilities, but inherent in yourself. You are unique and amazing. Please look around you for people you can trust and talk to them. Get help if you need it.