Some insight: it's possible to be productive outside a job. It's possible to make money outside a job. It's possible to earn money, save it, and live off it fo

Some insight: it's possible to be productive outside a job. It's possible to make money outside a job. It's possible to earn money, save it, and live off it for certain periods, then earn more again later. It's possible to build income-producing assets outside a job. It's possible to learn new skills, etc., outside a job. Some people are overflowing with ideas for projects and some also have the willpower to put their own nose to the grindstone to get them done and ship, so don't need a job to accomplish things. They might only need a job to earn money, especially have a steady paycheck to expect regularly. The opposite of "having a job" is not "doing nothing" or "rotting away" or "being a parasite", etc. Also, some people are just happier with a less externally structured daily life, and with the power to direct their own daily choices. Seeking greater happiness is quite rational. Obviously it's wise to make sure one has the money one needs. But in a high-paying field like software development, and especially if you exercise willpower to keep a lot of your mandatory life costs low, it's quite possible to intentionally have periods of "unemployment" and yet still be in the black financially, and get a hell of a lot of productive stuff done. Often, more productive, because not held back by bureaucracy or legacy systems, and your stuff doesn't have to go into an NDA or back office black hole. Funemployment. This is why that term is often used.