I've known a few programmers who have been institutionalized. Many places that hire programmers abuse them terribly. One of my goals in life is to do something

I've known a few programmers who have been institutionalized. Many places that hire programmers abuse them terribly. One of my goals in life is to do something about the terrible way most developers are treated. However, I've also known a few people who, when diagnosed with serious/terminal illness, chose to continue working through that until the end. These are people who made conscious choices to do the thing they love right up until the end -- even if by working it shortens their life. Finally, let's not forget that programming attracts the aspies -- the people able to do something terribly unnatural: sit in front of a glowing rectangle and type for hours on end solving abstract mental puzzles. Stories like this one push all the Millennial buttons. Don't sacrifice your life for something as silly as work! Don't let the system abuse you! Take care of yourself first! These are all good and true things. But it's also true that people have the right (I'd argue obligation) to find something in their pathetically short existence that's more important than they are. Not every unhealthy decision is a poor one. We're not just put on this planet to exist.