8 ms·

On the incentives point, it seems to me that 'we' as a society focus far too much on money and expect it to paper over the gaps that employment inevitably cause

On the incentives point, it seems to me that 'we' as a society focus far too much on money and expect it to paper over the gaps that employment inevitably causes. Finish after your children leave school? Money -> childcare. Can't get time off to cook for yourself more? Money -> restaurant meals. Small stuff. Office located in a stupid place like downtown, forcing _everyone_ into a silly commute. Lack of parking spaces.

eru 12y ago
Can't you move downtown?
- tonyedgecombe 12y ago
  Money -> housing
  - eru 12y ago
    Sorry, what does that mean?
    - tonyedgecombe 12y ago
      It means that your solution is exactly like the problems the parent was enumerating, throw money at it.
      - eru 12y ago
        Oh, sure. That's what money is for.
        stegosaurus 12y ago
        The point I was trying to make is that money is not a cure-all. Yes, with a high enough salary, you may be able to move downtown. But is that actually a replacement for a small-ish home with a yard, a drive, potentially a garage, etc? Of course not. I don't think it's necessary for there to be a choice between 'live downtown' and 'live far out but have a horrible commute'. As far as I can tell, lots of 'business-to-business' style companies don't need to locate their office right in the centre of town. Neither does a dev shop that doesn't have retail clients that walk in on foot. But they do, a lot. Why? Am I missing something blindingly obvious? Zoning laws? Owner can afford a mansion around the corner so doesn't care? It's a mystery to me; it really is.
- stegosaurus 12y ago
  In many places, not really. If you can even afford it, it'd mean living in an apartment or sharing a place. And probably renting - the UK rental market is a nightmare in my experience. Fine if you're doing it out of choice or prefer it, but when it's basically a condition of employment, it's too much of an encroachment upon home life to me. I love having a garden. I like having the space to tinker with a vehicle. I like my home to be in a reasonably quiet area not buzzing with nightlife, and so forth. Like I mentioned in the other post - many probably see it as an entitlement issue, but I think that's fundamentally flawed. I don't think it's wrong to believe that you should be able to control the time you spend outside work. For a while I managed to get by in life by exercising what I can only really describe as thought control. I figured that if I could just adjust my desires, I would be happier. If I learned to enjoy things like sitting on a stuffy train and marvel at the fact that I'm flying through a tunnel, that would be the path to success. Nowadays, 'success' has left the financial realm, mostly. I just want to get by and do the things that are precious to me. Life's too short, we deserve more than to throw everything away for work.

eru 12y ago

Can't you move downtown?

tonyedgecombe 12y ago
Money -> housing
- eru 12y ago
  Sorry, what does that mean?
  - tonyedgecombe 12y ago
    It means that your solution is exactly like the problems the parent was enumerating, throw money at it.
    - eru 12y ago
      Oh, sure. That's what money is for.
      - stegosaurus 12y ago
        The point I was trying to make is that money is not a cure-all. Yes, with a high enough salary, you may be able to move downtown. But is that actually a replacement for a small-ish home with a yard, a drive, potentially a garage, etc? Of course not. I don't think it's necessary for there to be a choice between 'live downtown' and 'live far out but have a horrible commute'. As far as I can tell, lots of 'business-to-business' style companies don't need to locate their office right in the centre of town. Neither does a dev shop that doesn't have retail clients that walk in on foot. But they do, a lot. Why? Am I missing something blindingly obvious? Zoning laws? Owner can afford a mansion around the corner so doesn't care? It's a mystery to me; it really is.
stegosaurus 12y ago
In many places, not really. If you can even afford it, it'd mean living in an apartment or sharing a place. And probably renting - the UK rental market is a nightmare in my experience. Fine if you're doing it out of choice or prefer it, but when it's basically a condition of employment, it's too much of an encroachment upon home life to me. I love having a garden. I like having the space to tinker with a vehicle. I like my home to be in a reasonably quiet area not buzzing with nightlife, and so forth. Like I mentioned in the other post - many probably see it as an entitlement issue, but I think that's fundamentally flawed. I don't think it's wrong to believe that you should be able to control the time you spend outside work. For a while I managed to get by in life by exercising what I can only really describe as thought control. I figured that if I could just adjust my desires, I would be happier. If I learned to enjoy things like sitting on a stuffy train and marvel at the fact that I'm flying through a tunnel, that would be the path to success. Nowadays, 'success' has left the financial realm, mostly. I just want to get by and do the things that are precious to me. Life's too short, we deserve more than to throw everything away for work.