4 ms·

> Get the most low-stress source of income that you can find, and then do exactly what you love for free. That's what I do.

qubit 17y ago
What type of low-stress work do you do? I am currently looking for a similar situation.
- RyanMcGreal 17y ago
  Programmer for a large corporation - interesting work, steady hours, reasonable job security. My place of employment is a ten minute bike ride from home, so my commute is short and pleasant. I also don't have TV cable or satellite. Because I don't spend a lot of time commuting or staring at a one-way communications channel, I have more time to spend on the things I enjoy.
Tichy 17y ago
The thought occurred to me at times, but I must admit, I would also feel a bit bad about it. It was OK when I was a student, and I wish I had taken on more cool jobs (if only to work as a waiter and get to know people). But know I feel bad for the people who don't have the education I have. I have the possibility to get a high paying IT job - they don't, and rely on the "normal" jobs. I don't want to take it away from them. Though I admit I am undecided, sometimes I feel like whatever, just do what I need.
- eru 17y ago
  You can't take away jobs (in the big picture and long run).
  - Tichy 17y ago
    Why not? Unless you assume an infinite supply of skilled IT workers - and granted why not. But if there is a shortage of IT workers, but not of waiters, and I choose to work as a waiter instead of in IT, another waiter is out of luck?
    - eru 17y ago
      See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lump_of_labour_fallacy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lump_of_labour_fallacy
- gcheong 17y ago
  What makes you think you would get to know people better as a waiter than as an IT worker?
  - Tichy 17y ago
    Meeting more of them, for starters. I don't think I would like to be a waiter for life, but I think it might have helped me to overcome some social inhibitions, had I taken on such a job as a student. As an IT worker, I sometimes leave the office to talk with clients about a project. But that is very rare. Edit: of course there are other ways to work on the social inhibitions. I really want to go to more conferences/bar camps and at last give my own presentations, too.
tgittos 17y ago
Me too, though I've only just realised that's what I've done. My current job is great - I work as a web developer in a small web shop. The work is low stress, pays ok, and has great perks like letting me work from wherever I want. As a result, I travel internationally a lot and work from wherever I'm staying. Although lately I've been thinking that I've hit a wall - nothing I'm doing at work is new anymore, I've just realised that this job is the kind of job the author was describing. I've considered trying to change jobs, maybe to AI programming or game development, or anything more interesting and fun than what I'm doing now, but that would be a mistake. Instead I'm going to pursue those topics in my own time, because I enjoy it. It's amazing that sometimes we can overlook how great things are until someone points them out.
- Tichy 17y ago
  Just because of one article you are changing your life's direction? I found the remark interesting that one should not try to find a job one loves. But I am not yet convinced that it is bad to strive for satisfaction on the job. That article was written by a dropout - what makes you happy might be different from what makes him happy. Consider: suppose you could switch to another job that was equally stress free, but more interesting. How would that be bad?
  - tgittos 17y ago
    I don't consider it changing my life, rather attacking the problem in a different matter. I will always chase my interests and goals, but rather than doing it for someone else's company and someone else's ideas, I'd rather do it on my own, on my own terms. Obviously, changing to a job that's equally stress free but more interesting wouldn't be bad at all, however there is a certain amount of stress involved in that process inherently, and I really need to be able to work remotely at the moment.

qubit 17y ago

What type of low-stress work do you do? I am currently looking for a similar situation.

RyanMcGreal 17y ago
Programmer for a large corporation - interesting work, steady hours, reasonable job security. My place of employment is a ten minute bike ride from home, so my commute is short and pleasant. I also don't have TV cable or satellite. Because I don't spend a lot of time commuting or staring at a one-way communications channel, I have more time to spend on the things I enjoy.

Tichy 17y ago

The thought occurred to me at times, but I must admit, I would also feel a bit bad about it. It was OK when I was a student, and I wish I had taken on more cool jobs (if only to work as a waiter and get to know people). But know I feel bad for the people who don't have the education I have. I have the possibility to get a high paying IT job - they don't, and rely on the "normal" jobs. I don't want to take it away from them. Though I admit I am undecided, sometimes I feel like whatever, just do what I need.

eru 17y ago
You can't take away jobs (in the big picture and long run).
- Tichy 17y ago
  Why not? Unless you assume an infinite supply of skilled IT workers - and granted why not. But if there is a shortage of IT workers, but not of waiters, and I choose to work as a waiter instead of in IT, another waiter is out of luck?
  - eru 17y ago
    See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lump_of_labour_fallacy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lump_of_labour_fallacy
gcheong 17y ago
What makes you think you would get to know people better as a waiter than as an IT worker?
- Tichy 17y ago
  Meeting more of them, for starters. I don't think I would like to be a waiter for life, but I think it might have helped me to overcome some social inhibitions, had I taken on such a job as a student. As an IT worker, I sometimes leave the office to talk with clients about a project. But that is very rare. Edit: of course there are other ways to work on the social inhibitions. I really want to go to more conferences/bar camps and at last give my own presentations, too.

tgittos 17y ago

Me too, though I've only just realised that's what I've done. My current job is great - I work as a web developer in a small web shop. The work is low stress, pays ok, and has great perks like letting me work from wherever I want. As a result, I travel internationally a lot and work from wherever I'm staying. Although lately I've been thinking that I've hit a wall - nothing I'm doing at work is new anymore, I've just realised that this job is the kind of job the author was describing. I've considered trying to change jobs, maybe to AI programming or game development, or anything more interesting and fun than what I'm doing now, but that would be a mistake. Instead I'm going to pursue those topics in my own time, because I enjoy it. It's amazing that sometimes we can overlook how great things are until someone points them out.

Tichy 17y ago
Just because of one article you are changing your life's direction? I found the remark interesting that one should not try to find a job one loves. But I am not yet convinced that it is bad to strive for satisfaction on the job. That article was written by a dropout - what makes you happy might be different from what makes him happy. Consider: suppose you could switch to another job that was equally stress free, but more interesting. How would that be bad?
- tgittos 17y ago
  I don't consider it changing my life, rather attacking the problem in a different matter. I will always chase my interests and goals, but rather than doing it for someone else's company and someone else's ideas, I'd rather do it on my own, on my own terms. Obviously, changing to a job that's equally stress free but more interesting wouldn't be bad at all, however there is a certain amount of stress involved in that process inherently, and I really need to be able to work remotely at the moment.