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Having a traditional job is such a terrible experience. At the very least, it's terrible if you're not 100% in love with whatever company project you're working

by Jimmy 11y ago

Having a traditional job is such a terrible experience. At the very least, it's terrible if you're not 100% in love with whatever company project you're working on. I think there are some personality types that are suited to traditional jobs though, since most people don't share my concerns when I tell them how terrible it is to have a job. Because of this, I think more people like the author of this post should pursue non-traditional lines of work without feeling guilty. Perhaps our current economic set-up doesn't allow everyone to be happy, but more people could be happy than they currently are.

kayoone 11y ago
While i feel similar in that i don't think i could go back to a "normal" job, i also realize how incredibly lucky i am to have this choice. So many people have to do much more grueling work that is not even remotely their passion and earn much less doing so. It's not even a question of education really, imo it comes down to luck in where you were born and some choices that made you end up in an industry that allows all of this. I also know that there are always people that aren't as lucky and privileged and that it shouldn't be the argument to end all arguments because otherwise no progress will ever be possible.
- 72deluxe 11y ago
  This is very true - we are fortunate and should not forget that. It could be worse (like it is for others).
morganvachon 11y ago
Exactly, this is why it's called "The Grind". My wife works 40 hours per week at a local government facility, and I work the same schedule at a private company. We have maybe three hours of time together each evening, and that time is taken by household chores, cooking (which I mostly do), eating dinner, then we usually each have something we wanted to do separately. By the time we're ready to spend time together, it's bedtime. It's been a drain on both of us mentally and emotionally, and if we weren't so amazingly compatible it would be an issue in our marriage. As it is, I'm planning on going back to government work myself on a rotating 12 hour shift so I have days off during the week, and can take care of those household chores that take away a lot of our free time together. It will also allow me to get back to my writing, which is difficult to do after a mentally exhausting nine-to-five day of fixing other people's issues.
mcdougle 11y ago
I'd actually argue that 80% to 90%* of people are suited to traditional jobs, simply because the majority of people don't have the motivation, ambition, or discipline to do what it takes otherwise. I don't mean that as a negative criticism to those people in any way, either. Most of my friends openly admit that this is the case for them -- they can't even work from home (when given the option) because they don't have the discipline to actually get their work done unless they have a boss telling them when to work and what to work on. It's just the way some people are wired, and it doesn't help that it's the way society and schools try to raise us to be. I, personally, hate it, though. I don't know why anyone would feel guilty about that. I mean, maybe if all you wanted to do was sit around and do nothing all day -- but that's not me. I enjoy working, as long as it's meaningful and under my control (at least to an extent). There's nothing wrong with building up side streams of income (through things like real estate investments or online businesses) with the intention of ultimately going full time on them. * Ok, 80% to 90% might be a bit high. I just threw out a big number. But I'm sure it's the overwhelming majority of people.
- vehementi 11y ago
  > simply because the majority of people don't have the motivation, ambition, or discipline to do what it takes otherwise. I'd argue that a huge fraction of them would develop those traits if they had to, i.e. if those comfy jobs didn't exist so readily

by Jimmy 11y ago

kayoone 11y ago

While i feel similar in that i don't think i could go back to a "normal" job, i also realize how incredibly lucky i am to have this choice. So many people have to do much more grueling work that is not even remotely their passion and earn much less doing so. It's not even a question of education really, imo it comes down to luck in where you were born and some choices that made you end up in an industry that allows all of this. I also know that there are always people that aren't as lucky and privileged and that it shouldn't be the argument to end all arguments because otherwise no progress will ever be possible.

72deluxe 11y ago
This is very true - we are fortunate and should not forget that. It could be worse (like it is for others).

morganvachon 11y ago

Exactly, this is why it's called "The Grind". My wife works 40 hours per week at a local government facility, and I work the same schedule at a private company. We have maybe three hours of time together each evening, and that time is taken by household chores, cooking (which I mostly do), eating dinner, then we usually each have something we wanted to do separately. By the time we're ready to spend time together, it's bedtime. It's been a drain on both of us mentally and emotionally, and if we weren't so amazingly compatible it would be an issue in our marriage. As it is, I'm planning on going back to government work myself on a rotating 12 hour shift so I have days off during the week, and can take care of those household chores that take away a lot of our free time together. It will also allow me to get back to my writing, which is difficult to do after a mentally exhausting nine-to-five day of fixing other people's issues.

mcdougle 11y ago

I'd actually argue that 80% to 90%* of people are suited to traditional jobs, simply because the majority of people don't have the motivation, ambition, or discipline to do what it takes otherwise. I don't mean that as a negative criticism to those people in any way, either. Most of my friends openly admit that this is the case for them -- they can't even work from home (when given the option) because they don't have the discipline to actually get their work done unless they have a boss telling them when to work and what to work on. It's just the way some people are wired, and it doesn't help that it's the way society and schools try to raise us to be. I, personally, hate it, though. I don't know why anyone would feel guilty about that. I mean, maybe if all you wanted to do was sit around and do nothing all day -- but that's not me. I enjoy working, as long as it's meaningful and under my control (at least to an extent). There's nothing wrong with building up side streams of income (through things like real estate investments or online businesses) with the intention of ultimately going full time on them. * Ok, 80% to 90% might be a bit high. I just threw out a big number. But I'm sure it's the overwhelming majority of people.

vehementi 11y ago
> simply because the majority of people don't have the motivation, ambition, or discipline to do what it takes otherwise. I'd argue that a huge fraction of them would develop those traits if they had to, i.e. if those comfy jobs didn't exist so readily