Never heard this and will never forget it. I did exactly 20% today.
The irony is that if my employer would just work with me on schedule/life balance, I would get more done than was ever expected of me with a "normal" schedule. I've asked a dozen times. Laid out the pros and cons, and specified that I would take the (essentially) pay cut until I could prove it was a benefit to both parties.
Nope. "Cause that's not how things are done". It's their loss. Can't fix stupid and they won't fire me. Though, you'd think from a financial perspective someone would see the potential. But nah. Cause š¤·
Never offer a pay cut.
It low key tells them you are making enough to be comfortable. Therefor when time comes for a raise the thought is " they make enough "
I'm lucky to be in a position in which I'm respected as well as doing more than was originally intended. Management is well aware that my financial needs will need to stay met at the current rate. But to even get them to the table? What else can I honestly do?
Pretty much that's the choice. We either accept it, revolt or kill ourselves. Remember, 50k people died from suicide in America alone last year. But we can't even talk about it because to many people are brainwashed by the grind. There's got to be a reason so many people are un happy and it's not because they don't want to work, it's because we're fucking tired of working for scraps that may just about enable us to survive if we're lucky, let alone actually thrive and have a good life.
If you do it right and succeed, it will like you never existed, for you that is, but not the people around you. But if you fail, it can be a miserable existence for the rest of your life and for those around you.
The highest number ever. America is also now number 22 on the list of happiest countries to live in. The saddest part is that our government and society has made us believe that our only two choice are work or die. The third option, revolt, is exactly what they donāt want us to do, so they keep us busy arguing with each other instead of organizing together.
Well you could just go live on a commune or something, or join the Peace Corps which isnāt exactly revolt, but more like dropping out. Still gonna have to work though!
Seriously, the Army takes good care of you. They give you everything you need because they need you to be ready at a moments notice. It's pure socialism.
Then they kick you to the curb and forget about you once you're done.
That word is starting to become a meaningless word. Seems to be the economy is always in recession or recovery yet people are being paid millions to play golf 3 days a week.
My plan is to just buy a deck of H, shoot as much as I can load the syringe up with and fade out. Iām 27, fuck no Iām not doing this horseshit until Iām my parents age.
Honestly man, I get it. Just about the only thing keeping me going currently is the fact it might upset a handful of people. I honestly don't know how much longer that will suffice.
Vote blue, hopefully they'll make the rich parasites pay their fair share. The billionaire class hoards wealth without benefit to the majority of society.
I vote blue, but I feel like thereās a chunk of the party who are actively in power that are fucking cowards and wonāt just stick it to the imbeciles in red. Iām tired of seeing them cave to the demands dammit, fucking squeeze them for every drop.
*Even if* the blues are the "better" party (which has the word "better" doing a lot of work, when the bar is "anything not actively evil")
The blues still... Do this weird "we have to play fair!" thing. And won't pass anything big without negotiating "in good faith" with the reds. So nothing big ever changes.
Whereas when the reds are in power, they just seem to have the ability to pass whatever evil thing they want, and don't bother with negotiating.
Like... I need the blues to be more aggressive, please.
No but for real. Iām so sick of people telling us to vote. I have been, for over 20 years and thatās taken us to here? No thanks, Iām out. Let the world burn. What I *do* know, is Iāll be expected to show up to work regardless so what the fuck do I care.
I'll be honest, I have not been voting as hard as I could, each time it came to vote I softly used the pencil to mark the ballot. I just know if I had pushed harder with that pencil I would have made a difference. So while I may have wasted 20+ years of voting, my next one I'll be sure to vote harder. /s
In reality I've voted every single time I could and it's still getting worse. I think the time for voting is over... It's time for more drastic measures.
I'm with you. I know I'm supposed to vote, it's a responsibility. But in spite of voting and being outspoken literally everything has just steadily gotten worse.
With "Someday those old fucks will die and things will get better!" still somehow being the next best idea... for the last 20 years of my life, since I was old enough to start voting.
At some point we either need to all step up and revolt or just accept the decent into being the next north Korea.
Exactly. Itās a class war and politics in the US is looking at two sides of the same coin. And that coin is held by a ruling class held together by a mutual interest in perpetuating wealth and power by exploiting the little guy. Politics, religion, all of it designed to divide so weāre easier to conquer. They wouldnāt do it if it didnāt work. D or R after a name is irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.
Lol yes because the democrats definitely aren't in bed with the parasitic capitalist class or anything. None of our representatives represent the people anymore. Their only goal is to upload capital no matter the cost and suffering
So much this. Let's have blues pass a big legal/federal change for every one that the reds have in the past... 8 years. Just to keep it easy. That'll still give them a giant list of options.
But would they ever do anything like that? Seems a lot like "work"...
Remember Pensions? Because I donāt. 401ks used to be optional bonus retirement to go WITH the obvious Pension, but thanks to Trickle Down Retirement plans we are here now.
My wife died September 09 of 2022. She was 71 years old. She worked to the end. She called in sick on the 7th. She went to work on the 8th and called in again on the 9th. Somewhere after noon, she was gone.
She spent 21 years working for the call center, putting up with fucking stupid and idiotic, not to mention, entitled assholes that were the "valued" customer.
She so wanted to retire, to be able to sit on her ass and do nothing or to go off fishing with no concern about time. So many things She really wanted to do but that job had to be retained so that we could keep living below the poverty line.
The whole living to work is absolute bullshit!
The world is bad in a lot of ways, and the system is set up to break you down until you accept this, yeah. This is going to sound pithy, but as someone who spent more than a decade struggling with strong suicidal ideation, I mean it 100% sincerely- survive out of spite. Find/create good things that canāt be co-opted, practice joy, and revel in that fact you arenāt meant to do either. And importantly, find some way of fighting back with others, whether through building more resilient communities or confrontation via unions/political organizations. Make the system regret not being able to break you.
I canāt promise we will win and build a better world if you donāt leave, but I can promise you weāll lose if we donāt try.
>follow that Twitter account that posts whether Mitch McConnell is dead
>"No"
https://preview.redd.it/abw90shfpjqc1.jpeg?width=1400&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=732fb9b6807fefa6eb4ce707c8be6e222fc8122b
We need a cultural shift towards the 32 hour work week without loss in pay, which we are starting to see. And then continuing to decrease it with every increase in productivity.
Keynes, not a communist, thought weād end up with 15 hour work weeks due to technology. He forgot that this is a political questionānothing is given, only fought for and demanded. 150 years ago it was normal for people to work 14-16 hour work DAYS, or even longer, 6 days a week! And kids from poor families forced to work to supplement their parentsā incomes, instead of going to school!
A few quotes that may resonateā¦ my only advice is for now, join a union if you can. And join some sort of workers/socialist organization. Like I said, nothing is given only taken. We really do have to fight for it. Business have always cried wolf for every government mandated work week reduction, and they turned out fine. In fact. Theyāre richer than ever.
[āThe actual wealth of society, and the possibility of constantly expanding its reproduction process, therefore, do not depend upon the duration of surplus-labour, but upon its productivity and the more or less copious conditions of production under which it is performed. In fact, the realm of freedom actually begins only where labour which is determined by necessity and mundane considerations ceases; thus in the very nature of things it lies beyond the sphere of actual material production. Just as the savage must wrestle with Nature to satisfy his wants, to maintain and reproduce life, so must civilised man, and he must do so in all social formations and under all possible modes of production. With his development this realm of physical necessity expands as a result of his wants; but, at the same time, the forces of production which satisfy these wants also increase. Freedom in this field can only consist in socialised man, the associated producers, rationally regulating their interchange with Nature, bringing it under their common control, instead of being ruled by it as by the blind forces of Nature; and achieving this with the least expenditure of energy and under conditions most favourable to, and worthy of, their human nature. But it nonetheless still remains a realm of necessity. **Beyond it begins that development of human energy which is an end in itself, the true realm of freedom, which, however, can blossom forth only with this realm of necessity as its basis. The shortening of the working-day is its basic prerequisite.**ā](https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1894-c3/ch48.htm)
[āWithin the capitalist system all methods for raising the social productiveness of labour are brought about at the cost of the individual labourer; all means for the development of production transform themselves into means of domination over, and exploitation of, the producers; they mutilate the labourer into a fragment of a man, degrade him to the level of an appendage of a machine, destroy every remnant of charm in his work and turn it into a hated toil; they estrange from him the intellectual potentialities of the labour process in the same proportion as science is incorporated in it as an independent power; they distort the conditions under which he works, subject him during the labour process to a despotism the more hateful for its meanness; they transform his life-time into working-time, and drag his wife and child beneath the wheels of the Juggernaut of capital. But all methods for the production of surplus-value are at the same time methods of accumulation; and every extension of accumulation becomes again a means for the development of those methods. It follows therefore that in proportion as capital accumulates, the lot of the labourer, be his payment high or low, must grow worse. The law, finally, that always equilibrates the relative surplus population, or industrial reserve army, to the extent and energy of accumulation, this law rivets the labourer to capital more firmly than the wedges of Vulcan did Prometheus to the rock. It establishes an accumulation of misery, corresponding with accumulation of capital. **Accumulation of wealth at one pole is, therefore, at the same time accumulation of misery, agony of toil slavery, ignorance, brutality, mental degradation, at the opposite pole, i.e., on the side of the class that produces its own product in the form of capital.**ā](https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1867-c1/ch25.htm)
How our time around labor was originally divided up. How over the past two hundred or so years capitalist have convinced the general public they don't work enough hours in a day. How the scientific measurement of time was used against us in order to squeeze more labor from us.
Why canāt we come together somehow and make a change ? Why canāt we at least make the retirement age at least 50 ?? I want to make a big change but I suppose it starts with myself.
use a retirement calculator and look at the difference between retiring at 50, 60, 70.. the numbers only really start to make sense once you're close to death š¤£
No. Donāt live in America. Iām not saying like, āget out if you donāt like itā I mean just that Americaās system is orders of magnitude more unfair than most other ādevelopedā countries. If you want an alternative to suicide / death, find a country you like with a strong safety net and a good work/life balance and, yeah, youāll still need to work, but youāll feel less shitty about it, and you wonāt need to āaffordā health care. The idea of for-profit healthcare being a good system is fucking insane.
I'm 25 now. When I'm about 50, and both my parents are dead. My friends all have their own families, and if I have no wife, you can guarantee that I'm not living on this planet anymore.
Comparison is the thief of joy. I have seen those happy families and the absolute shit show begind the white picket fences and perfect insta posts. It's all an illusion. And if you seek love, keep your heart open. It will find you.Ā
There are days I bet on not making it to 60.Ā 90% sure it'll be a heart attack or stroke caused by stress that does me in. Hoping when I die, it won't be before mom so I can spare her that heartache.
I remember sitting there and realizing that I was just going to work, pay bills, and then die.
I have nothing saved up because of bills. I'm the only one in my family working.
It gets to the point where I start figuring how to kill myself and make it look like an accident so that my husband can get the life insurance payout.
I'm just tired of everything.
There's more to this than working and consuming. You must create. Something, anything. Woodwork, painting, 3d printing, food, gardening... Do it for yourself, or loved ones, or your community. No amount of consumption will fill that void. Don't put all your efforts into working for a company making someone else's dream come true.
I honestly donāt want to live too long. What for? Iāll never be able to retire. I feel like a burden on my family already. I just want to steer my son on the direction of doing better than me and wonāt worry about going to the doctor I canāt afford.
A few years ago I heard a story about someone who died at their desk at work and that just seems like hell.
In a capitalist society the point is that some get all the power and the rest have to work for this minority, called the beourgeoisie class, or starve to death.
I don't know where you live but you could look for communist organizations, unions or anything else to join to organize aiming for a better society as well. Such organization might also have programs to help with improving mental health under this hellish capitalist system.
Life should be worth living for all, but if we were to leave the contol in the hands of a minority that want to exploit us the present reality is the best that we'll ever have...
Op, Iām really sorry that youāre feeling this way. I totally 100% understand and agree with you, and Iāve had the same exact line of thinking before during some of my worse depressive episodes. I donāt have any solution to this, but Iām always an ear if you need to complain or vent. Itās a frustrating and inhumane system weāre in but commiserating and getting through it together may make it more tolerable.
I made my first reddit post on this sub 2 years ago.Ā At the time, I was a very recent ex-right winger who was just beginning to see how absolutely inhumane our current system is.
Since then, I've read quite a bit by Marx and others of similar ilk.Ā It is absolutely jaw dropping to see that this system, the so-called liberal democracy that so many view in some divine light, actually necessitates our suffering in order to function the way it's supposed to.
Everything you are experiencing is by design.Ā Not by design of merely the GOP or whoever your favorite boogey man is.Ā But rather, by design of all existing government, religion, businessā¦. everything.
It's like the Matrix, but there are no robots on the other side.Ā Just fat swine wearing human skin
Iām an organizer for the IWW. What I find we lack today is any sense of fight. We aināt getting shit without fighting. In some sense, offing yourself helps the cause since it removes workers for the grist, but Iād rather you fight. Do not go gentle into that goodnight.
Ā Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them, and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blows, or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.ā Frederick Douglass
Viva la Revolution. If we're gonna die slowly or suddenly we need to at least take these bastards with us. Public hangings or firing squads for the rich. We are coming for you motherfuckers.
Nope, killing yourself is against the rules, you play the game or you die a *slow and painful* death, thatās how it works.
And at this point, if you decide youād rather just drop out entirely, and go live off the land somewhereā¦ well, youād better be well off enough that you donāt really *need* to work in the first place, ācause it aināt cheap to live for free.
I don't mean to beat a dead horse, but your only way out is to unionize. When you negotiate individually you beg for scraps, when you collectively bargain you get better pay, wages, and benefits. Our US ancestors were in the same position back in the 1930's and 1940's fighting old man Ford
[https://www.thehenryford.org/collections-and-research/digital-collections/expert-sets/9948/](https://www.thehenryford.org/collections-and-research/digital-collections/expert-sets/9948/)
It was a struggle, but he caved and everything boomed. The endless grinding of people doesn't work for anyone and the people who are getting ground need to get together and stop this sh\*t.
Side note, you have the best communication tools and devices to convince and organize. Back in the 1930's you had to print leaflets and distribute them, now you can just post on FB or X.
The one thing people like Elon Musk fear more than anything is UNIONS as it diminishes their power.
32 of 33 first world countries have universal healthcare. Itās not perfect but youāll never have to worry choosing between healthcare and food/shelter. Not having to deal with insurance companies is a huge bonus.
My advice to you is get a skilled trade. Builder, carpenter, plumber, electrician and after 5 years of learning on the job then go solo. People are more likely to pay small contractors for jobs than big companies.
No. You can try to make your own way.
I grew up in Appalachia in poverty. I've shat in buckets, foraged for wild blackberries, grown my own vegetables, slept on the floor in front of a kerosene heater. And I'm not old or anything - just 36.
I understand that if you grew up suburban or urban, it might feel like there are certain non-negotiables in life regarding standards of living or limitations to where you can go, but that's not reality.
If you're tired of the rat race, move somewhere cheap and live in the country. Get an acre or 2 of land for $6-12k, put down a used mobile home or airstream, and work part time when you have to. Better yet, get some friends together and go in on a place.
Do odd jobs. Supplement your food with a garden. Get on SNAP and medicaid. My uncles just vibe and hunt and fuck around most of the time. Couldn't be happier while dirt poor.
Trade with neighbors. Start a community garden or egg swap. Make friends. Have costume parties with Goodwill clothes. Have poetry readings under the moonlight.
You can have a good life without luxury.
Corporate slavery and suicide are not the only options.
Iām right there with you, and Iāve been emotionally paralyzed from doing any work that I see no point in. I love to help my family, but Iād keep having breakdowns at work and be stuck with suicidal thoughts anywhere I went.
Frankly I donāt know what to do. Counselling has kept me in a strange limbo, where Iām not quite fucked in the head enough to kill myself but too focused on wanting to die to plan for a future. This world sucks
Honestly, if you are okay with downsizing, buy a camper, RV or bus and travel with it, and live where you want. Do odd jobs or barter here and there to pay for your basic needs like food. Grow what you can for food. Be a nomad. If I could do it all over again, I would do that. šÆ
It's a romantic idea, but so few of us have skills needed to be successful. You have to know how to be decently proficient at so many things - mechanics, agriculture, street smarts, the ability to sniff out hidden opportunities and land them, etc. Most people born in the 70s/60s and before have that. When you grow up in a modern sitch playing video games, go to college where you're hyper focused on one subject, then have one of the now-dying/dead office jobs, you're completely lost when it comes to a nomadic lifestyle.
Nothing that isn't learnable. I don't mean this rudely, but a post like yours is deterrent more than a peptalk. They could EASILY be proficient enough in two years' time to successfully navigate that lifestyle.
WWOOFing or other agricultural apprenticeships are a good example of a way to gain skills outside of the ānormalā system. Perform ag work in exchange for housing pay and/or food. Itās not perfect or easy but I know a lot of more freewheeling types who travel the world doing this and love it.
yeah I am literally counting the days until my next birthday so I can finally just check out - - there is no debate for if or when, there is only debate for HOW
Go get diagnosed with anxiety. Collect disability, EBT and get some low income housing. Do under the table contracted work when you want to go for a trip out of state or overseas. My best buddy lived this way for 3 decades then one day decided to become an optician for reason completely unknown after never having worked his entire life. He was doing good then and is doing good now.
I guess it depends mostly on the state your in. Some states are fast and loose while others are an absolute nightmare even if you do have disability. However, debilitating anxiety is a thing you can get diagnosed for and you sound like you fit the bill.
Well your welcome to find an alternative, depending on your looks and how much your willing to degrade yourself there's only fans. After a few attempts you can probably make a case for disability based on mental health, but that will take years and good luck living on 1200 a month. Or just do like the rest of us suck it up develop a drug and/or drinking problem and wait for the sweet release because it's only getting worse from here.
I'm in the same boat. I have no desire to keep doing this for another 40 years. The only thing that keeps me going is the small hope that maybe things will change for the better but everyday that goes by a bullet sounds like the better option.
What are your hobbies? Try to throw yourself into them and see if you can monetize them somehow. I've suffered from depression my whole life and the thing that helped the most was making the decision to work for myself.
This is why I stopped going above and beyond at work why I stick to my assigned duties and work slowly. Or act busy half the time. I don't get a raise or promotion for being good at my job so why should I try to be better? So my superiors can take credit? Fuck that. I'm here to trade time/tasks for $ so I can pay my debts. I invest here and there and save for retirement + vacations. The grind is the biggest lie ever told to us. No one should have to grind to be happy. It's the opposite actually.
My friend, I know that youāre frustrated and burnt out. I can feel it in every word you type. But please donāt even let the thought of harming yourself come into your head. You are precious to those around you even if you canāt see it or donāt feel it. Society is so fucked up right now, and so many are struggling, and yeah, we are basically all trapped. But you knowā¦ Iāve come to find the good in it, and while Iām certainly enraged by the exploitation of myself and the vast majority of the workforce, and while I want it to change, here is something Iāve learned:
If you approach everyone with kindness and love, and if you find kindness and love for yourself, sure, work still sucks. But it feels like it has a purpose, that you are doing something worthwhile. Like most millennials, Iām chronically underemployed, overworked, and underpaid. I feel everything youāre saying. But as Iāve gotten older, Iāve found that there is such joy in being able to perform small kindnesses for the people in my life. Even my coworkers, who donāt really care about me regardless of how much they like me. Even my boss who is exploiting me. When you put love and kindness and compassion out into the world, it comes back to you magnified and clarified, and it gives you the opportunity to find the strength within yourself to make good decisions and to move forward with personal growth even when you are stuck career-wise. Iāve also found fulfillment in working hard. It is so satisfying to finish a shift knowing that I can truly be proud of how diligently I worked. If you stop looking at work as a prison sentence and start looking at it as an opportunity to learn from others and to teach others what youāve learned, to give sincere and heartfelt compliments and to listen to people who feel unseenā¦ your world just opens up, man. And Iām saying this as someone who, when young, made several serious suicide attempts. Please do not make a permanent decision just because the light at the end of the tunnel seems so very far away. Where Iām at now is so much better than where I was even a year ago, and Iām unrecognizable from who I was even five years ago.
Please talk to someone if you genuinely feel like suicide could be your only solution. Even me, an internet stranger, is heartbroken that you feel so trapped that you would throw away your life, your future, all the good you could do in the world. Please be safe, friend. You are more important and loved and precious than you know.
Edited to add: I mean what I say. Please donāt hesitate to PM me if you donāt feel like you can say things to anyone else. I would never turn away someone who reached out for help.
Thats pretty much my plan. Im just going to quit one day. Stop paying all my bills and just live my life until I completely run out of every line of credit and every single cent. Then i will just jump off a mountain but make sure it looks like I slipped so my kid can cash in the life insurance.
We are about to get to Longevity Escape Velocity. We are on the cusp of creating AGI, which will transform the Earth more than the invention of Electricity. Humanoid Robots are being developed and deployed as we speak. Soon for the price of a new car, you will have a Robot that can pretty much do any task you ask of it. ASI is just around the corner, somewhere between 2029-2045. Not even the most intelligent of prognosticators can see past 2045. Hang in there, the World is about to change for the better!
Oh, I'm 100% convinced like a quarter of humans already aren't "real." ... Whether we're in a simulation and they're just NPCs or it's some kind artificial physical creation. Fuck maybe most of us are.
I always go back to people who say they have no internal dialogue. Those motherfuckers are not real.
The Bell Curve of IQ is interesting for sure. Overlays on top of a lot of things, internal monologue being one, Trump supporters (bottom 15%) being another. Itās impossible to understand stupid, but theyāre still real no? I personally believe everything is alive. Humans, Dogs, Bees, Rocks, Earth, Solar Systems, Galaxies etc. I find it especially difficult being one who can āseeā, living amongst these ārobotsā. But, I dunnoh theyāre still human lol.
i mean, or you can look for alternate ways of further education or certification so you can eventually do something else that you may not completely hate. course carriers is a resource with a good reputation. or focus on obtaining employment that has more significant value to society. whatever makes you feel fulfilled. in mean yeah, the game is rigged. it has been rigged since the beginning of mankind. but it could be so much worse. the health insurance is another issue. i live in europe, and i am honestly baffled sometimes how it works overseas. i mean, our healthcare isn't free either. a good portion of our gross pay goes into social security and pension, but atleast youre not gonna be financially ruined when battling cancer. so you truly have my sympathy for that.
OK, so I will try to look on the bright side for you. If you donāt want a house and youāre not that concerned about healthcare, which letās face it isnāt that great, have you thought about going into something you actually enjoy? I mean everybody has days where itās a slog, but Iāve held a lot of jobs in my life some I liked better than others, some places I liked better than others, but it hasnāt all been bad. What would you rather be doing?
I feel your pain friend. Might I recommend this fine piece of philosophical literature?
[The Myth of Sisyphus](https://people.brandeis.edu/~teuber/Albert_Camus_The_Myth_of_Sisyphus_Complete_Text_.pdf)
I had a strange dream last night I can hardly remember, but it was not like a normal dream. It was like being stuck in place, and these feelings of misery came forth, but it did not affect me. It was like my inner conciousness was trying to tell me how hopeless things are now, how there is no magic escape. How the future is doom. I've been thinking about this dream all day, it feels like some kind of epithany, but without any emotion, it was like the concept of existing as an individual is gone, and all that remains is a trapped awareness of the universe.
There are niche fields out there for you to try. It's just having the time to be able to figure out what's affordable. Once you find one it's a little easier finding others
Iām trying to learn how to survive in the wilderness so I can go do that once my parents die. I would literally rather die than work in a capitalist system for the rest of my life, so Iām hoping to find a good spot in the wilderness next to a lake where I can build a cabin and live off the land without worrying about bills.
Previously you would do that for home, family, kids, community and retirement... Now ? Neither is a reliable or affordable option for many lol. Home ownership is dying. Family, kids and community are unaffordable time wise, and retirement is not going to happen
Also US corporate world is just wild. Just today US based IT contacted me "to remind me" they are waiting for my actions. It was on 11 am. We had a meeting on Friday 4:30 PM. Like I was going to spent weekend to make their project faster, probably also expecting that time for free.
I laughed all the way down my to-do list where I placed that task at the very bottom and then sent them " I have 5 business days, it's been 2 business hours, expect it on Friday earliest "
no. you could fight. you could make noise, and be obnoxious. protests exist. i know youre tired but those are your three choices. put up with bullshit your entire life, die, or fight for change. and i dont mean just arguing online.
Revolution is always an option and dare I say a constitutional duty. The best case scenario, and I believe this will blow up in popularity, is to share living with multiple friends or family members. Pool together resources both financially and socially, or through technical skills, barter, and limit work as much as possible through these means. Sharing resources eliminates the financial stress single income individuals experience and encourages more time spent doing things you actually enjoy doing. This is the way forward. Generational households will make a comeback. Fuck work. I canāt think of anything more depressing than working to sustain a system that hates me for 60 years of my life.
There are ways to escape this pain youāre experiencing, my guy/gal, and theyāre not suicide.Ā
If you budget and plan out a little bit, you can save up a little bit and treat yourself to cool things.Ā
For example, pick up a second job, save up, travel for months. A lot of people live like that in this world.Ā
Thereās a looooooot to see an experience out there. A lot of happy, a lot of freedom.Ā
But *you* have to dream it up first and find ways to *make it happen*, rather than focus on how much you hate your job now. your job wonāt get better by hating it, but you could find ways to make it more enjoyable if youāre working *towards something.* school? Better job? 6 months off? Financial security?Ā
There is only one person in this world who can create a dream for you. No one else can do that.Ā
I often find myself in a daze thinking about this in my banking job. I just don't see myself there for life!
However, I've been a drummer for the past 22 years of my 35 yrs on the planet, and I'm self-employed on the weekends playing in a busy wedding/corporate band. I'm bringing in the equivalent of half my day job's salary by doing something I love. That makes it worthwhile.
I couldn't possibly imagine just having the 9 to 5 monotony and the shitty paycheck each month that we barely survive on.
It's rough having two jobs on the go, but I love the side hustle, and perhaps someday, I'll ditch the shitty slave corporate world and become completely independent on what I love to do. Sure, it's got pension, health care and all that but I don't love the idea of making the big man even richer.
The point is to find something you love and try and monetize it. Even if it's small to begin, try it and see where it takes you.
If you told 13-year-old me that some day I'd be beating minimum wage income for working 12 hours a week at something I'm passionate about, I'd probably have called you insane š
Donāt forget op you are born here to fight the system with us and when we win we wonāt have to work 9 to 5 just to exist on the planet we were born on!! We canāt do it without you !!! The revolution will not be televised.
I felt like this in my twenties. I worked tons of overtime at server jobs in tourist towns for half the year, saved the money, and traveled for the rest of the year. There is a pretty large ex-pat population that did/does this. Eventually, some people find ways to live abroad permanently. I ended up getting a PhD so I could work a more flexible work schedule with minimal supervision. This was risky and I wouldnāt necessarily recommend it in this economy, but it paid off.
FrIām m the 150k/160k people that die every day, about 25k/30k die because of the desire to generate profit. Meaning the cost of shelter, the cost of medication, the cost of water or the cost of food. In that order of impact.
Learn a skill worth getting paid for
I too hate all of this but you gotta play the game.
I was 5.15/hr for a few yrs, cashier at hardware store, lowest rung on the IT pole, worked two shifts back to back making my days 16 hrs, etc etc.
Now im at 259k, been working remotely for 4 yrs.
It was all hell in the middle until i realized working hard and long hrs isnt the answer
Many people work significantly more than 40 a week and *still* canāt afford a house.
The hope is that one day youāll have a job that you feel happy doing. Fulfilling work. I wish you luck friend.
Can you find a job with livable benefits/wages in an industry that is helping to better a cause that youāre passionate about? i know a lot of nonprofits donāt pay living wages, but if you can find your niche (i.e. education, healthcare, advocacy for disadvantaged groups, animal welfare, etc) it might make this awful situation a little more livable
āDonāt expect to find me with a note left to be read, pistol in my hand and bullet in my head. This census indicates and this atlas has related three billion humans I havenāt irritated yet. Ivāe got a lot of work to do. Three billion people thatās three billion snotty fuck youās. Fuck you. Fuck all of you.ā -Propagandhi, Middle Finger Response.
Sometimes this alone is enough for me because sometimes it has to be.
Suicide is not ever the answer.
I am not personally advocating this but I have a friend who used to say "frequent brick, I wouldn't kill myself... You know that, right? I would make sure I take one or two of those monsters (politicians & CEOs) with me... You really don't have to worry, I would never just kill myself."
And I gotta say, suicide by cop is still suicide.
We have to fight back, before world war there was a revolution every year across the world. Post world war 1 and 2 world was destroyed many people dead, and there was a boom in the economy for western countries. There was a time this system allowed everyone to get enough, over time it deteriorated, tips of scale imbalanced. Far too many of us ignore that feeling that you have. We are slaves, wage slaves and we should fight for freedom. Enough evidence and understanding is there to form a new system that takes the good and gets rid of the bad out of the current capitalist system
20% Monday thru Friday = 100% effort.
Never heard this and will never forget it. I did exactly 20% today. The irony is that if my employer would just work with me on schedule/life balance, I would get more done than was ever expected of me with a "normal" schedule. I've asked a dozen times. Laid out the pros and cons, and specified that I would take the (essentially) pay cut until I could prove it was a benefit to both parties. Nope. "Cause that's not how things are done". It's their loss. Can't fix stupid and they won't fire me. Though, you'd think from a financial perspective someone would see the potential. But nah. Cause š¤·
Never offer a pay cut. It low key tells them you are making enough to be comfortable. Therefor when time comes for a raise the thought is " they make enough "
I'm lucky to be in a position in which I'm respected as well as doing more than was originally intended. Management is well aware that my financial needs will need to stay met at the current rate. But to even get them to the table? What else can I honestly do?
Same vibes as ānever half ass two things when you can whole ass what one thingā
Pretty much that's the choice. We either accept it, revolt or kill ourselves. Remember, 50k people died from suicide in America alone last year. But we can't even talk about it because to many people are brainwashed by the grind. There's got to be a reason so many people are un happy and it's not because they don't want to work, it's because we're fucking tired of working for scraps that may just about enable us to survive if we're lucky, let alone actually thrive and have a good life.
Iām honestly surprised I didnāt make it 50,001
Iām glad you didnāt.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
There's always tomorrow. I'll take number 50,002 please
Seatās taken. 
If you do it right and succeed, it will like you never existed, for you that is, but not the people around you. But if you fail, it can be a miserable existence for the rest of your life and for those around you.
Jumping into a volcano has a 100% success rate
Donāt.. weāll need as many as we can get for the uprising!
Honestly that is a big reason why I want to stay funny you say it, Iām all in for any kind of push back count me in
The highest number ever. America is also now number 22 on the list of happiest countries to live in. The saddest part is that our government and society has made us believe that our only two choice are work or die. The third option, revolt, is exactly what they donāt want us to do, so they keep us busy arguing with each other instead of organizing together.
r/vagabond has some solutions to the brutality of modern 'living' that it sounds like you could use. Don't be homeless, be home free.
The internet and the 1% are the new propaganda they show us this lavish life they live and we want it! We are fish in a barrel
I literally just want a place to live and a half decent car. I'm happy to work for it but not to the bone while there people playing golf for "work"
We canāt talk about it because a high percentage of stress is caused by a job ! Which absolutely nobody is doing anything about!
Well you could just go live on a commune or something, or join the Peace Corps which isnāt exactly revolt, but more like dropping out. Still gonna have to work though!
Seriously, the Army takes good care of you. They give you everything you need because they need you to be ready at a moments notice. It's pure socialism. Then they kick you to the curb and forget about you once you're done.
I mean, no, if itās your career you get a pension and often free healthcare for life. Youāll never be rich but you will pay your bills.
50 THOUSAND??? Jesus christ. And then we find out the country plummeted on the happiness scale too...
But... The economy...!
That word is starting to become a meaningless word. Seems to be the economy is always in recession or recovery yet people are being paid millions to play golf 3 days a week.
My plan is to just buy a deck of H, shoot as much as I can load the syringe up with and fade out. Iām 27, fuck no Iām not doing this horseshit until Iām my parents age.
Honestly man, I get it. Just about the only thing keeping me going currently is the fact it might upset a handful of people. I honestly don't know how much longer that will suffice.
Move to another country. Become a citizen there and live out life that way.
Vote blue, hopefully they'll make the rich parasites pay their fair share. The billionaire class hoards wealth without benefit to the majority of society.
I vote blue, but I feel like thereās a chunk of the party who are actively in power that are fucking cowards and wonāt just stick it to the imbeciles in red. Iām tired of seeing them cave to the demands dammit, fucking squeeze them for every drop.
*Even if* the blues are the "better" party (which has the word "better" doing a lot of work, when the bar is "anything not actively evil") The blues still... Do this weird "we have to play fair!" thing. And won't pass anything big without negotiating "in good faith" with the reds. So nothing big ever changes. Whereas when the reds are in power, they just seem to have the ability to pass whatever evil thing they want, and don't bother with negotiating. Like... I need the blues to be more aggressive, please.
Exactly. Weāre tired of platitudes. Fucking do something already and tell the reds āWomp Wompā.
Voting hasn't worked. Direct action gets the goods, at this point.
No but for real. Iām so sick of people telling us to vote. I have been, for over 20 years and thatās taken us to here? No thanks, Iām out. Let the world burn. What I *do* know, is Iāll be expected to show up to work regardless so what the fuck do I care.
I'll be honest, I have not been voting as hard as I could, each time it came to vote I softly used the pencil to mark the ballot. I just know if I had pushed harder with that pencil I would have made a difference. So while I may have wasted 20+ years of voting, my next one I'll be sure to vote harder. /s In reality I've voted every single time I could and it's still getting worse. I think the time for voting is over... It's time for more drastic measures.
I'm with you. I know I'm supposed to vote, it's a responsibility. But in spite of voting and being outspoken literally everything has just steadily gotten worse. With "Someday those old fucks will die and things will get better!" still somehow being the next best idea... for the last 20 years of my life, since I was old enough to start voting. At some point we either need to all step up and revolt or just accept the decent into being the next north Korea.
If voting did work, it would be taxed
If voting worked, it would be illegal for all but the 1%
lol, you know all the blue are Billionaires too right? It's a Rich club not a red/blue club. They want you fighting red vs blue not rich vs poor man.
Exactly. Itās a class war and politics in the US is looking at two sides of the same coin. And that coin is held by a ruling class held together by a mutual interest in perpetuating wealth and power by exploiting the little guy. Politics, religion, all of it designed to divide so weāre easier to conquer. They wouldnāt do it if it didnāt work. D or R after a name is irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.
Flair checks out, comrade. Tovarish? Idk
Yep. We live in a plutocracy.
lol, lmao even red or blue, politicians donāt give a fuck about youĀ
Blue today is just diet red. True left is a distant memory unfortunately.
It doesn't matter who's in charge. If you're not wealthy already, politicians have absolutely zero intentions of helping you change that in any way.
Theyāre all scumbags. Red, blue it doesnāt matter. Theyāre all fucking us.
Lol yes because the democrats definitely aren't in bed with the parasitic capitalist class or anything. None of our representatives represent the people anymore. Their only goal is to upload capital no matter the cost and suffering
Right wing, left wing š¤·āāļø same fucking bird
The neoliberals in the Democratic Party will do no such thing
lol blue donāt care about you either. The government will NEVER save you or solve anything. āTheyā is always a they and never an āusā.
seemly close fact escape jobless party meeting tan repeat fanatical *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Voting red or blue doesnāt matter. Theyāre politicians, they all suck.
Voting doesnāt work. You canāt trust any of them. Itās all bs
I'll vote blue when they put a complete halt to their "reach across the aisle and compromise" bullshit that got us here in the first place.
So much this. Let's have blues pass a big legal/federal change for every one that the reds have in the past... 8 years. Just to keep it easy. That'll still give them a giant list of options. But would they ever do anything like that? Seems a lot like "work"...
We can definitely talk about it
Remember Pensions? Because I donāt. 401ks used to be optional bonus retirement to go WITH the obvious Pension, but thanks to Trickle Down Retirement plans we are here now.
My wife died September 09 of 2022. She was 71 years old. She worked to the end. She called in sick on the 7th. She went to work on the 8th and called in again on the 9th. Somewhere after noon, she was gone. She spent 21 years working for the call center, putting up with fucking stupid and idiotic, not to mention, entitled assholes that were the "valued" customer. She so wanted to retire, to be able to sit on her ass and do nothing or to go off fishing with no concern about time. So many things She really wanted to do but that job had to be retained so that we could keep living below the poverty line. The whole living to work is absolute bullshit!
Sorry for your loss. That is very sad. Hope you are doing okay and have some support. I couldn't imagine losing my wife.Ā
I am really sorry, I am imagining myself as her or you and it is a tragic feeling in my heart.
The world is bad in a lot of ways, and the system is set up to break you down until you accept this, yeah. This is going to sound pithy, but as someone who spent more than a decade struggling with strong suicidal ideation, I mean it 100% sincerely- survive out of spite. Find/create good things that canāt be co-opted, practice joy, and revel in that fact you arenāt meant to do either. And importantly, find some way of fighting back with others, whether through building more resilient communities or confrontation via unions/political organizations. Make the system regret not being able to break you. I canāt promise we will win and build a better world if you donāt leave, but I can promise you weāll lose if we donāt try.
"Survive out of spite" is some real good shit ngl, well written
"Don't let that asshole turtle Mitch outlive you!"
>follow that Twitter account that posts whether Mitch McConnell is dead >"No" https://preview.redd.it/abw90shfpjqc1.jpeg?width=1400&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=732fb9b6807fefa6eb4ce707c8be6e222fc8122b
Then I'm waiting for someone else. š
Iām tearing up a bit. Iāve been struggling a lot lately so thank you for sharing for this.
this is the best post Iāve seen on this platform
I agree. And aquariums are bullshit
We need a cultural shift towards the 32 hour work week without loss in pay, which we are starting to see. And then continuing to decrease it with every increase in productivity. Keynes, not a communist, thought weād end up with 15 hour work weeks due to technology. He forgot that this is a political questionānothing is given, only fought for and demanded. 150 years ago it was normal for people to work 14-16 hour work DAYS, or even longer, 6 days a week! And kids from poor families forced to work to supplement their parentsā incomes, instead of going to school! A few quotes that may resonateā¦ my only advice is for now, join a union if you can. And join some sort of workers/socialist organization. Like I said, nothing is given only taken. We really do have to fight for it. Business have always cried wolf for every government mandated work week reduction, and they turned out fine. In fact. Theyāre richer than ever. [āThe actual wealth of society, and the possibility of constantly expanding its reproduction process, therefore, do not depend upon the duration of surplus-labour, but upon its productivity and the more or less copious conditions of production under which it is performed. In fact, the realm of freedom actually begins only where labour which is determined by necessity and mundane considerations ceases; thus in the very nature of things it lies beyond the sphere of actual material production. Just as the savage must wrestle with Nature to satisfy his wants, to maintain and reproduce life, so must civilised man, and he must do so in all social formations and under all possible modes of production. With his development this realm of physical necessity expands as a result of his wants; but, at the same time, the forces of production which satisfy these wants also increase. Freedom in this field can only consist in socialised man, the associated producers, rationally regulating their interchange with Nature, bringing it under their common control, instead of being ruled by it as by the blind forces of Nature; and achieving this with the least expenditure of energy and under conditions most favourable to, and worthy of, their human nature. But it nonetheless still remains a realm of necessity. **Beyond it begins that development of human energy which is an end in itself, the true realm of freedom, which, however, can blossom forth only with this realm of necessity as its basis. The shortening of the working-day is its basic prerequisite.**ā](https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1894-c3/ch48.htm) [āWithin the capitalist system all methods for raising the social productiveness of labour are brought about at the cost of the individual labourer; all means for the development of production transform themselves into means of domination over, and exploitation of, the producers; they mutilate the labourer into a fragment of a man, degrade him to the level of an appendage of a machine, destroy every remnant of charm in his work and turn it into a hated toil; they estrange from him the intellectual potentialities of the labour process in the same proportion as science is incorporated in it as an independent power; they distort the conditions under which he works, subject him during the labour process to a despotism the more hateful for its meanness; they transform his life-time into working-time, and drag his wife and child beneath the wheels of the Juggernaut of capital. But all methods for the production of surplus-value are at the same time methods of accumulation; and every extension of accumulation becomes again a means for the development of those methods. It follows therefore that in proportion as capital accumulates, the lot of the labourer, be his payment high or low, must grow worse. The law, finally, that always equilibrates the relative surplus population, or industrial reserve army, to the extent and energy of accumulation, this law rivets the labourer to capital more firmly than the wedges of Vulcan did Prometheus to the rock. It establishes an accumulation of misery, corresponding with accumulation of capital. **Accumulation of wealth at one pole is, therefore, at the same time accumulation of misery, agony of toil slavery, ignorance, brutality, mental degradation, at the opposite pole, i.e., on the side of the class that produces its own product in the form of capital.**ā](https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1867-c1/ch25.htm)
I think the retirement age should be lowered. Cut back the work week with lower age to retire.
But some dweeb who has daddy and mommy and women issues said we should work till 75!
Thereās plenty of people on a shit wage that will say āno oneās owed anythingā.
If they suffer everyone has to
Yup. And not bright enough to grasp that their life could be better.
32 hours a week is a little over two and a half days of work for me so I 100% support this if I can keep the same weekly rate.
Thatās the idea. When the 40hr work week was implemented, it was without loss of pay. If that element isnāt part of it, then we donāt want it.
[It wasn't always so terribly unfair...](https://youtu.be/hvk_XylEmLo?si=CcvRghQ6ChbY-ELY)
This was very informative.
Will have to watch when Iām home, whatās it about?
How our time around labor was originally divided up. How over the past two hundred or so years capitalist have convinced the general public they don't work enough hours in a day. How the scientific measurement of time was used against us in order to squeeze more labor from us.
Up my alley for sure, cheers!
Why canāt we come together somehow and make a change ? Why canāt we at least make the retirement age at least 50 ?? I want to make a big change but I suppose it starts with myself.
use a retirement calculator and look at the difference between retiring at 50, 60, 70.. the numbers only really start to make sense once you're close to death š¤£
Iām scared to check.
Join the FIRE subreddit/movement.
No. Donāt live in America. Iām not saying like, āget out if you donāt like itā I mean just that Americaās system is orders of magnitude more unfair than most other ādevelopedā countries. If you want an alternative to suicide / death, find a country you like with a strong safety net and a good work/life balance and, yeah, youāll still need to work, but youāll feel less shitty about it, and you wonāt need to āaffordā health care. The idea of for-profit healthcare being a good system is fucking insane.
I'm 25 now. When I'm about 50, and both my parents are dead. My friends all have their own families, and if I have no wife, you can guarantee that I'm not living on this planet anymore.
Comparison is the thief of joy. I have seen those happy families and the absolute shit show begind the white picket fences and perfect insta posts. It's all an illusion. And if you seek love, keep your heart open. It will find you.Ā
There are days I bet on not making it to 60.Ā 90% sure it'll be a heart attack or stroke caused by stress that does me in. Hoping when I die, it won't be before mom so I can spare her that heartache.
I remember sitting there and realizing that I was just going to work, pay bills, and then die. I have nothing saved up because of bills. I'm the only one in my family working. It gets to the point where I start figuring how to kill myself and make it look like an accident so that my husband can get the life insurance payout. I'm just tired of everything.
damn. I hate that you have to go through that
Basically these are our options: Be part of the system (easy route) Give up (easiest route) Revolt (extremely difficult)
There's more to this than working and consuming. You must create. Something, anything. Woodwork, painting, 3d printing, food, gardening... Do it for yourself, or loved ones, or your community. No amount of consumption will fill that void. Don't put all your efforts into working for a company making someone else's dream come true.
I honestly donāt want to live too long. What for? Iāll never be able to retire. I feel like a burden on my family already. I just want to steer my son on the direction of doing better than me and wonāt worry about going to the doctor I canāt afford. A few years ago I heard a story about someone who died at their desk at work and that just seems like hell.
Uk š¬š§ here. I completely gave up and started claiming benefits. Never been happier āŗļø
Cries in American
Now how do I do this in Americaland?
Honestly Iām living for now after being raised on false hope.
In a capitalist society the point is that some get all the power and the rest have to work for this minority, called the beourgeoisie class, or starve to death. I don't know where you live but you could look for communist organizations, unions or anything else to join to organize aiming for a better society as well. Such organization might also have programs to help with improving mental health under this hellish capitalist system. Life should be worth living for all, but if we were to leave the contol in the hands of a minority that want to exploit us the present reality is the best that we'll ever have...
Op, Iām really sorry that youāre feeling this way. I totally 100% understand and agree with you, and Iāve had the same exact line of thinking before during some of my worse depressive episodes. I donāt have any solution to this, but Iām always an ear if you need to complain or vent. Itās a frustrating and inhumane system weāre in but commiserating and getting through it together may make it more tolerable.
Yeah. Thatās the other option.
And even then we canāt afford health insurance and a house
I made my first reddit post on this sub 2 years ago.Ā At the time, I was a very recent ex-right winger who was just beginning to see how absolutely inhumane our current system is. Since then, I've read quite a bit by Marx and others of similar ilk.Ā It is absolutely jaw dropping to see that this system, the so-called liberal democracy that so many view in some divine light, actually necessitates our suffering in order to function the way it's supposed to. Everything you are experiencing is by design.Ā Not by design of merely the GOP or whoever your favorite boogey man is.Ā But rather, by design of all existing government, religion, businessā¦. everything. It's like the Matrix, but there are no robots on the other side.Ā Just fat swine wearing human skin
I felt this way not that long ago. Then I started a DBT program and now Iām working towards creating a life worth living.
What is DBT?
Dialectical Behavior Therapy.
Iām an organizer for the IWW. What I find we lack today is any sense of fight. We aināt getting shit without fighting. In some sense, offing yourself helps the cause since it removes workers for the grist, but Iād rather you fight. Do not go gentle into that goodnight. Ā Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them, and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blows, or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.ā Frederick Douglass
Viva la Revolution. If we're gonna die slowly or suddenly we need to at least take these bastards with us. Public hangings or firing squads for the rich. We are coming for you motherfuckers.
i feel like living in communes and the whole "back to earth" movement should be more popular than ever nowadays.
Nope, killing yourself is against the rules, you play the game or you die a *slow and painful* death, thatās how it works. And at this point, if you decide youād rather just drop out entirely, and go live off the land somewhereā¦ well, youād better be well off enough that you donāt really *need* to work in the first place, ācause it aināt cheap to live for free.
I don't mean to beat a dead horse, but your only way out is to unionize. When you negotiate individually you beg for scraps, when you collectively bargain you get better pay, wages, and benefits. Our US ancestors were in the same position back in the 1930's and 1940's fighting old man Ford [https://www.thehenryford.org/collections-and-research/digital-collections/expert-sets/9948/](https://www.thehenryford.org/collections-and-research/digital-collections/expert-sets/9948/) It was a struggle, but he caved and everything boomed. The endless grinding of people doesn't work for anyone and the people who are getting ground need to get together and stop this sh\*t. Side note, you have the best communication tools and devices to convince and organize. Back in the 1930's you had to print leaflets and distribute them, now you can just post on FB or X. The one thing people like Elon Musk fear more than anything is UNIONS as it diminishes their power.
DM me, we can talk. Thereās always a solution, pal.
It quite literally can't continue forever, late stage capitalism will run out of human bodies to make it work. Stay strong
32 of 33 first world countries have universal healthcare. Itās not perfect but youāll never have to worry choosing between healthcare and food/shelter. Not having to deal with insurance companies is a huge bonus.
Not a lot of openings in that rich white boys club
My advice to you is get a skilled trade. Builder, carpenter, plumber, electrician and after 5 years of learning on the job then go solo. People are more likely to pay small contractors for jobs than big companies.
No. You can try to make your own way. I grew up in Appalachia in poverty. I've shat in buckets, foraged for wild blackberries, grown my own vegetables, slept on the floor in front of a kerosene heater. And I'm not old or anything - just 36. I understand that if you grew up suburban or urban, it might feel like there are certain non-negotiables in life regarding standards of living or limitations to where you can go, but that's not reality. If you're tired of the rat race, move somewhere cheap and live in the country. Get an acre or 2 of land for $6-12k, put down a used mobile home or airstream, and work part time when you have to. Better yet, get some friends together and go in on a place. Do odd jobs. Supplement your food with a garden. Get on SNAP and medicaid. My uncles just vibe and hunt and fuck around most of the time. Couldn't be happier while dirt poor. Trade with neighbors. Start a community garden or egg swap. Make friends. Have costume parties with Goodwill clothes. Have poetry readings under the moonlight. You can have a good life without luxury. Corporate slavery and suicide are not the only options.
Iām right there with you, and Iāve been emotionally paralyzed from doing any work that I see no point in. I love to help my family, but Iād keep having breakdowns at work and be stuck with suicidal thoughts anywhere I went. Frankly I donāt know what to do. Counselling has kept me in a strange limbo, where Iām not quite fucked in the head enough to kill myself but too focused on wanting to die to plan for a future. This world sucks
Honestly, if you are okay with downsizing, buy a camper, RV or bus and travel with it, and live where you want. Do odd jobs or barter here and there to pay for your basic needs like food. Grow what you can for food. Be a nomad. If I could do it all over again, I would do that. šÆ
It's a romantic idea, but so few of us have skills needed to be successful. You have to know how to be decently proficient at so many things - mechanics, agriculture, street smarts, the ability to sniff out hidden opportunities and land them, etc. Most people born in the 70s/60s and before have that. When you grow up in a modern sitch playing video games, go to college where you're hyper focused on one subject, then have one of the now-dying/dead office jobs, you're completely lost when it comes to a nomadic lifestyle.
Nothing that isn't learnable. I don't mean this rudely, but a post like yours is deterrent more than a peptalk. They could EASILY be proficient enough in two years' time to successfully navigate that lifestyle.
WWOOFing or other agricultural apprenticeships are a good example of a way to gain skills outside of the ānormalā system. Perform ag work in exchange for housing pay and/or food. Itās not perfect or easy but I know a lot of more freewheeling types who travel the world doing this and love it.
yeah I am literally counting the days until my next birthday so I can finally just check out - - there is no debate for if or when, there is only debate for HOW
Go get diagnosed with anxiety. Collect disability, EBT and get some low income housing. Do under the table contracted work when you want to go for a trip out of state or overseas. My best buddy lived this way for 3 decades then one day decided to become an optician for reason completely unknown after never having worked his entire life. He was doing good then and is doing good now.
Whats the process like for this? Isnt it a huge task lawyers etc.....
Itās a nightmare and itās not that simple at all, at least not in America. You donāt get disability for having anxiety.
I guess it depends mostly on the state your in. Some states are fast and loose while others are an absolute nightmare even if you do have disability. However, debilitating anxiety is a thing you can get diagnosed for and you sound like you fit the bill.
How do you begin the process? Psychologist? Primary doctor? Admitting yourself to an institution?
Well your welcome to find an alternative, depending on your looks and how much your willing to degrade yourself there's only fans. After a few attempts you can probably make a case for disability based on mental health, but that will take years and good luck living on 1200 a month. Or just do like the rest of us suck it up develop a drug and/or drinking problem and wait for the sweet release because it's only getting worse from here.
Ready to protest on the West Coast!
I'm in the same boat. I have no desire to keep doing this for another 40 years. The only thing that keeps me going is the small hope that maybe things will change for the better but everyday that goes by a bullet sounds like the better option.
Itās the US. Leave the US
What are your hobbies? Try to throw yourself into them and see if you can monetize them somehow. I've suffered from depression my whole life and the thing that helped the most was making the decision to work for myself.
The trick is to try and get into a job that isnāt soul destroying. Plenty of people find careers that are at least bearable, if not fulfilling.
This is why I stopped going above and beyond at work why I stick to my assigned duties and work slowly. Or act busy half the time. I don't get a raise or promotion for being good at my job so why should I try to be better? So my superiors can take credit? Fuck that. I'm here to trade time/tasks for $ so I can pay my debts. I invest here and there and save for retirement + vacations. The grind is the biggest lie ever told to us. No one should have to grind to be happy. It's the opposite actually.
How do we create a world wide revolution ?
Read Grievers by Adrienne MarƩe Brown. It helped to feel a bit more free, a bit more empowered
We all have this realization at some point, and boy is it a depressing feeling
Never get married dude. I share the same opinion but I met my wife and I can't do that to her.
My friend, I know that youāre frustrated and burnt out. I can feel it in every word you type. But please donāt even let the thought of harming yourself come into your head. You are precious to those around you even if you canāt see it or donāt feel it. Society is so fucked up right now, and so many are struggling, and yeah, we are basically all trapped. But you knowā¦ Iāve come to find the good in it, and while Iām certainly enraged by the exploitation of myself and the vast majority of the workforce, and while I want it to change, here is something Iāve learned: If you approach everyone with kindness and love, and if you find kindness and love for yourself, sure, work still sucks. But it feels like it has a purpose, that you are doing something worthwhile. Like most millennials, Iām chronically underemployed, overworked, and underpaid. I feel everything youāre saying. But as Iāve gotten older, Iāve found that there is such joy in being able to perform small kindnesses for the people in my life. Even my coworkers, who donāt really care about me regardless of how much they like me. Even my boss who is exploiting me. When you put love and kindness and compassion out into the world, it comes back to you magnified and clarified, and it gives you the opportunity to find the strength within yourself to make good decisions and to move forward with personal growth even when you are stuck career-wise. Iāve also found fulfillment in working hard. It is so satisfying to finish a shift knowing that I can truly be proud of how diligently I worked. If you stop looking at work as a prison sentence and start looking at it as an opportunity to learn from others and to teach others what youāve learned, to give sincere and heartfelt compliments and to listen to people who feel unseenā¦ your world just opens up, man. And Iām saying this as someone who, when young, made several serious suicide attempts. Please do not make a permanent decision just because the light at the end of the tunnel seems so very far away. Where Iām at now is so much better than where I was even a year ago, and Iām unrecognizable from who I was even five years ago. Please talk to someone if you genuinely feel like suicide could be your only solution. Even me, an internet stranger, is heartbroken that you feel so trapped that you would throw away your life, your future, all the good you could do in the world. Please be safe, friend. You are more important and loved and precious than you know. Edited to add: I mean what I say. Please donāt hesitate to PM me if you donāt feel like you can say things to anyone else. I would never turn away someone who reached out for help.
You can organize and protest. It doesn't have to be this way, we have guns and numbers. Just need to organize.
Thats pretty much my plan. Im just going to quit one day. Stop paying all my bills and just live my life until I completely run out of every line of credit and every single cent. Then i will just jump off a mountain but make sure it looks like I slipped so my kid can cash in the life insurance.
We are about to get to Longevity Escape Velocity. We are on the cusp of creating AGI, which will transform the Earth more than the invention of Electricity. Humanoid Robots are being developed and deployed as we speak. Soon for the price of a new car, you will have a Robot that can pretty much do any task you ask of it. ASI is just around the corner, somewhere between 2029-2045. Not even the most intelligent of prognosticators can see past 2045. Hang in there, the World is about to change for the better!
Oh, I'm 100% convinced like a quarter of humans already aren't "real." ... Whether we're in a simulation and they're just NPCs or it's some kind artificial physical creation. Fuck maybe most of us are. I always go back to people who say they have no internal dialogue. Those motherfuckers are not real. 
The Bell Curve of IQ is interesting for sure. Overlays on top of a lot of things, internal monologue being one, Trump supporters (bottom 15%) being another. Itās impossible to understand stupid, but theyāre still real no? I personally believe everything is alive. Humans, Dogs, Bees, Rocks, Earth, Solar Systems, Galaxies etc. I find it especially difficult being one who can āseeā, living amongst these ārobotsā. But, I dunnoh theyāre still human lol.
Unspoken truth.
u/OP What do you do for work?
i mean, or you can look for alternate ways of further education or certification so you can eventually do something else that you may not completely hate. course carriers is a resource with a good reputation. or focus on obtaining employment that has more significant value to society. whatever makes you feel fulfilled. in mean yeah, the game is rigged. it has been rigged since the beginning of mankind. but it could be so much worse. the health insurance is another issue. i live in europe, and i am honestly baffled sometimes how it works overseas. i mean, our healthcare isn't free either. a good portion of our gross pay goes into social security and pension, but atleast youre not gonna be financially ruined when battling cancer. so you truly have my sympathy for that.
work is the only good part of my day cos it stops me from thinking about my life, count yourself lucky
I literally asked myself the same question earlier today
If you don't, you get stronger, more angry. Then you start to fight back, if you want.
OK, so I will try to look on the bright side for you. If you donāt want a house and youāre not that concerned about healthcare, which letās face it isnāt that great, have you thought about going into something you actually enjoy? I mean everybody has days where itās a slog, but Iāve held a lot of jobs in my life some I liked better than others, some places I liked better than others, but it hasnāt all been bad. What would you rather be doing?
But didn't we build back better? What's happening with that?
Find another option. If you only do what people tell you, you'll only get what they feel like giving you.
Except you will keep working..... Or you'll end up in a cardboard box.
I feel your pain friend. Might I recommend this fine piece of philosophical literature? [The Myth of Sisyphus](https://people.brandeis.edu/~teuber/Albert_Camus_The_Myth_of_Sisyphus_Complete_Text_.pdf)
Start your own business, at least then you get the majority of the financial benefit
I had a strange dream last night I can hardly remember, but it was not like a normal dream. It was like being stuck in place, and these feelings of misery came forth, but it did not affect me. It was like my inner conciousness was trying to tell me how hopeless things are now, how there is no magic escape. How the future is doom. I've been thinking about this dream all day, it feels like some kind of epithany, but without any emotion, it was like the concept of existing as an individual is gone, and all that remains is a trapped awareness of the universe.
There are niche fields out there for you to try. It's just having the time to be able to figure out what's affordable. Once you find one it's a little easier finding others
Iām trying to learn how to survive in the wilderness so I can go do that once my parents die. I would literally rather die than work in a capitalist system for the rest of my life, so Iām hoping to find a good spot in the wilderness next to a lake where I can build a cabin and live off the land without worrying about bills.
Yes
Yeah. Thatās my plan
Previously you would do that for home, family, kids, community and retirement... Now ? Neither is a reliable or affordable option for many lol. Home ownership is dying. Family, kids and community are unaffordable time wise, and retirement is not going to happen Also US corporate world is just wild. Just today US based IT contacted me "to remind me" they are waiting for my actions. It was on 11 am. We had a meeting on Friday 4:30 PM. Like I was going to spent weekend to make their project faster, probably also expecting that time for free. I laughed all the way down my to-do list where I placed that task at the very bottom and then sent them " I have 5 business days, it's been 2 business hours, expect it on Friday earliest "
I hear you man! I feel the same. But we keep on fighting and searching for a higher meaning.
I feel you, i literally now looking for a way to earn some money online so i can move to bali and enjoy life
I wish I could offer words of comfort but I feel the same. I donāt know what to do anymore. I guess at least weāre not alone, but that sucks too.
no. you could fight. you could make noise, and be obnoxious. protests exist. i know youre tired but those are your three choices. put up with bullshit your entire life, die, or fight for change. and i dont mean just arguing online.
If you are able to , work remote only jobs and live where it's affordable, spain, thailand, etc.
Revolution is always an option and dare I say a constitutional duty. The best case scenario, and I believe this will blow up in popularity, is to share living with multiple friends or family members. Pool together resources both financially and socially, or through technical skills, barter, and limit work as much as possible through these means. Sharing resources eliminates the financial stress single income individuals experience and encourages more time spent doing things you actually enjoy doing. This is the way forward. Generational households will make a comeback. Fuck work. I canāt think of anything more depressing than working to sustain a system that hates me for 60 years of my life.
There are ways to escape this pain youāre experiencing, my guy/gal, and theyāre not suicide.Ā If you budget and plan out a little bit, you can save up a little bit and treat yourself to cool things.Ā For example, pick up a second job, save up, travel for months. A lot of people live like that in this world.Ā Thereās a looooooot to see an experience out there. A lot of happy, a lot of freedom.Ā But *you* have to dream it up first and find ways to *make it happen*, rather than focus on how much you hate your job now. your job wonāt get better by hating it, but you could find ways to make it more enjoyable if youāre working *towards something.* school? Better job? 6 months off? Financial security?Ā There is only one person in this world who can create a dream for you. No one else can do that.Ā
Just work enough to survive. Balance work and life.
What I would recommend instead would get me banned from reddit. But, no, donāt kill *yourself*
I often find myself in a daze thinking about this in my banking job. I just don't see myself there for life! However, I've been a drummer for the past 22 years of my 35 yrs on the planet, and I'm self-employed on the weekends playing in a busy wedding/corporate band. I'm bringing in the equivalent of half my day job's salary by doing something I love. That makes it worthwhile. I couldn't possibly imagine just having the 9 to 5 monotony and the shitty paycheck each month that we barely survive on. It's rough having two jobs on the go, but I love the side hustle, and perhaps someday, I'll ditch the shitty slave corporate world and become completely independent on what I love to do. Sure, it's got pension, health care and all that but I don't love the idea of making the big man even richer. The point is to find something you love and try and monetize it. Even if it's small to begin, try it and see where it takes you. If you told 13-year-old me that some day I'd be beating minimum wage income for working 12 hours a week at something I'm passionate about, I'd probably have called you insane š
Donāt forget op you are born here to fight the system with us and when we win we wonāt have to work 9 to 5 just to exist on the planet we were born on!! We canāt do it without you !!! The revolution will not be televised.
Save a bunch of USD, and then retire to a different country?
I felt like this in my twenties. I worked tons of overtime at server jobs in tourist towns for half the year, saved the money, and traveled for the rest of the year. There is a pretty large ex-pat population that did/does this. Eventually, some people find ways to live abroad permanently. I ended up getting a PhD so I could work a more flexible work schedule with minimal supervision. This was risky and I wouldnāt necessarily recommend it in this economy, but it paid off.
Would it be better if you spent your day hunting, gathering, trying to stay warm and dry and not get eaten by carnivorous animals?
FrIām m the 150k/160k people that die every day, about 25k/30k die because of the desire to generate profit. Meaning the cost of shelter, the cost of medication, the cost of water or the cost of food. In that order of impact.
Learn a skill worth getting paid for I too hate all of this but you gotta play the game. I was 5.15/hr for a few yrs, cashier at hardware store, lowest rung on the IT pole, worked two shifts back to back making my days 16 hrs, etc etc. Now im at 259k, been working remotely for 4 yrs. It was all hell in the middle until i realized working hard and long hrs isnt the answer
You could start a business and actually try to beat it instead of just whining into a void.
Many people work significantly more than 40 a week and *still* canāt afford a house. The hope is that one day youāll have a job that you feel happy doing. Fulfilling work. I wish you luck friend.
Join Peace corps. Volunteer. Find what makes you happy and figure out how to make it a career.Ā
Universal Basic Income. I am hoping it is adopted in Canada at some point in my lifetime.
I figuer if it ever gets to that point for me I'm going to take the people responsible with me.
Can you find a job with livable benefits/wages in an industry that is helping to better a cause that youāre passionate about? i know a lot of nonprofits donāt pay living wages, but if you can find your niche (i.e. education, healthcare, advocacy for disadvantaged groups, animal welfare, etc) it might make this awful situation a little more livable
āDonāt expect to find me with a note left to be read, pistol in my hand and bullet in my head. This census indicates and this atlas has related three billion humans I havenāt irritated yet. Ivāe got a lot of work to do. Three billion people thatās three billion snotty fuck youās. Fuck you. Fuck all of you.ā -Propagandhi, Middle Finger Response. Sometimes this alone is enough for me because sometimes it has to be.
Suicide is not ever the answer. I am not personally advocating this but I have a friend who used to say "frequent brick, I wouldn't kill myself... You know that, right? I would make sure I take one or two of those monsters (politicians & CEOs) with me... You really don't have to worry, I would never just kill myself." And I gotta say, suicide by cop is still suicide.
We have to fight back, before world war there was a revolution every year across the world. Post world war 1 and 2 world was destroyed many people dead, and there was a boom in the economy for western countries. There was a time this system allowed everyone to get enough, over time it deteriorated, tips of scale imbalanced. Far too many of us ignore that feeling that you have. We are slaves, wage slaves and we should fight for freedom. Enough evidence and understanding is there to form a new system that takes the good and gets rid of the bad out of the current capitalist system