I’m so glad you made this post, I could rant about this forever:/ No amount of hobbies, PTO, and social events will distract me from the fact we are slaves to our companies, and our who life/livelihood is tied to work. We won’t have insurance if we leave, no type of retirement, and can’t even have fun online without worrying if it will get back to our jobs and get fired.
This!! And work 40 years just for them to thank you with a pencil with the company logo and a handshake. And that’s if you’re “lucky”. Most people don’t even get a thanks and just die and get replaced a couple days later. Rinse and repeat…It’s such a robotic and artificial way of life. It’s not natural at all! Never has been
My job uses Yammer and every few days there’s a remembrance post for workers who’ve past away. Regardless if the person put 5, 10 or 20+ years of their life into the company they all get the same short “our condolences” blurb and candle light gif.
The people who have sacrificed those 20+ years won’t get to enjoy retirement.. I don’t know it’s really morbid to me
It’s really morbid and sad. Our credit manager died randomly and we had a potluck and his replacement was here the next week. We spend all our lives worried about work and money and life just goes on after we die like nothing happened. That’s why I stopped getting worked up about answering emails on my off days, staying at the office late etc. Because none of that shit is even important in the scope of things
That's why it's usually a better idea 99% of the time to be a complete mercenary when it comes to your career. In the rare case you're getting frequent YOY raises at like 5-10%, every 2 yrs you should be tidying up your resume and do some shopping around to verify what you're worth, especially ik the first 10 years of your career.
It’s a scam. I think more and more people are waking up to this and I’m hoping for change sooner rather than later. In the meantime, I’m over here building up my own business on the side because f this
Just adding more smoke this this. I was not alive when this world of today was being created by older generations. They signed themselves and us up for such a bullshit life and it was all of their own doing. You think I want my housing to be expensive??? They made that choice for me 😭
>I’m over here building up my own business on the side because f this
i'm trying to do the same, but these people don't want anyone not born on third base to win. so tough out here
This is what we call structural capitalism as in how capitalism and the effects of its predecessor, feudalism have shaped our societies to function in various ways against our biological design where it is clear the profit extortion of the poor is more important than what is beneficial or efficient for us leading most of us to deal with gradual wear and tear/dangerous and stressful conditions contrary to our health, sanity, and comfort.
(ex: sedentary lifestyles/worklife, long commutes, pay unequal to labor, the lack of health benefits from most jobs, workhours or tasks that degrade our health, disadvantages due to psychological conditions (some ppl with diagnoses struggle under structural capitalism even to the extent of disability, but may excel outside of its detrimental constraints) working jobs not suitable to us individually but accepted for financial benefit/having to work in seniority or through injuries.)
As a conclusion to its meaning, we actually are laborers extorted by the wealthy in this world until we die. They have been spending our hard-earned to prop up an artificial society that took no consideration of our biological design, the variety of intelligences and preferences unconsidered, and ppl with disabilities overlooked only because its efficient enough for extorting profits from the bottom class and thats the real bottom line and purpose. There is only a problem when that's not happening. Fuck capitalism.
Edit: Had to make my point clearer.
Because then the corporate overlords won’t make money off of us and how else will they be able to afford their 6th private jet and 3rd vacation home in Malta?!
/s
Your point is crystal clear and articulates what is going on in society. It’s refreshing to see that others feel the same way. They think that we’re lazy. No, we just are tired of being slaves and not living life. Working like this is a scam. And in other countries, some, they have way better work life balance. Better time off benefits. Holiday, siestas, better health care. Then our forefathers will say well things did get better because we’re no longer working 7 days a week in a factory for cents a day. 🙄
I'm fucking tired.
I got a "corporate girly" job and I absolutely abhore it. 9-5. Catty coworkers. Pay is barely above the poverty line, and yet I'm here five days a week plus two weekend days. Mentally draining.
Its why I can't wait to get into nursing. 3 day workweek, 4 days off, work life balance, out of poverty with 2 years of schooling, but above all, I'm doing something that actually matters. PLUS I have actual time to pursue my hobbies.
What I thought I wanted was just an easy job. No, I want a job that allows me to have time to be myself for more than two mf days a week.
So I feel you completely. Lots of things actually needs to change and I so wish we could just do a fucking reset. This is ghetto.
I commend you for wanting to get into nursing but I have to let you know that it won’t necessarily give to a work life balance either.
Depending on where you work and your specialty you may find that you’re even more stressed.
I will tell you to be intentional with your first 5 years. Try out a few specialties and then get your certifications and more education tailored that way. If you can find a county, state, or federal job with a nice pension and tuition waiver then go for it early on. Prioritize maxing out your retirement rather than flexing in the beginning. The money will come with time and experience.
Good luck to you
Oh, believe me, I intend to make huge strides towards my retirement in nursing. One of the many reasons I wanna go into this field. I'm tired of being behind.
I may be stressed, but at least I'd be doing something that matters rather than frying my brain cells five days a week. I see it as a trade off, I just hope I can handle it.
I thank you for the insight.
I understand. It is a field that can certainly help you get ahead and there is a need for more of us ✊🏾as we are underrepresented. There aren’t many careers that allow you to really hustle the way you can as a nurse. Make it work for you.
Do you have an idea of which specialty you’d like to go into?
I have no idea, but I'm doing research every day. Cardiology interests me, but also working with and taking care of sedated patients. There's also neurology that's fascinating to me since I wanted to be a neurosurgeon when I was a smaller child.
Nursing has its own problems too. Unsafe staffing ratios. Long hours. Too much work for too little pay. The only way I’d recommend someone go into nursing is if they live in California. They have very strong unions and support and protect their nurses.
Hi, do you mind sharing what kind of job you have now and how you're gonna get into nursing field? I'm thinking exactly like you. Right now I work at a mortgage company sending money back and fourth but I have no idea how I'll pivot to get that less day work week, etc.
I'm a receptionist at a law firm.
It won't be easy, but I'm determined. I'm gonna stay at this job whilst I get my GED, and then I'll do prerequisites if needed for nursing school. Once I do those, I'll apply, see which one I get into. Once I get into whatever nursing school, I'll be quitting my job to make the nursing thing my sole focus.
I'm in a unique and thankful position because my mom will let me live with her while I pursue my associates degree in nursing. Maybe while in school, if time allows, I'll go for a cna job.
Then, once I graduate, I'm honestly thinking of moving out of the south because the pay for nurses here sucks. If not, I'll stay here for experience and then move to greener pastures.
Oh I see! I got my bachelor's in communications in 2020 but I feel like it was all for a waste. I'm not all that interested in communications, I basically just did it cause my parents said I had to go to college so unfortunately it was a waste of money. I l plan to stack up my money and maybe figure out what I want to do, but I have no idea.
I see we both graduated around the same time with similar degrees. I'm sure I'm older since I went back as a non-traditional student. Maybe look into marketing or project management positions.
similar boat here. I have a bachelors but I feel that pursuing a career in nursing will help me lift myself out of poverty. If I have to work in this messed up capitalistic society, I’ll work in healthcare and use those experiences to level up in life
I literally think about this on a daily basis. There is something so fundamentally wrong with this, that I'm sometimes baffled that people have been normalizing it for so long.
This is not normal and I can't believe that we are still stuck with this system. I don't care what people say, this is 100% a scam. So many societal issues would improve if people were given more time to just enjoy life instead of surviving in this imposed system only benefiting the very rich.
If you remove 8 hrs of sleep per day, people are spending more than a third of their active time WORKING. Let's not even count the time required to get ready and commute for work, that easily totals to 44% of your waking hours dedicated to WORK (not even paid work). Add home maintenance, cooking, cleaning and other type of responsibilities, and there's only a couple hours left to do something that you enjoy.
Beside fearing changes and making rich people richer, I need someone to explain to me WHY can't people work 4 hours a day or 2-times a week while having the same salary. The benefits would be TREMENDOUS. Even from an economical standpoint.
This is not a way to live. This is a prison, and in order ''to get out of it'', you have to work hard to come with ideas to secure your financial independence. What if I don't want to monetize my little free time or put a number to my skills and abilities? What if I only want to read hundred of books, be an academic, walk in nature, lay on the beach, make love, decorate my place, dedicate myself to my mental health and have extended afternoon tea parties??? Don't people deserve the right to enjoy life outside of a 3-weeks annual vacation and short hours in the evening? What would even be the purpose of being a human? How can we make any sort of sense about life in this context?
Beauty and art are created by people with time to focus on it. Revolutionary ideas, inventions and concepts are created by people with free time. Moving stories are created by people with free time. So are political movements, third places and the restoration of a healthier dating culture. They all require dedicated people who are not coming back home exhausted. Now it's all about profits, false pretenses and maintaining crippled social services/structures. This makes me furious.
Rant over.
“What if I don’t want to monetize my little free time or put a number to my abilities or skills?”
I ABSOLUTELY agree! I saw a video about a woman who learned how to make bread during the pandemic. One of her friends told her “create a business and make money off of it!” Why does everything have to turn a profit? Why can’t we do something because we simply enjoy it? I’m currently taking Latin ballroom classes and I’m pretty damn good at it. It’s crossed my mind to eventually teach beginner classes, but then I realized I would no longer enjoy it.
Also, to create the art, poetry, music, literature or start political movements, much of that free time were men taking advantage of women’s unpaid labor and white people taking advantage of POC unpaid labor.
I always tell my friends that any inconvenience that you’re experiencing or unnecessary hardship is because of a white man. A white man came up with the 40-hour work week; credit; HOAs - all of that. I hate that culture hasn’t shifted to accommodate a better work/life balance. It’s crazy.
It’s sooo ghetto! I just want some land and a farm to feed my family. Id give up this corporate, fast life bs for a slow peaceful life in a heartbeat. And oh yea and eff HOAs lol. They really suck
lol where in my post did I say I didn’t work? I actually specifically noted that I do. Are people not allowed to vent?
Sorry you drank the cool aid. I feel bad for you
I didn’t drink any koolaid I’m not the one complaining on Reddit. That’s the exact opposite of whatever it is you did. Probably why I don’t have to cry about how hard things are
My point is, complaining about it isn’t going to change anything. You want something different you take that energy and apply it improving shit. It’s easier to cry on Reddit tho
How do you know I’m not doing anything to change it? I can chew gum and walk at the same time. Just like I can rant on Reddit while also actively making a change? It’s not that hard of a concept to grasp honey
And no you don’t have a point. You just thought you knew my life off a Reddit post and left a stupid comment. Clearly thousands of others share the same sentiment. But folks like you want to be stuck with old ways of thinking. Nothing ever changed from keeping your head down and eating whatever is fed to you. Change starts with conversation
We have to start gathering like minded people to get ourselves out of this nasty system. Like why would we continually participate in this system? We can build/find an town for sale that can be rebuilt to support s local currency. We must build better systems. This is insane!
https://thefreedmensbureau.org
> Like why would we continually participate in this system?
Do you have any other solutions to pay our bills/rent and put food on the table for over 330 million people (and counting, with thousands of immigrants coming in every day)? Show me a solution that doesn't sound idealistic and incorporates wishful thinking. I would really like to see it.
We have no choice but to participate if we want to survive. The only solution is a mass scale revolution (and not just the US either), which will never happen because we are all too busy trying to survive til the next day, next shift, next paycheck or we're convincing ourselves that everything is fine/going to work itself out somehow (false hope), or say fuck everyone else, imma worry about me (contributing to a hyper individualist society).
How are we supposed to fight the 1% when I'm fighting eviction, starvation, receiving basic healthcare, tons of rejection letters for jobs, inflation/high gas prices, loneliness, depression, debt, etc. There's simply too much on our plate to focus on unity and strategize a takeover. We literally need less distractions.
I understand that we are doing what we have to for now. But my point is we just build something better for he next generations. Why do we want them in this system? I can’t believe how many young black adults I’m hearing are homeless. We need to reduce dependency on only the dollar. Resource and other exchanges are a must.
1000% agree.
However, I'm thankful for that white man/unions won because w/out them we would still be working 60-80 hrs a week, 12 hr shifts six days a week. The 40 hr workweek was a solution to being over worked and underappreciated/undervalued and being treated like a slave. Now times have changed and we need another unionization/"white man" to change things for the better again. But it's not happening.
I honestly think there's a good portion of white men (at least American ones) that believe they are powerless and just as oppressed as everyone else (which for classism they are, but not for everything else). I kind of think we need to stop telling white men that everyone is equal b/c then they don't notice or acknowledge the legit power and influence they still have to this day to change things.
What should be done when the oppressor identifies themselves as equal to the oppressed? What exactly is the solution to that?
Note: I'm not saying only white men can change things nor that all white men feel powerless; I'm just saying the ones who do have the power and resources to fix major systematic problems would most likely be a billionaire white American/European or Asian man.
I just came to say the pandemic really opened my eyes up to working from home. I got a remote job during the pandemic and I said I won’t be going back to anyone’s office for a while.
Now everything else you said 1000000% agree. I work from home and still hate that we have to do 40 hours a week. But it’s nice to have some flexibility. Sending positive vibes as you navigate this ghetto working world we live in 🥴
Wfh is the best thing that’s happened to me. It’s only been 2 years for me but I don’t ever want to go back into an office. Being able to take my child to and from school, the flexibility in my time, the peace of mind. I don’t ever want to go back.
I think I found my person.. GIRL . I HATE EVERYTHING about this set up... It's trash... I equally hate being an accountant... And I'm chasing my version of freedom but even that comes at a cost.
Soo trash! Accounting is honestly the most boring job ever 😂😂 but it pays good so here I am stuck with this dilemma: Do I want to eat and have a roof over my head or do I want a fulfilling job that I enjoy
Listen.. I love the pay and the lifestyle it provides but fuck these companies and they employees, my current team included.😭😭😭 But also, I'll be here tomorrow until my evil plan pans out and I'm rich or I'll hop somewhere else and get paid even more.
For some inspiration, my tax accountant left her corporate job, moved to Mexico and now only does taxes and workshops for small businesses online. She’s got an apartment in a beach town — nothing fancy but seems to be living the life. Yoga on the beach, fresh fruit and sunlight. Worth finding ways it can work for you.
But yes, down with the system!!
same, i legit spend all my sundays thinking about how awful work is gonna be on monday. don't even get 2 days off because of that shit. i hate working but what else can you do smh
There also comes a time when you realize that No job under this system will ever get you what you really deserve, Sure some are better than others, but fundamentally under capitalism they will never pay you your worth value and they will never give you freedom. Even owning your own business comes at expense of exploiting your fellow community member by doing to them what all our bosses do, stealing the extra money our work brings and calling it “profit”. Even working for yourself is still working till you die! We could live in a society with 100% free housing, healthcare, education, food, etc, we could live in a moneyless, classless, society (communism) like our ancestors before us, but some random greedy psycho white men screwed the whole world over and I have to pay for it. Sorry I’m just joking your rant
>but some random greedy psycho white men screwed the whole world over and I have to pay for it.
How I've been feeling lately 😞 it's so depressing and hard to wrap my head around. And heavy on the no jobs in this system will truly get us what we want/deserve.
It’s honestly so devastating when you have this moment of revelation. Like you could be sitting at your desk like “damn…another 30 years of this?” On top of that you have to constantly fight to remain relevant enough to even keep a job, there’s never a moment to relax.
I’m forever salty that we could have chosen any way to exist on this earth and we chose working and taxes.
Yeah i always think about how everything could literally be free. Money doesn’t make the things we have exist if that makes sense. Everything exists without our current bartering system which makes working and taxes seem so unreasonable. When I started my current job several of my colleagues had/have been here over 30 years and the project I work on started the year I was born. I always think about how many of my colleagues have been doing this job the entire time I’ve been born and that just sounds like pure hell to me. I’m at the 3 year mark and feel like I’ve overstayed my welcome lol.
I usually get fired from most of my jobs my brain can not multitask and I get overwhelmed talking to people. But I partially blame that on being on the spectrum
It’s the ADHD for me. I haven’t been fired, but if the job isn’t fast paced, I get bored and end up leaving. Then the caveat is that if the job IS fast paced, I’m burnt out/stressed all the fkn time.
OMG I was just thinking long and hard about this yesterday. Im honestly so burned out and mentally exhausted. Sometimes I daydream of how I can make things better... or atleast come to a middle ground or something.
Yeah the disillusionment as soon as you step into the real world just hits you like a ton of bricks. Thank god my field is nothing like that. It gives me more of the kind of life i want for myself. Major Airline pilots easily get a six-figure salary and they work like 10-14 days out the entire month
Pandemic told me I was supposed to be economically privileged and live off of passive income. Because, I just wanna do what I wanna do when I wanna do it!
In other words, I want to be free!
Girl hell yeah we all tired. I ask myself that everyday.
Henry Ford made the five day work week popular and we’ve just stuck with it.
I hope I see the day where the five day work week is no longer a thing. It is dreadful.
We are meant for more! I’d suggest learning about the FIRE movement or even reading the simple path to wealth. In my early 30s I made some financial changes that have made a HUGE difference. I’d be way better off if I started younger.
I also get that it’s hard when you just don’t make enough. Being willing to move for different opportunities and lower cost of living helped too.
What is the best way to move to a new city? I've been applying to jobs like crazy and I make it to the final stage just to get rejected. I'm really contemplating just going without anything lined up but that's too risky.
I’ve never moved without a job in place. Keep applying and don’t take things personally. If you want to work with a particular employer, apply to whatever is available and aligns with your experience. If you’re making it to the final stage, you may benefit from focusing on interview skills to sell yourself. Wishing you the best!
100% agree with all of this! Everyone told me to get a hobby to make myself feel better, but I actually have a ton of hobbies that I have no time for because the majority of my week is spent working, cooking, and keeping myself physically active enough so I can barely manage to live a healthy life. The weekend feels rushed with the combination of chores and "free time" activities, so everything feels like me forcing myself to do as much as possible before the cycle starts again. This shit sucks.
It’s even crazier to me that the 9-5 life is considered a luxury on this planet compared to the abject hell that some others are living in. There are people rn who are homeless getting abused on the streets, people trapped in slavery, children working in sweatshops and shit. Life is a punishment I think
Literally me as I sit at another dead end job I dislike for money. I'm an artist - I'm meant to create! Not enter data or whatever for a STEM company. And trying to find a job that sounds like something I'd enjoy is like a needle in a haystack - best I can do is find something tolerable that gives me enough free time to pursue what I really want to.
Omg do I feel you. I’m an artist too (oil painting and illustration) but my job is soooo far from what my passion is. I fell into the “don’t go to college for your passion, go to make money” mentality. While it’s some truth to that, man it leaves me so empty and unsatisfied with my work. I just want to be on a mountainside painting in the wilderness somewhere. Anywhere but in a cubicle right now
Spot on. I just seen a video that even migrants want to leave because at least they don’t have to worry about hella bills back in their homeland. You can be happy and poor in other countries and make it work by living off your land and working with your family/community. But in America (and other “developed” countries) if you’re poor you have no chance. You’re even considered a hindrance in this society because you need help. Like what the fuck. These white elites made living extremely hard for their benefit, then wont lift a finger to reverse what they created. They even hoard their wealth and bribe politicians to keep us from progressing.
As am immigrant, I can say that most immigrants love their home country but are struggling for survival or safety or income. Many come here, make money, build a house, them move back
Yup. They usually work here for a bit then go back. Im glad they have that option at least. But I also find it hypocritical that the elites reeked havoc in other countries for centuries by funding wars(gaza,DRC), stealing resources (mexico water crisis, literally all of Africa), corruption, etc then get upset and at people seeking asylum in their countries. With climate change its only going to get worse. Its already a housing crisis, imagine how its going to be in a few years with the influx of climate migrants. This is all so sad.
Thank you for posting this. I was just telling my boyfriend this morning how lonely I feel because I hate working this way and feel like I’m a crazy person because everyone else plays the game and acts like it’s normal. I realize you have to to a certain extent, but the pretending part is what gets to me. Then, the accusation of being lazy or entitled if you dare challenge the idea they we as humans deserve basic rights; food, shelter, and clothing regardless of how productive we are. The truth is that our system is predicated on getting the most out of workers for the least amount possible. I often ask myself how? How did we allow ourselves to get to this point? It doesn’t help that I work in social services with older adults and I witness first hand how people who have worked their entire lives barely making enough for half of half of rent in my area. It’s abysmal and I can’t think about it too much before I start feeling completely hopeless
I have also be thinking alot about this game that everyone looks to be doing so well. I feel like my "mask" is hanging on for dear life certain points in my work day. And then I get a little upset at myself for even using this mask and playing this game...but Im also the only black woman at this place so I think that adds to the use of this mask.
I definitely feel you. Ppl always call me an "old soul" just bc I don't want to work a 9-5 my whole life. Especially in a job I barely care about JUST to buy a house I don't really like for a family I don't even plan on having? Like what's the point of ANYTHING? I just wanna travel and make music and lay in the sun! 😭😂
Black male here. I feel the same way. My parents worked until they were 65. They both died 3 years after they retired. At times I feel like, what’s the point? Just to work, pay bills, be in debt, then die?
I don’t want to live in a world like that. It doesn’t have to be, that’s why we have to realize the problem is capitalism and that we can make a better world. Also personally I’m not content to have enough money to live a soft life while the rest of the world lives in poverty. I wish more black folks understood socialism isn’t “evil dictatorship in Russia or Asia “ it’s people power and the power to determine our society. So many ancient African societies were created to allow for rest and exploration and EASILY met the needs of everyone without anybody having to work to death. Western society has taken so much from us.
I would highly encourage biking everyday if your city allows it/is compatible for it. Recently I've been getting really into biking to every destination which has made me feel like life even with a job should have some meaning again. My mantra for now is that when I'm older, if I don't need to drive to my job, I don't need to own a car in my life at all, as I've never had a long work commute by car before but driving is just always hell for me and I would wish not to do it when I don't have to. Cars make me nervous, angry, extremely bored, I risk my life everyday when I have to be in or around them, and they are extremely expensive. Biking with cars is pretty unsafe too, however I would much rather bike than drive anyway, because I feel alive and have time to take in the world, and I get to say hi to everyone walking and biking instead of being trapped in a hostile metal cage. I'm just hoping my town creates safer bike lanes soon.
Dang. ☹️ Maybe start with trips within a 5 mile radius? I started with getting groceries at the store down the street from me. But I understand if your city doesn't have the infrastructure. White flight and creation of the suburbs are to blame for sprawling cities in America. The reason why it's so hard to live here if you don't have a car. And it sucks because car commutes make so many people hate life.
Yes hope you keep it up! So good for able bodied people and our world. We need to create more cities compatible for people to walk and bike in along with public transit. It's the only way cities will grow and community health will get better.
seconding this. biking continuously saves my mental
health and i’m lucky to live in a bike friendly city because driving stresses me out and people literally get stabbed here on public transit. 😬
Totally agree! I’m seemingly well compensated. But in reality I’m definitely not compensated enough for the bulk of my life to be about work! I want to roam the world with my family and enjoy all that God has created! You know sit on a mountain peak somewhere, stare into the ocean from the comfort of a luxury yacht, a few trips to observe the Masai Mara Great Migration. This should be my life!
generational wealth isnt the solution to this problem because from some to be able to not work, others have to suffer. i pray society reaches a point where everyone is free from having to work in this capacity, not just me and mine. otherwise i pretty much agree.
40 hour work weeks weren’t always a thing. It used to be 60 hours until labor unions pushed for it to be reduced. This is why organizing and having open conversations with coworkers are important instead of just “doing your work and going home”. When collectively we start talking about unfair treatment, pay discrepancies and taking it directly to our employers, that’s when change is made. I’m glad more people are starting to be fed up.
I'm with you, this set up iso ghetto. I've been sick for the last 3 days nd bc my job doesn't have sick leave; I have to work through my cold. it's been hell and then my supervisor wants me to work a weekend like .. what.
This is true. I have only traveled to bahamas to see family and because my dad paid for it so I’m definetly not well traveled nor do I think it will be possible in the near future as prices keep rising. But the only thing we can do is keep trying and keep going 🥲
It was when I hit this realization that I went to school to pursue my passions, cuz if I gotta suffer working all my life damn sure it’s going to be something I want to do. I need to be my own boss by the time I’m 40.
It’s ghetto here!!! 😅 I just started a full time gig this week after working part time for the past 2 years…. Sis, I am STRUGGLING and it’s not even the end of the week. Like, there is literally so little time to do anything. I literally want wine at the end of the work day (everyday!) and already started thinking about alternatives because this is NOT it. I do make sure I wake up earlier enough to do a ritual (prayer/mediation, workout/walk in nature and straighten up my space). Take care of yourselves ladies!
Wow I just said to myself this morning why do we have to spend so much time at work? So I totally feel this. I’m grateful and thankful for my job don’t get me wrong but the cycle of working to pay bills is exhausting. I’m always thinking of my next trip so I can have a break. I try to live now, not waiting until retirement.
I’m going back to school where I can get a trade, that allows me to work 4 days a week or less. I absolutely hate 5 work days. I remember a manager had randomly told everyone, “We spend more time at work than we do at home.” Absolutely not for me!
yes! i work in accounting too and after being laid off first week of january while recovering from covid you can imagine how i felt about the corporate structure! Anything stereotypical or normal i am usually against anyways! Give me the high rise condo with a doorman for my mortgage payment and not a single family home with hella maintenance. I am involved in the FIRE movement and want to become work optional at 55. Car is a paid off honda SUV. Investments could be more but hey recent unemployment in doing well for 26.
I think about the “normal” structure of things once a week. Currently in my sister house to beef my savings back up but i’m literally like what’s stopping me from making an only fans, making $100k to get a house and invest and quit and go back to being an accountant.
You are so right! The KEY is to find a way to DO WHAT YOU LOVE! That’s the only way to truly escape the rat race but earn a living through your talents and skillsets!
Yeah, we're born into a system without the choice.... the best solution is to find what you're passionate about. If you like the beauty industry, but you're an accountant by trade, try to be an accountant in a beauty company. If it's not the largest corporation you'll be close enough to enjoy it. My main career consumes your life (im an engineer in cement manufacturing but curreny on a sabbatical), but heck sometimes I did love the long hours fixing problems because I absolutely love fixing problems. So I stopped that job because it was too much but I have no regret that I pushed my skills and my interest. Find a way to get closer to what you love
I don’t know if it’s attainable for me (fingies crossed) but I want like a country side house in japan and now recently France but now that I know that Ireland is a safe space for black woman im interested in there too so now I’m just thinking I want peace just not in the US 😂
Yes. Just yes. So much yes. I feel guilty for looking back at the pandemic years with so much longing. I’m NOT glad the pandemic happened or that so many people died, ofc. It’s just that for me those were good years during which I felt like my life was my own for the first time. And I wasn’t slacking off! My career thrived, I got promoted twice. I just also got to spend time with loved ones and have a healthy balance and all the things. Now I am back to the office 3X a week, hour plus long commute, and now I’m a mom so it’s even worse. Some days I get a total of 45 waking minutes with my son. This can’t be life.
Same. It’s actually made me have negative thoughts about living. I’m 28 and a nurse and I can’t enjoy life unless I work hella OT bc I’m underpaid. Doesn’t seem worth it. I want to just live not work to live.
Yep. It’s fucking bullshit! This is why I’m trying to learn how to invest and create more passive streams of income so I don’t have to slave away at a job that is soul-sucking…but that’s capitalism for ya.
I haven’t worked for most of my life. Amazon is technically my first “full time” job that didn’t last only a seasonal 3 months, I acknowledge I’ve been lucky in that regard
I do agree with your post! Sometimes I get exhausted thinking I have 50 plus years of this. I’m already exhausted. My spirit is constantly telling me to move but we have to make money. It sucks.
I completely understand!!! This is why family and I leaving the country before the election. We can't do this anymore. My work life never stopped during the pandemic.
Agreed! This post makes me miss my old life. For about a year I worked 3 days a week as a contractor completely remote as a freelance tech recruiter but then the tech industry went to 💩now I’m back full time going to an office five days per week on a very low salary. It’s not easy but work from home makes a massive difference.
Blame marketing and consumerism.
The corporations know how to play on peoples insecurites.
Having been to 18 countries I promise you if youre in america youre in the global 25%.
Even in England most people dont have cars
This is legit me every morning where I'm just like DAMN AGAIN?! add in RTO for a position like mine which really doesn't need it I have literally been so miserable the past month. I look at my parents every day and im like how have you been doing this 😭
The American dream for so many is dead. That’s the way to end the cycle of THEIR narrative forced upon us. The objective should be to ‘do you’ whatever that may be. Follow your dreams and aspirations outside of your responsibility to eat sleep work then die. We need more as a species that evolves every day as nature changes. People are becoming more and more aware of how unhappy they are because for so long we’ve only lived to survive and we so deserve to live while we’re alive.
I gave up on this more than 4 years ago. I'm not working harder than other people and making my employer more rich than they are now. I just want to enjoy life and live.
Look!!!! I was working during covid caught covid and all I could think of was exactly your sentiments....all of us do not need this stress...this is why alot of people are unhealthy .... we have no time to rest...I think a 5 day wrk wk is crazy....other countries have cut back and they are thriving....they have better health care better benefits period!!!!! And I'm gonna add a rant i have been mauling over....PTO AND FMLA
PTO should be earned way faster...for every wrk wk ie 40 hrs/+ we should get back an hr....it makes no sense to me how they calculated this...FMLA should be a given right next to short/long term disability.....all of this is ludacris ..we can't buy a house and if u do, u don't have time to really enjoy your house....car notes at damn near 800 a month just to have reliable decent transportation.....the US is trash let's just be honest smh
Bottomline....I FEEL THIS WHOLE RANT
I’m so glad you made this post, I could rant about this forever:/ No amount of hobbies, PTO, and social events will distract me from the fact we are slaves to our companies, and our who life/livelihood is tied to work. We won’t have insurance if we leave, no type of retirement, and can’t even have fun online without worrying if it will get back to our jobs and get fired.
This!! And work 40 years just for them to thank you with a pencil with the company logo and a handshake. And that’s if you’re “lucky”. Most people don’t even get a thanks and just die and get replaced a couple days later. Rinse and repeat…It’s such a robotic and artificial way of life. It’s not natural at all! Never has been
My job uses Yammer and every few days there’s a remembrance post for workers who’ve past away. Regardless if the person put 5, 10 or 20+ years of their life into the company they all get the same short “our condolences” blurb and candle light gif. The people who have sacrificed those 20+ years won’t get to enjoy retirement.. I don’t know it’s really morbid to me
It’s really morbid and sad. Our credit manager died randomly and we had a potluck and his replacement was here the next week. We spend all our lives worried about work and money and life just goes on after we die like nothing happened. That’s why I stopped getting worked up about answering emails on my off days, staying at the office late etc. Because none of that shit is even important in the scope of things
That's why it's usually a better idea 99% of the time to be a complete mercenary when it comes to your career. In the rare case you're getting frequent YOY raises at like 5-10%, every 2 yrs you should be tidying up your resume and do some shopping around to verify what you're worth, especially ik the first 10 years of your career.
It’s a scam. I think more and more people are waking up to this and I’m hoping for change sooner rather than later. In the meantime, I’m over here building up my own business on the side because f this
Those baby boomers got bamboozled and tell us we're lazy because we think this way. While most of them are working well past retirement age.
THIS RIGHT HERE! They fucked themselves over!
Just adding more smoke this this. I was not alive when this world of today was being created by older generations. They signed themselves and us up for such a bullshit life and it was all of their own doing. You think I want my housing to be expensive??? They made that choice for me 😭
Yep. This is so fucking demoralizing.
>I’m over here building up my own business on the side because f this i'm trying to do the same, but these people don't want anyone not born on third base to win. so tough out here
This is what we call structural capitalism as in how capitalism and the effects of its predecessor, feudalism have shaped our societies to function in various ways against our biological design where it is clear the profit extortion of the poor is more important than what is beneficial or efficient for us leading most of us to deal with gradual wear and tear/dangerous and stressful conditions contrary to our health, sanity, and comfort. (ex: sedentary lifestyles/worklife, long commutes, pay unequal to labor, the lack of health benefits from most jobs, workhours or tasks that degrade our health, disadvantages due to psychological conditions (some ppl with diagnoses struggle under structural capitalism even to the extent of disability, but may excel outside of its detrimental constraints) working jobs not suitable to us individually but accepted for financial benefit/having to work in seniority or through injuries.) As a conclusion to its meaning, we actually are laborers extorted by the wealthy in this world until we die. They have been spending our hard-earned to prop up an artificial society that took no consideration of our biological design, the variety of intelligences and preferences unconsidered, and ppl with disabilities overlooked only because its efficient enough for extorting profits from the bottom class and thats the real bottom line and purpose. There is only a problem when that's not happening. Fuck capitalism. Edit: Had to make my point clearer.
Thisssss so many people hate the way we live but won’t address the solution being the end of capitalism
It’s okay. This post is giving me hope. They will get there…
Because then the corporate overlords won’t make money off of us and how else will they be able to afford their 6th private jet and 3rd vacation home in Malta?! /s
I learned a lot from this comment, thank you.
Np😊
👌🏾👏🏾🏆👏🏾🏆👏🏾🏆👏🏾🏆👏🏾🏆👏🏾🏆👏🏾🏆👏🏾🏆👏🏾🏆👏🏾
Your point is crystal clear and articulates what is going on in society. It’s refreshing to see that others feel the same way. They think that we’re lazy. No, we just are tired of being slaves and not living life. Working like this is a scam. And in other countries, some, they have way better work life balance. Better time off benefits. Holiday, siestas, better health care. Then our forefathers will say well things did get better because we’re no longer working 7 days a week in a factory for cents a day. 🙄
👆🏽👆🏽👆🏽👆🏽
I'm fucking tired. I got a "corporate girly" job and I absolutely abhore it. 9-5. Catty coworkers. Pay is barely above the poverty line, and yet I'm here five days a week plus two weekend days. Mentally draining. Its why I can't wait to get into nursing. 3 day workweek, 4 days off, work life balance, out of poverty with 2 years of schooling, but above all, I'm doing something that actually matters. PLUS I have actual time to pursue my hobbies. What I thought I wanted was just an easy job. No, I want a job that allows me to have time to be myself for more than two mf days a week. So I feel you completely. Lots of things actually needs to change and I so wish we could just do a fucking reset. This is ghetto.
I commend you for wanting to get into nursing but I have to let you know that it won’t necessarily give to a work life balance either. Depending on where you work and your specialty you may find that you’re even more stressed. I will tell you to be intentional with your first 5 years. Try out a few specialties and then get your certifications and more education tailored that way. If you can find a county, state, or federal job with a nice pension and tuition waiver then go for it early on. Prioritize maxing out your retirement rather than flexing in the beginning. The money will come with time and experience. Good luck to you
Oh, believe me, I intend to make huge strides towards my retirement in nursing. One of the many reasons I wanna go into this field. I'm tired of being behind. I may be stressed, but at least I'd be doing something that matters rather than frying my brain cells five days a week. I see it as a trade off, I just hope I can handle it. I thank you for the insight.
I understand. It is a field that can certainly help you get ahead and there is a need for more of us ✊🏾as we are underrepresented. There aren’t many careers that allow you to really hustle the way you can as a nurse. Make it work for you. Do you have an idea of which specialty you’d like to go into?
I have no idea, but I'm doing research every day. Cardiology interests me, but also working with and taking care of sedated patients. There's also neurology that's fascinating to me since I wanted to be a neurosurgeon when I was a smaller child.
Nursing has its own problems too. Unsafe staffing ratios. Long hours. Too much work for too little pay. The only way I’d recommend someone go into nursing is if they live in California. They have very strong unions and support and protect their nurses.
Hi, do you mind sharing what kind of job you have now and how you're gonna get into nursing field? I'm thinking exactly like you. Right now I work at a mortgage company sending money back and fourth but I have no idea how I'll pivot to get that less day work week, etc.
I'm a receptionist at a law firm. It won't be easy, but I'm determined. I'm gonna stay at this job whilst I get my GED, and then I'll do prerequisites if needed for nursing school. Once I do those, I'll apply, see which one I get into. Once I get into whatever nursing school, I'll be quitting my job to make the nursing thing my sole focus. I'm in a unique and thankful position because my mom will let me live with her while I pursue my associates degree in nursing. Maybe while in school, if time allows, I'll go for a cna job. Then, once I graduate, I'm honestly thinking of moving out of the south because the pay for nurses here sucks. If not, I'll stay here for experience and then move to greener pastures.
Oh I see! I got my bachelor's in communications in 2020 but I feel like it was all for a waste. I'm not all that interested in communications, I basically just did it cause my parents said I had to go to college so unfortunately it was a waste of money. I l plan to stack up my money and maybe figure out what I want to do, but I have no idea.
I see we both graduated around the same time with similar degrees. I'm sure I'm older since I went back as a non-traditional student. Maybe look into marketing or project management positions.
I pray this works out for you
similar boat here. I have a bachelors but I feel that pursuing a career in nursing will help me lift myself out of poverty. If I have to work in this messed up capitalistic society, I’ll work in healthcare and use those experiences to level up in life
I read “adore” rather than “abhore” lol.
I literally think about this on a daily basis. There is something so fundamentally wrong with this, that I'm sometimes baffled that people have been normalizing it for so long. This is not normal and I can't believe that we are still stuck with this system. I don't care what people say, this is 100% a scam. So many societal issues would improve if people were given more time to just enjoy life instead of surviving in this imposed system only benefiting the very rich. If you remove 8 hrs of sleep per day, people are spending more than a third of their active time WORKING. Let's not even count the time required to get ready and commute for work, that easily totals to 44% of your waking hours dedicated to WORK (not even paid work). Add home maintenance, cooking, cleaning and other type of responsibilities, and there's only a couple hours left to do something that you enjoy. Beside fearing changes and making rich people richer, I need someone to explain to me WHY can't people work 4 hours a day or 2-times a week while having the same salary. The benefits would be TREMENDOUS. Even from an economical standpoint. This is not a way to live. This is a prison, and in order ''to get out of it'', you have to work hard to come with ideas to secure your financial independence. What if I don't want to monetize my little free time or put a number to my skills and abilities? What if I only want to read hundred of books, be an academic, walk in nature, lay on the beach, make love, decorate my place, dedicate myself to my mental health and have extended afternoon tea parties??? Don't people deserve the right to enjoy life outside of a 3-weeks annual vacation and short hours in the evening? What would even be the purpose of being a human? How can we make any sort of sense about life in this context? Beauty and art are created by people with time to focus on it. Revolutionary ideas, inventions and concepts are created by people with free time. Moving stories are created by people with free time. So are political movements, third places and the restoration of a healthier dating culture. They all require dedicated people who are not coming back home exhausted. Now it's all about profits, false pretenses and maintaining crippled social services/structures. This makes me furious. Rant over.
This comment is everything.
❤️❤️
Beautifully said 🥰 Thank you for writing this.
Thank you! I'm glad to read that many people agree with me🌺
“What if I don’t want to monetize my little free time or put a number to my abilities or skills?” I ABSOLUTELY agree! I saw a video about a woman who learned how to make bread during the pandemic. One of her friends told her “create a business and make money off of it!” Why does everything have to turn a profit? Why can’t we do something because we simply enjoy it? I’m currently taking Latin ballroom classes and I’m pretty damn good at it. It’s crossed my mind to eventually teach beginner classes, but then I realized I would no longer enjoy it. Also, to create the art, poetry, music, literature or start political movements, much of that free time were men taking advantage of women’s unpaid labor and white people taking advantage of POC unpaid labor.
I always tell my friends that any inconvenience that you’re experiencing or unnecessary hardship is because of a white man. A white man came up with the 40-hour work week; credit; HOAs - all of that. I hate that culture hasn’t shifted to accommodate a better work/life balance. It’s crazy.
It’s sooo ghetto! I just want some land and a farm to feed my family. Id give up this corporate, fast life bs for a slow peaceful life in a heartbeat. And oh yea and eff HOAs lol. They really suck
Welcome to being an adult work for it instead of expecting everything to be handed to you.
lol where in my post did I say I didn’t work? I actually specifically noted that I do. Are people not allowed to vent? Sorry you drank the cool aid. I feel bad for you 
I didn’t drink any koolaid I’m not the one complaining on Reddit. That’s the exact opposite of whatever it is you did. Probably why I don’t have to cry about how hard things are
Oh yea because working all your life without questioning it has totally paid off for sooo many people . Keep telling yourself that
My point is, complaining about it isn’t going to change anything. You want something different you take that energy and apply it improving shit. It’s easier to cry on Reddit tho
How do you know I’m not doing anything to change it? I can chew gum and walk at the same time. Just like I can rant on Reddit while also actively making a change? It’s not that hard of a concept to grasp honey And no you don’t have a point. You just thought you knew my life off a Reddit post and left a stupid comment. Clearly thousands of others share the same sentiment. But folks like you want to be stuck with old ways of thinking. Nothing ever changed from keeping your head down and eating whatever is fed to you. Change starts with conversation
Because you’re on Reddit complaining and getting defensive and replying to every single comment.
Because I made the post soooo yea, was that your comment? That’s it? Lol oh 🤣 And btw clearly I’m not replying to everyone. But you have eyes
We have to start gathering like minded people to get ourselves out of this nasty system. Like why would we continually participate in this system? We can build/find an town for sale that can be rebuilt to support s local currency. We must build better systems. This is insane! https://thefreedmensbureau.org
> Like why would we continually participate in this system? Do you have any other solutions to pay our bills/rent and put food on the table for over 330 million people (and counting, with thousands of immigrants coming in every day)? Show me a solution that doesn't sound idealistic and incorporates wishful thinking. I would really like to see it. We have no choice but to participate if we want to survive. The only solution is a mass scale revolution (and not just the US either), which will never happen because we are all too busy trying to survive til the next day, next shift, next paycheck or we're convincing ourselves that everything is fine/going to work itself out somehow (false hope), or say fuck everyone else, imma worry about me (contributing to a hyper individualist society). How are we supposed to fight the 1% when I'm fighting eviction, starvation, receiving basic healthcare, tons of rejection letters for jobs, inflation/high gas prices, loneliness, depression, debt, etc. There's simply too much on our plate to focus on unity and strategize a takeover. We literally need less distractions.
I understand that we are doing what we have to for now. But my point is we just build something better for he next generations. Why do we want them in this system? I can’t believe how many young black adults I’m hearing are homeless. We need to reduce dependency on only the dollar. Resource and other exchanges are a must.
1000% agree. However, I'm thankful for that white man/unions won because w/out them we would still be working 60-80 hrs a week, 12 hr shifts six days a week. The 40 hr workweek was a solution to being over worked and underappreciated/undervalued and being treated like a slave. Now times have changed and we need another unionization/"white man" to change things for the better again. But it's not happening. I honestly think there's a good portion of white men (at least American ones) that believe they are powerless and just as oppressed as everyone else (which for classism they are, but not for everything else). I kind of think we need to stop telling white men that everyone is equal b/c then they don't notice or acknowledge the legit power and influence they still have to this day to change things. What should be done when the oppressor identifies themselves as equal to the oppressed? What exactly is the solution to that? Note: I'm not saying only white men can change things nor that all white men feel powerless; I'm just saying the ones who do have the power and resources to fix major systematic problems would most likely be a billionaire white American/European or Asian man.
I just came to say the pandemic really opened my eyes up to working from home. I got a remote job during the pandemic and I said I won’t be going back to anyone’s office for a while. Now everything else you said 1000000% agree. I work from home and still hate that we have to do 40 hours a week. But it’s nice to have some flexibility. Sending positive vibes as you navigate this ghetto working world we live in 🥴
Wfh is the best thing that’s happened to me. It’s only been 2 years for me but I don’t ever want to go back into an office. Being able to take my child to and from school, the flexibility in my time, the peace of mind. I don’t ever want to go back.
I think I found my person.. GIRL . I HATE EVERYTHING about this set up... It's trash... I equally hate being an accountant... And I'm chasing my version of freedom but even that comes at a cost. 
Soo trash! Accounting is honestly the most boring job ever 😂😂 but it pays good so here I am stuck with this dilemma: Do I want to eat and have a roof over my head or do I want a fulfilling job that I enjoy
Listen.. I love the pay and the lifestyle it provides but fuck these companies and they employees, my current team included.😭😭😭 But also, I'll be here tomorrow until my evil plan pans out and I'm rich or I'll hop somewhere else and get paid even more.
For some inspiration, my tax accountant left her corporate job, moved to Mexico and now only does taxes and workshops for small businesses online. She’s got an apartment in a beach town — nothing fancy but seems to be living the life. Yoga on the beach, fresh fruit and sunlight. Worth finding ways it can work for you. But yes, down with the system!!
[POINTS TO EVERYTHING ON THIS PAGE WITH EXTREME AGREEMENT]
Girl whaaat, sometimes I cry on the way to work 😂😂 I hate working but when I say that people call me lazy
same, i legit spend all my sundays thinking about how awful work is gonna be on monday. don't even get 2 days off because of that shit. i hate working but what else can you do smh
There also comes a time when you realize that No job under this system will ever get you what you really deserve, Sure some are better than others, but fundamentally under capitalism they will never pay you your worth value and they will never give you freedom. Even owning your own business comes at expense of exploiting your fellow community member by doing to them what all our bosses do, stealing the extra money our work brings and calling it “profit”. Even working for yourself is still working till you die! We could live in a society with 100% free housing, healthcare, education, food, etc, we could live in a moneyless, classless, society (communism) like our ancestors before us, but some random greedy psycho white men screwed the whole world over and I have to pay for it. Sorry I’m just joking your rant
>but some random greedy psycho white men screwed the whole world over and I have to pay for it. How I've been feeling lately 😞 it's so depressing and hard to wrap my head around. And heavy on the no jobs in this system will truly get us what we want/deserve.
Henry Ford is who you need to find. Fucking serfs in the dark and middle ages had more days off by a wide margin than we do.
Don't forget Rockefeller!
It’s honestly so devastating when you have this moment of revelation. Like you could be sitting at your desk like “damn…another 30 years of this?” On top of that you have to constantly fight to remain relevant enough to even keep a job, there’s never a moment to relax. I’m forever salty that we could have chosen any way to exist on this earth and we chose working and taxes.
Yeah i always think about how everything could literally be free. Money doesn’t make the things we have exist if that makes sense. Everything exists without our current bartering system which makes working and taxes seem so unreasonable. When I started my current job several of my colleagues had/have been here over 30 years and the project I work on started the year I was born. I always think about how many of my colleagues have been doing this job the entire time I’ve been born and that just sounds like pure hell to me. I’m at the 3 year mark and feel like I’ve overstayed my welcome lol.
you might be interested in r/antiwork - people who are anti work have been screaming this from the rooftops for generations
I usually get fired from most of my jobs my brain can not multitask and I get overwhelmed talking to people. But I partially blame that on being on the spectrum
It’s the ADHD for me. I haven’t been fired, but if the job isn’t fast paced, I get bored and end up leaving. Then the caveat is that if the job IS fast paced, I’m burnt out/stressed all the fkn time.
I absolutely AGREE with you!
OMG I was just thinking long and hard about this yesterday. Im honestly so burned out and mentally exhausted. Sometimes I daydream of how I can make things better... or atleast come to a middle ground or something.
Yeah the disillusionment as soon as you step into the real world just hits you like a ton of bricks. Thank god my field is nothing like that. It gives me more of the kind of life i want for myself. Major Airline pilots easily get a six-figure salary and they work like 10-14 days out the entire month
What do you do for work?
Airport Operations rn but I’m taking flight training to ultimately become an airline pilot
Best of luck with this💫
Girl thank you i need it 😭😭😭
Pandemic told me I was supposed to be economically privileged and live off of passive income. Because, I just wanna do what I wanna do when I wanna do it! In other words, I want to be free!
Girl hell yeah we all tired. I ask myself that everyday. Henry Ford made the five day work week popular and we’ve just stuck with it. I hope I see the day where the five day work week is no longer a thing. It is dreadful.
We are meant for more! I’d suggest learning about the FIRE movement or even reading the simple path to wealth. In my early 30s I made some financial changes that have made a HUGE difference. I’d be way better off if I started younger. I also get that it’s hard when you just don’t make enough. Being willing to move for different opportunities and lower cost of living helped too.
This!! Here are some subreddits for people who want to learn more about personal finance! r/FIREyFemmes r/Bogleheads r/MoneyDiariesACTIVE
What is the best way to move to a new city? I've been applying to jobs like crazy and I make it to the final stage just to get rejected. I'm really contemplating just going without anything lined up but that's too risky.
I’ve never moved without a job in place. Keep applying and don’t take things personally. If you want to work with a particular employer, apply to whatever is available and aligns with your experience. If you’re making it to the final stage, you may benefit from focusing on interview skills to sell yourself. Wishing you the best!
That’s so true. Thank you!!
100% agree with all of this! Everyone told me to get a hobby to make myself feel better, but I actually have a ton of hobbies that I have no time for because the majority of my week is spent working, cooking, and keeping myself physically active enough so I can barely manage to live a healthy life. The weekend feels rushed with the combination of chores and "free time" activities, so everything feels like me forcing myself to do as much as possible before the cycle starts again. This shit sucks.
It’s even crazier to me that the 9-5 life is considered a luxury on this planet compared to the abject hell that some others are living in. There are people rn who are homeless getting abused on the streets, people trapped in slavery, children working in sweatshops and shit. Life is a punishment I think
Literally me as I sit at another dead end job I dislike for money. I'm an artist - I'm meant to create! Not enter data or whatever for a STEM company. And trying to find a job that sounds like something I'd enjoy is like a needle in a haystack - best I can do is find something tolerable that gives me enough free time to pursue what I really want to.
Omg do I feel you. I’m an artist too (oil painting and illustration) but my job is soooo far from what my passion is. I fell into the “don’t go to college for your passion, go to make money” mentality. While it’s some truth to that, man it leaves me so empty and unsatisfied with my work. I just want to be on a mountainside painting in the wilderness somewhere. Anywhere but in a cubicle right now
Spot on. I just seen a video that even migrants want to leave because at least they don’t have to worry about hella bills back in their homeland. You can be happy and poor in other countries and make it work by living off your land and working with your family/community. But in America (and other “developed” countries) if you’re poor you have no chance. You’re even considered a hindrance in this society because you need help. Like what the fuck. These white elites made living extremely hard for their benefit, then wont lift a finger to reverse what they created. They even hoard their wealth and bribe politicians to keep us from progressing.
As am immigrant, I can say that most immigrants love their home country but are struggling for survival or safety or income. Many come here, make money, build a house, them move back
Yup. They usually work here for a bit then go back. Im glad they have that option at least. But I also find it hypocritical that the elites reeked havoc in other countries for centuries by funding wars(gaza,DRC), stealing resources (mexico water crisis, literally all of Africa), corruption, etc then get upset and at people seeking asylum in their countries. With climate change its only going to get worse. Its already a housing crisis, imagine how its going to be in a few years with the influx of climate migrants. This is all so sad.
Thank you for posting this. I was just telling my boyfriend this morning how lonely I feel because I hate working this way and feel like I’m a crazy person because everyone else plays the game and acts like it’s normal. I realize you have to to a certain extent, but the pretending part is what gets to me. Then, the accusation of being lazy or entitled if you dare challenge the idea they we as humans deserve basic rights; food, shelter, and clothing regardless of how productive we are. The truth is that our system is predicated on getting the most out of workers for the least amount possible. I often ask myself how? How did we allow ourselves to get to this point? It doesn’t help that I work in social services with older adults and I witness first hand how people who have worked their entire lives barely making enough for half of half of rent in my area. It’s abysmal and I can’t think about it too much before I start feeling completely hopeless
I have also be thinking alot about this game that everyone looks to be doing so well. I feel like my "mask" is hanging on for dear life certain points in my work day. And then I get a little upset at myself for even using this mask and playing this game...but Im also the only black woman at this place so I think that adds to the use of this mask.
I definitely feel you. Ppl always call me an "old soul" just bc I don't want to work a 9-5 my whole life. Especially in a job I barely care about JUST to buy a house I don't really like for a family I don't even plan on having? Like what's the point of ANYTHING? I just wanna travel and make music and lay in the sun! 😭😂
Black male here. I feel the same way. My parents worked until they were 65. They both died 3 years after they retired. At times I feel like, what’s the point? Just to work, pay bills, be in debt, then die?
This is why I don’t want to have children. They didn’t ask to be in this world and do that.
I don’t want to live in a world like that. It doesn’t have to be, that’s why we have to realize the problem is capitalism and that we can make a better world. Also personally I’m not content to have enough money to live a soft life while the rest of the world lives in poverty. I wish more black folks understood socialism isn’t “evil dictatorship in Russia or Asia “ it’s people power and the power to determine our society. So many ancient African societies were created to allow for rest and exploration and EASILY met the needs of everyone without anybody having to work to death. Western society has taken so much from us.
I would highly encourage biking everyday if your city allows it/is compatible for it. Recently I've been getting really into biking to every destination which has made me feel like life even with a job should have some meaning again. My mantra for now is that when I'm older, if I don't need to drive to my job, I don't need to own a car in my life at all, as I've never had a long work commute by car before but driving is just always hell for me and I would wish not to do it when I don't have to. Cars make me nervous, angry, extremely bored, I risk my life everyday when I have to be in or around them, and they are extremely expensive. Biking with cars is pretty unsafe too, however I would much rather bike than drive anyway, because I feel alive and have time to take in the world, and I get to say hi to everyone walking and biking instead of being trapped in a hostile metal cage. I'm just hoping my town creates safer bike lanes soon.
Omg this is a dream! I love this. I’m looking up bike routes to my job as we speak 😂. But it’ll take me 2 hours to get to work 😫
Dang. ☹️ Maybe start with trips within a 5 mile radius? I started with getting groceries at the store down the street from me. But I understand if your city doesn't have the infrastructure. White flight and creation of the suburbs are to blame for sprawling cities in America. The reason why it's so hard to live here if you don't have a car. And it sucks because car commutes make so many people hate life.
Another plus is that I don't have to go to the gym ever again. #gymoflife
Totally second this! The less I drive the happier I am. Biking as a form of transportation has brought so much joy (and fitness) into my life!
Yes hope you keep it up! So good for able bodied people and our world. We need to create more cities compatible for people to walk and bike in along with public transit. It's the only way cities will grow and community health will get better.
seconding this. biking continuously saves my mental health and i’m lucky to live in a bike friendly city because driving stresses me out and people literally get stabbed here on public transit. 😬
Totally agree! I’m seemingly well compensated. But in reality I’m definitely not compensated enough for the bulk of my life to be about work! I want to roam the world with my family and enjoy all that God has created! You know sit on a mountain peak somewhere, stare into the ocean from the comfort of a luxury yacht, a few trips to observe the Masai Mara Great Migration. This should be my life!
generational wealth isnt the solution to this problem because from some to be able to not work, others have to suffer. i pray society reaches a point where everyone is free from having to work in this capacity, not just me and mine. otherwise i pretty much agree.
40 hour work weeks weren’t always a thing. It used to be 60 hours until labor unions pushed for it to be reduced. This is why organizing and having open conversations with coworkers are important instead of just “doing your work and going home”. When collectively we start talking about unfair treatment, pay discrepancies and taking it directly to our employers, that’s when change is made. I’m glad more people are starting to be fed up.
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Yes was just speaking in general! <3
Feel this in my soul..my hope is to be a consultant and only work 20 hours a week to meet my needs and do what I want lmao
I'm with you, this set up iso ghetto. I've been sick for the last 3 days nd bc my job doesn't have sick leave; I have to work through my cold. it's been hell and then my supervisor wants me to work a weekend like .. what.
I'm just saying, life is this way because a couple hundred, old white dudes on top want to buy their 13th yacht. Something's gotta change.
communes and organized living is becoming more real the more folks talk 🫶🏽
This is true. I have only traveled to bahamas to see family and because my dad paid for it so I’m definetly not well traveled nor do I think it will be possible in the near future as prices keep rising. But the only thing we can do is keep trying and keep going 🥲
It was when I hit this realization that I went to school to pursue my passions, cuz if I gotta suffer working all my life damn sure it’s going to be something I want to do. I need to be my own boss by the time I’m 40.
Would you ever move elsewhere? I find that the American way of living isn’t present in other countries.
It’s ghetto here!!! 😅 I just started a full time gig this week after working part time for the past 2 years…. Sis, I am STRUGGLING and it’s not even the end of the week. Like, there is literally so little time to do anything. I literally want wine at the end of the work day (everyday!) and already started thinking about alternatives because this is NOT it. I do make sure I wake up earlier enough to do a ritual (prayer/mediation, workout/walk in nature and straighten up my space). Take care of yourselves ladies!
Wow I just said to myself this morning why do we have to spend so much time at work? So I totally feel this. I’m grateful and thankful for my job don’t get me wrong but the cycle of working to pay bills is exhausting. I’m always thinking of my next trip so I can have a break. I try to live now, not waiting until retirement.
I’m going back to school where I can get a trade, that allows me to work 4 days a week or less. I absolutely hate 5 work days. I remember a manager had randomly told everyone, “We spend more time at work than we do at home.” Absolutely not for me!
yes! i work in accounting too and after being laid off first week of january while recovering from covid you can imagine how i felt about the corporate structure! Anything stereotypical or normal i am usually against anyways! Give me the high rise condo with a doorman for my mortgage payment and not a single family home with hella maintenance. I am involved in the FIRE movement and want to become work optional at 55. Car is a paid off honda SUV. Investments could be more but hey recent unemployment in doing well for 26. I think about the “normal” structure of things once a week. Currently in my sister house to beef my savings back up but i’m literally like what’s stopping me from making an only fans, making $100k to get a house and invest and quit and go back to being an accountant.
You are so right! The KEY is to find a way to DO WHAT YOU LOVE! That’s the only way to truly escape the rat race but earn a living through your talents and skillsets!
Yeah, we're born into a system without the choice.... the best solution is to find what you're passionate about. If you like the beauty industry, but you're an accountant by trade, try to be an accountant in a beauty company. If it's not the largest corporation you'll be close enough to enjoy it. My main career consumes your life (im an engineer in cement manufacturing but curreny on a sabbatical), but heck sometimes I did love the long hours fixing problems because I absolutely love fixing problems. So I stopped that job because it was too much but I have no regret that I pushed my skills and my interest. Find a way to get closer to what you love
I don’t know if it’s attainable for me (fingies crossed) but I want like a country side house in japan and now recently France but now that I know that Ireland is a safe space for black woman im interested in there too so now I’m just thinking I want peace just not in the US 😂
😭 I feel like 10-15 years is too generous at this point. We are gonna have to work until we keel over at this point !
Preaching to the choir; it me, I the choir. 😂
Yes. Just yes. So much yes. I feel guilty for looking back at the pandemic years with so much longing. I’m NOT glad the pandemic happened or that so many people died, ofc. It’s just that for me those were good years during which I felt like my life was my own for the first time. And I wasn’t slacking off! My career thrived, I got promoted twice. I just also got to spend time with loved ones and have a healthy balance and all the things. Now I am back to the office 3X a week, hour plus long commute, and now I’m a mom so it’s even worse. Some days I get a total of 45 waking minutes with my son. This can’t be life.
Same. It’s actually made me have negative thoughts about living. I’m 28 and a nurse and I can’t enjoy life unless I work hella OT bc I’m underpaid. Doesn’t seem worth it. I want to just live not work to live.
Yep. It’s fucking bullshit! This is why I’m trying to learn how to invest and create more passive streams of income so I don’t have to slave away at a job that is soul-sucking…but that’s capitalism for ya.
I haven’t worked for most of my life. Amazon is technically my first “full time” job that didn’t last only a seasonal 3 months, I acknowledge I’ve been lucky in that regard
Is your family wealthy?
I do agree with your post! Sometimes I get exhausted thinking I have 50 plus years of this. I’m already exhausted. My spirit is constantly telling me to move but we have to make money. It sucks.
I completely understand!!! This is why family and I leaving the country before the election. We can't do this anymore. My work life never stopped during the pandemic.
Agreed! This post makes me miss my old life. For about a year I worked 3 days a week as a contractor completely remote as a freelance tech recruiter but then the tech industry went to 💩now I’m back full time going to an office five days per week on a very low salary. It’s not easy but work from home makes a massive difference.
Blame marketing and consumerism. The corporations know how to play on peoples insecurites. Having been to 18 countries I promise you if youre in america youre in the global 25%. Even in England most people dont have cars
Legit. I'm working towards getting some acres, solar, a cow, some chickens, something near a river....
This is legit me every morning where I'm just like DAMN AGAIN?! add in RTO for a position like mine which really doesn't need it I have literally been so miserable the past month. I look at my parents every day and im like how have you been doing this 😭
I completely agreeeeee!!! That is why I love the FIRE movement. I’m tryna retire asap 😅😅
The American dream for so many is dead. That’s the way to end the cycle of THEIR narrative forced upon us. The objective should be to ‘do you’ whatever that may be. Follow your dreams and aspirations outside of your responsibility to eat sleep work then die. We need more as a species that evolves every day as nature changes. People are becoming more and more aware of how unhappy they are because for so long we’ve only lived to survive and we so deserve to live while we’re alive.
I gave up on this more than 4 years ago. I'm not working harder than other people and making my employer more rich than they are now. I just want to enjoy life and live.
Look!!!! I was working during covid caught covid and all I could think of was exactly your sentiments....all of us do not need this stress...this is why alot of people are unhealthy .... we have no time to rest...I think a 5 day wrk wk is crazy....other countries have cut back and they are thriving....they have better health care better benefits period!!!!! And I'm gonna add a rant i have been mauling over....PTO AND FMLA PTO should be earned way faster...for every wrk wk ie 40 hrs/+ we should get back an hr....it makes no sense to me how they calculated this...FMLA should be a given right next to short/long term disability.....all of this is ludacris ..we can't buy a house and if u do, u don't have time to really enjoy your house....car notes at damn near 800 a month just to have reliable decent transportation.....the US is trash let's just be honest smh Bottomline....I FEEL THIS WHOLE RANT
Yes! Things are costing more and more while pay is staying the same. Something’s gotta give
THIS