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Why I Quit A Six Figure Job

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Re: Why I Quit A Six Figure Job

#71

Post by steveklabnik »

presidentender wrote: post #58
steveklabnik wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> My number 1 reason for quitting is I want to get off the addiction of the constant paychecks. This is interesting... it reminds me of what I tell people when they ask if I'm going to finish college. I can count the classes I'm missing on one hand, so I often get asked when I'm going back, and they're shocked when I say I'm not. Basically, at this point, a degree will only stop me from getting boring, corporate jobs…

That sounds to me like rationalization, not reasoning, I have to admit.

It's quite possible. I really hated school.

Re: Why I Quit A Six Figure Job

#72

Post by watmough »

davidbr02 wrote: post #65
astine wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A lot of those people who are losing their houses are losing them because they treated money they had not yet earned as an asset. Unless your employment contract says you have tenure, you should act as if it does.

Then nobody would ever be able to buy a house with anything less than cash. Nobody has a guaranteed job for the next 30 years

Remember the mortgage is secured on the house, so in a non-recourse state, you can simply hand the house back to the lender and walk-away.

This is how commercial real estate works. Can't fill the building? Hand it back to the lender.

Re: Why I Quit A Six Figure Job

#73

Post by Oxryly »

steveklabnik wrote: post #71
presidentender wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That sounds to me like rationalization, not reasoning, I have to admit.

It's quite possible. I really hated school.

Not to pile on, but that sounds like more rationalization as well. Did the resistance to school increase the closer you got to graduation? I think the problem you're facing may be much closer to home.

Re: Why I Quit A Six Figure Job

#74

Post by [deleted] »

quan wrote: post #28
TomOfTTB wrote: post #2

I don't know. This seems stupid to me. I'm all for chasing your dream when you have an actual dream to chase. But to quit a good job that pays well just to randomly walk around and try to figure out what you want to do doesn't seem wise to me. It seems much wiser to wait till you have an idea that you want to pursue and then quit. That way you have more resources to devote to the idea that you're actually dedicated t…

I recently quit my high-paying job, in fact, today is my last day, and "randomly walk around" is exactly what I'm going to do. For most of my 27 years, I've been trying to do the "wise" thing by getting good grades, graduating from a good college, working at a good job, finishing my master, etc. For once, I want to be foolish. My number 1 reason for quitting is I want to get off the addiction of the constant paycheck…

[deleted]

Re: Why I Quit A Six Figure Job

#75

Post by JoeAltmaier »

plinkplonk wrote: post #48
JoeAltmaier wrote: post #46

I've quit six figure jobs repeatedly. When the startup gets bought and you find yourself working for the man, again, and your team is resigned to their fate and the work is rote and going the wrong way, its easy. When the company has a good idea and the team is working hard, but you can see the Founder is NEVER going to take anybody's money and there is too much IP to finish in any reasonable amount of time, its much…

"I've quit six figure jobs repeatedly." So have I. My last job at MegaCorp paid 6 figures in US dollars in Bangalore . That is a lot of money hereabouts and I did confess it did give me a pang to give it up - All I had to do to earn it was put on a corporate face and attend meetings all day. " But something comes up " yes it does. Hacking Robotics/Computer Vision Code. Couldn't be happier. But I think a key factor is…

Have wife, three kids. No, family's just the common excuse. Put money in the bank, enough for 6 months, and you are free from that.

If you work for the guy that pays you the most, there's a word for that: prostitute. You think you're deciding where to work; actually they are, by bidding for your labor. You don't take charge of your life UNTIL you take the job for reasons other than money.

Re: Why I Quit A Six Figure Job

#76

Post by Oxryly »

ergo98 wrote: post #39
TomOfTTB wrote: post #2

I don't know. This seems stupid to me. I'm all for chasing your dream when you have an actual dream to chase. But to quit a good job that pays well just to randomly walk around and try to figure out what you want to do doesn't seem wise to me. It seems much wiser to wait till you have an idea that you want to pursue and then quit. That way you have more resources to devote to the idea that you're actually dedicated t…

>It seems much wiser to wait till you have an idea that you want to pursue and then quit. Every stripper and/or prostitute, the story goes, plans on quitting once they make enough money to go to school/open that greasy spoon/move somewhere else. In reality they end up `quitting' when the system is done with them and tosses them out. 9-5ers often live out the same lie. You talk about rational choices, but what normall…

Nice insight there; clearly spoken from direct and current experience.

I think it's just one way a consistent low level fear manifests itself in our lives. Breaking out of that secure routine is not just scary by itself -- it'll dredge up a host of un-faced fears we carry around trying to avoid. I have the luxury of pointing this out from my desk in my office as I look forward to lunch hour.

Re: Why I Quit A Six Figure Job

#77

Post by JoeAltmaier »

potatolicious wrote: post #54
JoeAltmaier wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sounds like rationalizing your addiction. Sometimes the fly will only die if hit with a sledgehammer.

I wish this attitude weren't so prevalent on HN - no offense to you, but do you know how pretentious that sounds? People who enjoy working a rewarding job are "rationalizing their addiction"? [edit] Specifically, I object to the false polarization of this topic: working a job means bowing to The Man, working on boring crap with stupid bosses, and other such nonsense. It does a disservice to both people who work at a…

You made up all the stuff about "working for the Man", and since you did, I feel free to ask you: why all the vitriol? Is your own job fulfilling? Where does all that anger come from?

The idea that you can work a regular job AND start your own thing is a common misconception. Nothing to do with whether your job is rewarding or not; either way it precludes striking out on your own. The hours in the day prevent it.

The addiction is to the soft life. Lots of ways to explain why you enjoy that - and I understand completely. But its not going to get you anywhere but where you are.

When somebody has this level of emotion, I like to ask: if you were going to die in a year, how would you spend that time? And then: what are you waiting for.

Re: Why I Quit A Six Figure Job

#78

Post by astine »

davidbr02 wrote: post #65
astine wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A lot of those people who are losing their houses are losing them because they treated money they had not yet earned as an asset. Unless your employment contract says you have tenure, you should act as if it does.

Then nobody would ever be able to buy a house with anything less than cash. Nobody has a guaranteed job for the next 30 years

"Then nobody would ever be able to buy a house with anything less than cash."

I've heard worse advice. That would have avoided the mortgage crisis anyway. The fact that the default in so many markets is to 'buy' things with borrowed money is probably for the worse.

I'm not saying one should never go into debt, but, plan ahead. Your job is not a given so make sure you have a buffer.

Re: Why I Quit A Six Figure Job

#79

Post by JoeAltmaier »

Psyonic wrote: post #66
potatolicious wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wish this attitude weren't so prevalent on HN - no offense to you, but do you know how pretentious that sounds? People who enjoy working a rewarding job are "rationalizing their addiction"? [edit] Specifically, I object to the false polarization of this topic: working a job means bowing to The Man, working on boring crap with stupid bosses, and other such nonsense. It does a disservice to both people who work at a…

What I find most disturbing about that attitude is how these people must treat their employees, once they get any. If they really think its such an inferior way to live, they can't hold them in very high esteem.

Again, you two are free-associating all this from the original remark. But since you brought it up:

I treat my employees like people, and valuable resources, and experts in their job. I defend them from outside distractions and criticism, taking all the crap on their behalf, and giving them ALL the glory. I don't get to make decisions, I HAVE TO make decision with the best intelligence at my disposal, which includes my Employees expert opinions. I'm paying them for that; I'd be a fool to ignore it.

Re: Why I Quit A Six Figure Job

#80

Post by ergo98 »

Oxryly wrote: post #76
ergo98 wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>It seems much wiser to wait till you have an idea that you want to pursue and then quit. Every stripper and/or prostitute, the story goes, plans on quitting once they make enough money to go to school/open that greasy spoon/move somewhere else. In reality they end up `quitting' when the system is done with them and tosses them out. 9-5ers often live out the same lie. You talk about rational choices, but what normall…

Nice insight there; clearly spoken from direct and current experience. I think it's just one way a consistent low level fear manifests itself in our lives. Breaking out of that secure routine is not just scary by itself -- it'll dredge up a host of un-faced fears we carry around trying to avoid. I have the luxury of pointing this out from my desk in my office as I look forward to lunch hour.

I've taken more "risks" than most, getting to a pretty comfortable position. Yet still I know that I've operated at maybe 20%, simply because I could.

I remember quitting one job (giving proper notice and doing everything right to strive for something better) and one of my coworkers lauded my bravery. It struck me because I didn't see it as bravery at all. More cowardly of rotting away in a 9-5 boring position.

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