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You are not your job

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Re: You are not your job

#91

Post by rexpop »

IncreasePosts wrote: post #7
tim-tday wrote: post #3

50% of your waking hours are spent at work. The person you are revolves around your working hours, the problems you solve the concerns you have, the money you make the persona you display at work. Saying you are not your work is wishful thinking. Try giving it up and check in on how much of you is still the same. Maybe you wish to be more than your working self. That’s honorable and desirable. Just declaring it isn’t…

I'd only become more "me" if I stopped working. Work isn't a place I go to self actualize, it's a place I go to earn money to do the things I want to do.

Super sad that the majority of your day for the majority of your life is repressive of your "self.*

Re: You are not your job

#92

Post by IncreasePosts »

rexpop wrote: post #91
IncreasePosts wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd only become more "me" if I stopped working. Work isn't a place I go to self actualize, it's a place I go to earn money to do the things I want to do.

Super sad that the majority of your day for the majority of your life is repressive of your "self.*

Maybe, maybe not. Directly, I only work about 30h/week, so I actually have 86 hours of free time and 30 hours of work per week.

And, at this point I'm working for my kids, not for me. I could have easily retired years ago if I didn't have kids. I could retire right now but my kids might not inherit much if I did. I lucked into a field that paid me > 10x the median salary in the US, but my kids might not be so lucky.

So, I'm working a little harder and longer than I need to, so that my kids perhaps don't have to. 1 year of working and saving for me might, 25 years from now, mean my kids can retire 10 years earlier than they would. That seems like a worthwhile thing for me to do, even if it means I have a little less "me" time.

Re: You are not your job

#93

Post by tayo42 »

rexpop wrote: post #91
IncreasePosts wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd only become more "me" if I stopped working. Work isn't a place I go to self actualize, it's a place I go to earn money to do the things I want to do.

Super sad that the majority of your day for the majority of your life is repressive of your "self.*

Ill take it offline and we can circle back to that thought.

I find corporate culture to be extremely fake and it's tough to deal with. Like you ever do something simple and some one tells you wow that's amazing great job. And you think they can't be seriously right now, this was some low effort basic thing? That annoys me, corporate America demands that behavior though.

Re: You are not your job

#94

Post by sieabahlpark »

cedws wrote: post #26

>My technical skills are being disrupted by machines - that's fine I'll go do other things. [links to long bike trip] Ok that's cool and all but many of us have bills to pay. Bike trips don't pay the bills. Software people have been economically advantaged up until now that they can go and do stuff like that.

[dead]

Re: You are not your job

#95

Post by cermicelli »

block_dagger wrote: post #64
cedws wrote: post #26

>My technical skills are being disrupted by machines - that's fine I'll go do other things. [links to long bike trip] Ok that's cool and all but many of us have bills to pay. Bike trips don't pay the bills. Software people have been economically advantaged up until now that they can go and do stuff like that.

Within a few years I think UBI or UBS will be required for people to continue living, in which case basic needs (bills) won't be a concern. There's just no way for us to transition fast enough to avoid high unemployment as AI replaces large swaths of jobs. I do worry about the ~10 year transition it will take for societal governments to react.

Only way UBI works is if the govts increase taxes on all income or any income to almost 90%+...

And then re-distribute to each person accordingly. That ain't happening, no govt will be willing to try that, and rich won't let that happen, they will become slightly rich from very rich. that just ain't happening.

Re: You are not your job

#96

Post by konaraddi »

Etheryte wrote: post #14
MattDamonSpace wrote: post #8

Fine essay overall but “We possess the means to care for everyone -- yet choose not to” I really don’t think this is true

The US could make homelessness a thing of the past with a minuscule fraction of what it is spending on the military. It is very much a choice.

DoD spent $1.43 trillion in FY2026

Around ~1 million homeless in US

Let’s say it costs $10K/month/person so $120K/yr/person. Probably a big overestimate but gotta include healthcare and help people with long term stability.

That’s 120,000 x 1,000,000 = 120,000,000,000 or $120 billion USD.

Idk what the Nth order effects would be but yea I think what you’re saying tracks in the numbers

Re: You are not your job

#97

Post by rmoriz »

I also took the route of finding a new hobby (biking, all things bike mechanics, even politics) but of course it's not paying any of my bills. That's the point. While I helped making other people very rich, I never owned shares or got a bonus after an exit.

Re: You are not your job

#98

Post by rmoriz »

block_dagger wrote: post #64
cedws wrote: post #26

>My technical skills are being disrupted by machines - that's fine I'll go do other things. [links to long bike trip] Ok that's cool and all but many of us have bills to pay. Bike trips don't pay the bills. Software people have been economically advantaged up until now that they can go and do stuff like that.

Within a few years I think UBI or UBS will be required for people to continue living, in which case basic needs (bills) won't be a concern. There's just no way for us to transition fast enough to avoid high unemployment as AI replaces large swaths of jobs. I do worry about the ~10 year transition it will take for societal governments to react.

UBI/UBS requires a very solidaric community. But the current situation (in Germany) is not about finding any job but taking a low paid, hard working or even dangerous job (nursing service, shifter, even soldier, public sector).

UBI makes it even harder to find people for that kind of jobs. Not paying any social benefits and increasing the pressure on the unemployed to take these jobs is much more interesting for everyone that is not unemployed. Please don't judge me for writing this. It's the feeling I have, not my view.

Re: You are not your job

#99

Post by musicale »

> You are not your job. You're a person first. Your ability to connect, be present, and make people feel understood is what makes you irreplaceable to the people around you, which is the only market that counts.

True, but losing your job is still a big deal. It often means that you lose your income, your health insurance (in the US at least), many (if not most) of your daily interactions with other people, and your social status.

> My technical skills are being disrupted by machines - that's fine I'll go do other things.

As others have noted, it's great to not actually need the paycheck you are working for.

Re: You are not your job

#100

Post by musicale »

rmoriz wrote: post #97

I also took the route of finding a new hobby (biking, all things bike mechanics, even politics) but of course it's not paying any of my bills. That's the point. While I helped making other people very rich, I never owned shares or got a bonus after an exit.

"X. Employee, 19xx-20xx. Beloved co-worker and technical specialist. Sacrificed health and happiness to deliver value to shareholders."
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