The Mundane Existence
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The Mundane Existence
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Re: The Mundane Existence
#2unfortunately, this reminds me a little much of how my life used to seem. hopefully the author can find succeed with their startup.
Re: The Mundane Existence
#3Seems so familiar. I just started to face this problem and I already hate the idea of spending the rest of my life like this. There must be some way out of here...
As a little side-point: on HN we often discuss the values of startup life, or various different alternatives to 'day job'. I can understand why many hate the idea of spending most of one's life as a nine-to-five worker doing things one doesn't exactly care about. I hate this idea too. But, if we applied this attitude on the scale of the whole society, would it not collapse? If every shop clerk, Starbucks barista, bus driver, electrician or other professional realized that there must be a better way of working, what would happen? Do we need to force people to have jobs (so that they can eat) for modern civilization to work?
Re: The Mundane Existence
#4unfortunately, this reminds me a little much of how my life used to seem. hopefully the author can find succeed with their startup.
"used to"? Mind sharing what changed? Did you achieve what the OP tries to, did it happen by itself?
Re: The Mundane Existence
#5Seems so familiar. I just started to face this problem and I already hate the idea of spending the rest of my life like this. There must be some way out of here... As a little side-point: on HN we often discuss the values of startup life, or various different alternatives to 'day job'. I can understand why many hate the idea of spending most of one's life as a nine-to-five worker doing things one doesn't exactly care…
"If every shop clerk, Starbucks barista, bus driver, electrician or other professional realized that there must be a better way of working, what would happen?"
That point comes up often, and personally, I think it works itself out. There will always be people that seek the stars and there will always be people that are content with a different lifestyle, including those you mentioned.
Re: The Mundane Existence
#6Seems so familiar. I just started to face this problem and I already hate the idea of spending the rest of my life like this. There must be some way out of here... As a little side-point: on HN we often discuss the values of startup life, or various different alternatives to 'day job'. I can understand why many hate the idea of spending most of one's life as a nine-to-five worker doing things one doesn't exactly care…
I think a robot/automation revolution would allow us one day to not have to work, but I think that hope faces more political and socioeconomic obstacles than practical ones.
Or in other words, someone will try to profit from such a revolution, and probably to the detriment of the rest of society. In some ways, this is already happening.
Re: The Mundane Existence
#7Only around 30 and feeling this mundane? Although I loved the technology I was working on, my last job became five work-days filled with meetings too. I can tell you that it turned what could have been my hobby (the technology) into a similarly mundane existence.
A day full of meetings poses three problems:
1) Poorly run meetings consume too much time without accomplishing anything.
2) Having a full day of meetings almost eliminates the possibility of getting real work done while you're fresh.
3) The meetings are often so dull (probably the small ratio of useful content to blather), that you'll be tired sooner.
I became quite a contrarian ... refusing meetings when there wasn't a clear-cut agenda and goals and in general trying to take back some of the time for actual work. It didn't work, but it did earn me some black marks with my managers.
Finally, I started a venture with two other guys and the three of us have clear-cut roles. Since we trust that the others are capable and willing to do their parts, we have only three calls a week, each scheduled to be 15 minutes (but generally they're closer to 30). Now we're starting to demo to customers and those meetings are exciting ... validation of some of our ideas, new ideas and occasional criticism that keeps us on the right track can be invigorating.
I hope you're able to find that kind of excitement soon ... I've rediscovered the adventure in my life!
Re: The Mundane Existence
#8Seems so familiar. I just started to face this problem and I already hate the idea of spending the rest of my life like this. There must be some way out of here... As a little side-point: on HN we often discuss the values of startup life, or various different alternatives to 'day job'. I can understand why many hate the idea of spending most of one's life as a nine-to-five worker doing things one doesn't exactly care…
The key might be variety. I'd hate "spending the rest of my life programming in front of a screen" as much as "spending the rest of my life making coffee" or "spending the rest of my life on a potato field". But trying your hands at various jobs for a few months or years? Sounds much more refreshing, doesn't it!
Re: The Mundane Existence
#9Seems so familiar. I just started to face this problem and I already hate the idea of spending the rest of my life like this. There must be some way out of here... As a little side-point: on HN we often discuss the values of startup life, or various different alternatives to 'day job'. I can understand why many hate the idea of spending most of one's life as a nine-to-five worker doing things one doesn't exactly care…
I think a robot/automation revolution would allow us one day to not have to work, but I think that hope faces more political and socioeconomic obstacles than practical ones. Or in other words, someone will try to profit from such a revolution, and probably to the detriment of the rest of society. In some ways, this is already happening.
Who would want a life without some work? I think it's more that we don't get to work on the things that are meaningful to us. Work can be one of life's adventures too!
BTW: I've met Baristas that are exactly where they want to be ... you can tell from their great smiles, and their propensity to call you by name and remember your regular order after only a couple visits.
Re: The Mundane Existence
#10Seems so familiar. I just started to face this problem and I already hate the idea of spending the rest of my life like this. There must be some way out of here... As a little side-point: on HN we often discuss the values of startup life, or various different alternatives to 'day job'. I can understand why many hate the idea of spending most of one's life as a nine-to-five worker doing things one doesn't exactly care…
If every shop clerk, Starbucks barista, bus driver, electrician or other professional realized that there must be a better way of working, what would happen?
The first three you listed are well on their way to being automated within a few decades. The last one seems out of place, since electricians are relatively well-paid and often self-employed. I think that we're seeing a gradual shift away from a service economy, mirroring earlier shifts from industrial and agricultural economies, as service jobs are automated or taken over by people in poorer countries. I'm not sure what to call the economy that's coming, though. A creative economy? A reputation economy? An economy where people work on the things they find interesting, and if other people find them interesting, too, they get paid. Many of the menial or boring jobs will be automated.