You should probably quit your job

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/opinion/should+probably+quit+your/5093085/story.html

by miraj • 15 years ago

102 65 15 years ago

Udo6• 15 years ago

I agree that life is way too short to NOT be screwing around, and people should be doing what they feel makes a difference (and have fun doing it). It's hard to agree with this one, however:

  And shorter yet are the "productive years"; that period in your life when
  you can make a difference, when your knowledge, experience, and influence 
  add up to something.

Advances in both biomedical research and the culture of work will mean that we can expect to look forward to the "productive/creative years" lasting the majority of our total lifespan. Of course, you can always opt out, as I've seen with many middle-aged friends recently: have kids, build house, and then wait for death in a cushy bourgeois setting.

Tichy8• 15 years ago

That promised land of perfect health at high age is not here yet, though. It's a nice perspective, but no guarantee.

Udo6• 15 years ago

That's right, it depends on the priorities we set as a society for this kind of thing. Not just living longer, but extending the enjoyable and productive period of a person's life. Of course, I'm in the minority (otherwise I wouldn't have gotten modded into oblivion while the guy who says that he doesn't want to have an impact on the world is praised and congratulated) but I still firmly believe it's worthwhile.

What I don't get is why many people are so violently opposed to this. I'm not even talking about transhumanism or anything as controversial as that, just preventing "old" people from degenerating.

As a med student I saw so many people wasting away in retirement homes, many of them were not even that old. With advances in biotech, I hope we'll give my generation a much more active and empowered existence when we come into this age group.

AndrewDucker2• 15 years ago

I don't actually feel the need to change the world.

There are some things I enjoy tinkering with, and I've been involved in a couple of minor political causes, but I clearly don't feel the same urge that this person does to get out there and remake the world.

And so I am not likely to quit my job (which pays quite nicely, doesn't overstress me, and brings me the security to relax at the weekends and in the evenings) and go change the world.

I don't feel bad about that.

evilswan• 15 years ago

...and neither should you. If you're happy where you are then you already have more than most.

rdin• 15 years ago

I agree, quitting isn't for everybody. But one thing everybody can do is at least consider other options that fit with their risk profiles

Mz4• 15 years ago

People who feel some overwhelming need to Change The World are basically projecting: Their "world" (internal mental landscape, personal life, whatever) is in desperate need of an overhaul. (Edit: I know because this was me, say, 20 to 30 years ago. Then I fixed my personal crap. I no longer feel like lecturing everyone else about what they "should" be doing.)

I won't even read the piece. I skimmed it. This is the closing line: You should quit your job. But, sadly, you probably won't. (It feels like a kick in the gut to even read that much.) That and the title tell me all I need to know: This individual has poor boundaries and feels entitled to screw with other people and their lives due to his dissatisfaction.

Thank you so much for not being like him. You have absolutely nothing to feel bad about (so I am glad you don't). The world would be a better place if more people were, like you, basically happy with their lives and trying to do some little things to make the world better rather than trying to promote their own Final Solution and running around lecturing people on how they should live. As a general rule of thumb, I will read things that are titled "Why I did X" and won't read things titled "Why you should do X". He knows nothing about me or my life. It is hugely egomaniacal (not to mention delusional) to presume he knows what's best for me.

Peace.

Tichy8• 15 years ago

It is better for me if other people are content with their shitty jobs, hence I also feel like applauding the commenter above.

Just keep consuming what society feeds you. It's only for your best, trust me.

kore• 15 years ago

While I agree with some of your sentiments about the author, it feels like you're doing a bit of the same by claiming that everybody who wants to change the world are doing so only because they're projecting.

I say so with some defensiveness because one of my greatest goals in life is to do just that, to make a difference, as cliche as it is. And yes, I've quit my old job so I could pursue it. We all look around this world and see things that aren't quite right, that we'd like to see changed, and I'm no different. I'd like to be able to do something about it though, big things, not just sit idly by.

All too often in life I've been happy just coasting along, taking the easy road in front of me, pursuing good grades in earnest, working hard, and making a good living at interesting jobs. That brings me no closer to my goals in life though, that's not my dream. Some of us have dreams that can be achieved while working 9-5, that's great, but if you have a dream that's important to you, that requires you to quit, do give it some thought. You only have one life.

wladimir• 15 years ago

Right. Most people that have really improved the world have not done so by telling other people what to do, but by doing something themselves.

But I think you're wrong in that everyone that tries to change the world only has personal issues to overcome, and if they do everything is alright. Believing that is pretty much solipsism. Sometimes the world really is wrong and can be fixed.

Jeema3000• 15 years ago

I don't think he's trying to lecture anyone - probably speaking from personal feeling rather. I mean... life is ultimately kind of a Sisyphean existance when you think about it (as the philosopher Albert Camus once pointed out). Some people don't get bothered by that, but other people can get very down thinking about the existential nature of things. And that feeling can be the impetus to want to try something different with their lives that has more meaning to them. I don't see that as a bad thing...

danielharan• 15 years ago

Oh, so you are projecting your pattern of 20 or 30 years ago on everyone else and lecturing us about how we're just selfish for changing the world?

I've seen plenty of people who have fixed their personal crap -- at that point they realized they were far more passionate about helping others than continuing to advance their careers.

felipemnoa• 15 years ago

He wasn't talking to you. He is talking to the people that would like to quit their jobs. They know who they are. Too many people dream about doing something else but they never do. No need to get offended about this, unless you still have some deep desire to do it and that is why it bothers you?

Tichy8• 15 years ago

So your goal in life is essentially to relax?

AndrewDucker2• 15 years ago

Good Lord No.

I also want to make life better for my fiancee, and make sure that I'm in a secure position for raising children.

If my job was making me unhappy then I'd move to a different one. And I've quit jobs before when the management were doing things I disapproved of.

And I give money to charity, and (as I said) get involved in occasional political things (like the voting reform referendum earlier this year).

smashing• 15 years ago

You come across as judgmental to me. If there were more people who's goal was essentially to relax, how bad would things be?

fabjan• 15 years ago

Mine is, or I don't really know.

What's the problem?

mannicken2• 15 years ago

And your goal is to pretend you're making a huge difference that will probably not get noticed by anyone, and even if it does, it will be for a very short period of time and after a while everyone will die and forget about it, and then the Earth will die of heat death or something, and everything you made with your "YEAAAH!" enthusiasm and pain will be destroyed anyway.

Have fun with that perspective ;-)

leftnode• 15 years ago

Yup, I read Guy Kawasaki's "Art of the Start" where he says you should make a startup and change the world. It's incredibly frightening to think that, and I wouldn't recommend it for anyone.

Very few people change the world in the sense the author means (Mark Zuckerberg, Larry/Sergey, loads of scientists, etc).

But if you can set out to change someones world, I think you'll find your work more interesting and rewarding.

ww520• 15 years ago

Although it's tempting to just quit to pursue your dream, I would advise against it until you have put your financial life in order and save up some money. It's called a fuck-you fund for a reason.

int3rnaut• 15 years ago

Good point, it's interesting to note the 2 people referenced in the article were fairly well off--I mean one was a manager at Microsoft.

The idea that you need financial success to do this though is a bit strange. I think it's easier to just quit your job when you're poor from an outside perspective because you're not giving up very much in terms of the grand scheme--you'd throw away a penny before you'd throw away a $20 bill right, but speaking from experience when you're poor, these shit jobs mean a whole helluva lot.

analyst74• 15 years ago

How much is only relative to your situation.

If you live cheaply, saving up a few thousand will allow you do things you'd like to pursue without worrying about money; if you have big house mortgage, fancy car, expensive wife, then giving up a luxury job suddenly becomes not so easy.

PonyGumbo• 15 years ago

Yeah. I started a company after a layoff, and it was very, very rough going. I had to take whatever consulting gigs I could get on the side to keep things going, and those were a huge distraction.

motters• 15 years ago

In the current economic climate I would encourage people to think really carefully before quitting their jobs. No matter how dynamic or talented you may be, it's a pretty tough environment.

Tichy8• 15 years ago

"Quitting your job" seems like the wrong directive. Find a better job.

wccrawford• 15 years ago

I wouldn't even go that far. 'Evaluate your job' is more like it. Take stock of what you have, what you want, and what you can get.

And IF it makes sense to change, seriously consider it.

That all seems like common sense, but it's harder than it sounds.

mannicken2• 15 years ago

Oh, common, guys. "Evaluate your job and all the possibilities and if necessary stay until you have reached financial stability or have another offer, in which case you can contemplate quitting" just has a bit less zing than "Storm into your boss's office say 'I QUIT' then defecate on his desk and leave with Metallica - Battery playing all around you.'

snowshoveler• 15 years ago

Ambition, entrepreneurialism, etc. They are all diseases… to some extent they are likely genetic; something you’re born with.

The writer was born with one of these, or like, diseases or is channeling someone who has been. He is therefore of the mindset that he must make a difference… do something that alters the course of history… make a mark.

We cannot blame this person for what they cannot control for they were born with this disease.

The article is certainly not meant for the overall public and this should have been stated. Your interest in making a change, putting your stamp on the world, leaving a memory, etc has nothing to do with whether you are a good or bad person or whether you are making the most of your life. Some are happy to change the life on one person (child, friend, etc) while others feel compelled to do so on a mass level. It is entirely a personal decision. It is most likely driven by whether you are infected with the disease of ambition, entrepreneurialism, etc…

I can speak to this as I too was born with both of the above mentioned diseases. I don’t wish them upon everyone but at the same time I am not sure life would be even fractionally as enjoyable without them.

padolsey• 15 years ago

I agree with everything you've said but I don't think we can classify it as a disease.

GiraffeNecktie• 15 years ago

"Master, what shall I do until I reach enlightenment?" "Chop wood, carry water." "And what will I do after I reach enlightenment?" "Chop wood, carry water."

F_J_H• 15 years ago

I think the point is:

"Master, then why bother?". "Before you will hate it. After you will love it."

csomar• 15 years ago

It's not quit your job. It's stop doing shit. Some companies like Facebook are changing the world. So by working on Facebook you are contributing to the world change that Facebook does.

The problem isn't with that. Life is full shit. You may not be a contributor to that, but many people are. Stop doing Shit. If you are a programmer and you know that your presence adds no value then quit!

Stop doing Shit. Go and do interesting things. Doesn't matter if you are working for someone else or you are employing people.

ams61103• 15 years ago

I agree with your basic sentiment but not your example. Facebook are certainly changing things, but change is not automatically good.

rimantas• 15 years ago

  > It's not quit your job. It's stop doing shit.

Yep. Just yesterday I came across the great piece (imho) on this topic. Just ignore the introductory first sentence in Lithuanian and read on: http://www.dansu.lt/2011/07/13/svecio-irasas-daniel-vaarik-m...

I think it applies to much more than one industry in one small country.

zwieback• 15 years ago

Judging by this example of navel-gazing journalism, yes, maybe it's good the author quit his job and started a charity. The fact that he feels it's ok to publicly question his daughters ambitions to prove a dubious point further illustrates that he's not in a spot to contribute to the discussion about the value of people's career choices.

The whole idea of a limited time in your life where you can make a difference is ridiculous and choosing other journalists and managers as examples of people who have seen the light and quit their jobs just reaffirms my choice of an engineering career. Maybe I'm not finding the cure for cancer but at least I'm not sitting around dispensing bad advice.

grantismo• 15 years ago

It seems like the journalist never realized that his personal situation doesn't apply to everyone. We could use the same anecdotes and say something far more meaningful, like "life is too short, do something you value."

A career isn't mutually exclusive with a life goal. For some, a career is a means to that goal, for others, it is the goal. To each his own.

GotToStartup• 15 years ago

In a way, this article reminds me of Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist. The journey of a shepherd boy who leaves his world to discover the treasures of his personal legend.

"They represent the Promised Land where, one day, we'll start doing something meaningful."

If you don’t have an urge to go out and do something different than what you’re doing now, then this article probably doesn’t apply to you. I think It’s more related to people who say you’re going to one day start your own company, or work for a startup, or “travel to Montreal” but immediate problems always get in the way. You don’t have to change the world necessarily, just be happy and follow your dreams NOW because life is too short.

jwingy• 15 years ago

I completely agree with this sentiment (and I love The Alchemist). I think it's equally virtuous for someone who has little aspirations but to be happy with the life they've been given as it is for someone who wants to achieve a lot in his/her life. Isn't the goal in the end to simply find what makes you happy and live it?

scythe• 15 years ago

It's not about the quitting, it's about the charity or the startup or whatever. You can run away from things all your life, but you'll never get to a place called 'there'; you'll find that everywhere you go is still 'here'. You have to go towards what you want, not away from what you don't.

ramidarigaz2• 15 years ago

Why would I quit my job? I like my job! Dammit, stop projecting your own dislikes on to me!

I get to work with really bright people on really cool projects. My work environment is somewhat laid back. I get plenty of time off. Nobody bothers me for not showing up right at 9am. Plus, I have fun here!

umjames• 15 years ago

Where do you work, if you don't mind me asking? It sounds like a really great place.

ramidarigaz2• 15 years ago

http://lasp.colorado.edu/ :D

sliverstorm• 15 years ago

It's a classic human foible. We want to get other people to do the same thing as us, because it makes us feel better about ourselves and our decisions.

ignifero• 15 years ago

I don't understand, since every single comment disagrees, why was this in the frontpage? Maybe because people like inspiring, loud words; they soothe, make you feel enlightened and accomplished without doing anything. I hate all this new age self-help enlightening crap telling people how to live their life, mostly because some of the world's greatest oppressors used the same methods in the past.

WiseWeasel• 15 years ago

If you're tired of your job, do like I may or may not have done; wait for a performance review or a meeting with a new supervisor, and when they ask what you see yourself doing in five years, reply with something in a completely different industry. Then, hopefully, you'll be terminated and have a chance at collecting unemployment while you work full-time on your web startup.

bitwize• 15 years ago

You should quit your job. But, sadly, you probably won't.

This line probably sounds best in the voice of Darrell Hammond's embittered-but-resigned, progressively drunker Jack Perkins from SNL about 15 years ago.

"That's a song. It's called 'Shadows of the Night' by Pat Benatar. We should do a Biography about her. But, I bet we won't."

You should probably quit your job

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