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Comment by jshakes | Hacker News Reader

I'm glad you appreciate the value of a healthy, balanced lifestyle. But reading this, it's easy to see why people post "Die Techie Scum" stickers around SF. You've taken a job that someone else could actually use to help pay rent and have turned it into a hobby. If I did this job for a living I would be furious at the arrogance of someone treating as an exercise in "Feeling Good". Get some perspective.

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How far does this go?

Is it wrong of me to mow my own yard? Is it wrong of me to not eat out every day? Is it wrong of me to check the selection at the local Goodwill before buying clothes new? Is it wrong of me to not donate what I earn above the median to charity (or alternately, to not spend that amount on buying frivolous-to-me low-skill things)?

That's a difficult but worthwhile topic to discuss as we need to be mindful of those kinds of disconnects as privileged tech workers. Would it still be un-ethical if there'd be no one willing to do it? Can we ever know?

Except that in his real job, he creates jobs. So if by taking a low paying, high exertion job, his burnout rate is lowered or his stress level is lower which allows him to expand his company and hire more people, the world is largely a better place. This isn't a zero sum game. Yes, if he didn't take this job, someone else probably would but there is other context and other considerations to keep in mind.

He could always wake up and bike while leaving this position open for someone else.

That argument falls flat on its face when you consider that this is an industry that destroys a lot more jobs than it creates. You think companies that employ 10 people and then sell for millions of dollars are creating jobs? Where do you think that money comes from? Tech startups have hollowed out thousands of middle class jobs and all the money that pours into them is at the expense of investment in other industries that truly create jobs. I'm not saying that's a good or a bad thing, it's just capitalism. But you can't use job creation as a defense

I thought the same thing at first, but then realized IT'S A FREE MARKET.

For every job out there, there are [x] people more qualified and more desperate for it.

Wait... you're saying he's arrogant because he's taken a job that he enjoys primarily because of the humbling perspective it offers?

You don't see how that's kind of insulting?

"Doing this lowly job [that you've done for years] has really given me a greater understanding for all the little people [like you]"

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