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Comment by greyman | Hacker News Reader

I am probably not a typical HN reader, but full-time "normal" employment works for me. I do software engineering and coding for 8 hours, then I go home, where I see my child, and there is a paycheck every month.

So the advice I can give is - find another programming job, which is closer to your home, and chances are your boss will be better. That can solve the problem with money, boss, and time for your child.

Regarding the more existential questions (meaning of life, etc.), I personally would not looking for the solution in the work I do.

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Agreed. I’m probably not the usual start-up type commenter either, but I have a good 8 hours a day job in a fun agency 5 minutes (!) commute from my home. I get in early, enjoy my work without burning out, get home by half five and get to fill my evenings doing the other stuff I love. I haven’t stopped questioning my happiness and if I find myself getting bored with the situation I’ll change it, but for the time being it’s working very well.

> but full-time "normal" employment works for me

Never forget that someone else's ambition is what allows for your relative stability.

That's a cruel way to look at it. If the guy is more interested in spending time with his family than working, and he's able to find someone who values his 8 hours enough to provide stable employment, then he's found a working arrangement that suits his values. As long as he believes in those values -- and isn't just accepting them by societal default -- there's no reason he should feel guilty.

As long as he believes in those values -- and isn't just accepting them by societal default -- there's no reason he should feel guilty.

Totally agree. But these values are so often a societal default, and so often never thought about except in how to extrapolate with those values as a basis.

Making a point like this can result in one of three things: the reader already though of this, and acknowledges it as such; the reader discards the insight as irrelevant or wrong; or, the reader feels a sense of cognitive dissonance, and starts to analyze the statement in the context of their core values.

The statement itself was just matter of fact. I didn't pick up any sense of judgment; more of making the point that A implies B, and that the original commenter should make sure he's comfortable accepting both premises. I don't see anything wrong with making sure that people are consciously aware of what their values imply.

> or, the reader feels a sense of cognitive dissonance, and starts to analyze the statement in the context of their core values.

This is a good way of looking at it - it's a form of self-delusion, if you ask me.

> That's a cruel way to look at it.

I'm not trying to be cruel, I'm reminding him that his (salaried) labor is making someone else wealthy. For those of us who have well developed senses of self-esteem, this is a wholly unacceptable situation.

Only if your self-esteem is tied to your wealth. That would be a shame.

My sense of self-esteem is tied to who I allow to take exploit me. Which is really just a proxy for wealth.

Not everyone has a sense of self esteem that depends on being the best at everything.

It seems that you look down on those who work as salaried labor. I would not want to work for you. I hope that whatever project you're working on can be done with just you and a cofounder.

Indeed. Work hard enough, and your own unsalaried labour might even be able to make you poor. Much better for everyone involved.

Right. Well, I'm real sorry you decided to get married early and have children, but don't take it out on those of us who know what's really going on in this world.

Never forget that the someone else's ambition is only achieved through people like him willing to help realize it.

There is no "good" or "bad" in recognizing your particular comfort zone. The only issue arises in you continuing to do something outside of your comfort zone, and that's as true as being an entrepreneur when you hate it as much as it is being an employee when you hate it.

And that someone is getting an (arguably) fair slice of the value you produce in exchange for it. What's the problem?

Not a problem. Just something that should be consciously acknowledged and accepted as best against alternatives, not something that is unconsciously drifted into due to inertia, familial/societal expectations, or anything else that removes the individual from a sense of responsibility for their decisions.

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