The "New" 9 to 5 \ stacker news ~alter

pull down to refresh

534 sats \ 25 comments \ @BTCFC 29 May alter_native

This thought came to me while a YouTube ad of Tony Robbins abruptly interrupted a video I was watching. I skipped past the ad, but from the 5 seconds I was forced to watch, it seemed like Robbins was about to pitch his course on how to escape the 9 to 5 grind at the low cost of whatever.99! This got me thinking: this is the new product of an "ideal life" we are being sold. The previous version of the "ideal life"—the good old 9 to 5 with degrees, promises of a stable income, a house, a nice car, a family, and retirement—isn't as fashionable or in demand as it once was.

Instead, the new and improved version is to buy into products that promise to teach you how to be "financially free," "how to work wherever you want, whenever you want," "how to invest so your money works for you instead of you working for it," and so on. The product list and possibilities of advertisement are as plentiful as there are influencers.

I'm not saying this to mock those who refuse to settle for a 9 to 5, because I, too, don't see myself settling for the conventional 9 to 5. On the flip side, I know plenty of people who have found success, fulfillment, and meaning in life going the 9 to 5 route. I'm just expressing an observation: the life path we choose may come down more to conditioning and being sold an artificial representation of a happy life than to a conscious choice made from free will.

view all related items

51 sats \ 3 replies \ @grayruby 30 May

Selling people the dream of financial freedom is not a new thing. That being said I do think we have better tools than ever to break the hamster wheel of 9 to 5 and have other ways to monetize our individual skill sets.

112 sats \ 1 reply \ @Undisciplined 30 May

The 40 hour work week was kind of a creature of inertia.

For decades prior, the work week was getting shorter and it just sort of stagnated on 40.

Rising wages probably would have kept shrinking the workweek, if not for a bunch of arbitrary labor regulations.

50 sats \ 0 replies \ @cryotosensei 30 May

Ireland experimented with a 4-day workweek and found that productivity actually improved for some professions. I hope that this trend will spread

60 sats \ 0 replies \ @BTCFC OP 30 May

Totally agree and was actually reflecting on that bit after rereading my own post just now, but I'm hoping you got the gist of what I was trying to imply.

And I agree with your second point as well! At the end of the day I think it has always come down to the individual's own aspirations, work ethic, and critical thinking to truly live a meaningful life!

100 sats \ 12 replies \ @Undisciplined 29 May

It also seems like part of the increasingly unstructured culture that so many people are floundering in. It's really difficult to plan your life when none of the parts have a known shape.

91 sats \ 1 reply \ @BTCFC OP 30 May

Very much so! I initially got into 'doing my own thing' naively and so I had all this time but had zero plans or any sort of structure as you mentioned. Essentially I realized 1) I was very dependent on being given a structure and set schedule either in school or at work and 2) I had no idea how to structure and plan my own life out without someone telling me what to do. But with time, and trial and error, I more or less have learned to better structure my life, plan things out, and construct my own schedule to stay productive and further optimize my life without depending on others.

30 sats \ 0 replies \ @TheWildHustle 30 May

Bullish on this freak

30 sats \ 9 replies \ @Satosora 29 May

The whole younger generation wants to be youtube stars or influencers.

20 sats \ 1 reply \ @BTCFC OP 30 May

In Japan the number one dream of kids nowadays is to become a successful YouTuber lol nothing wrong with it but how times have changed!

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Satosora 30 May

Yeah, its interesting how times have changed.

20 sats \ 6 replies \ @Bell_curve 30 May

They need a lesson in economics: barriers to entry and competition

10 sats \ 5 replies \ @Satosora 30 May

The amount of people who want to become influencers and youtubers is amazing. Unless you have a passion for something, you arent going to survive.

10 sats \ 4 replies \ @Bell_curve 30 May

Talent >> passion

10 sats \ 3 replies \ @Satosora 30 May

Talent can only take you so far. Usually passion can overtake talent in the long run. Or so I believe. This might make for an interesting post. Talent vs Passion.

10 sats \ 2 replies \ @Bell_curve 30 May

Without talent, passion is not relevant

10 sats \ 1 reply \ @Satosora 30 May

I still think passion would overrule talent any day. People with talent do not work hard to make their talent better.

view replies

30 sats \ 2 replies \ @Satosora 29 May

I think in general, if you didnt have as much media being forced on to you, you would be a happier person. I dont find my job to be unfulfilling. But I have seen others move on from my type of work. Each to their own.

10 sats \ 1 reply \ @BTCFC OP 30 May

Without a doubt! And yes, each to their own.

20 sats \ 0 replies \ @Satosora 30 May

I have always liked companies that offer overtime. If I was just at home, I would probably waste my day away. Not that that is bad.

10 sats \ 1 reply \ @BitcoinIsTheFuture 30 May

I have a Fiat job and get me work done. A bit in the morning. Then I bike with my kids to school. Work a bit. Run over lunch work a bit. Bike to pick up my kids and play with them. Work a bit before bed. One your time, own your life!

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @BTCFC OP 30 May

Sounds like you have a great work, life balance!

21 sats \ 0 replies \ @TheBTCManual 30 May

The 9-5 is an archaic system that can't be applied to EVERY job, I get it for labour and industrial jobs, your 8 hours on the job - minus launch and chatting shit with everyone on the job can only yield x or very close to it, you can only create so many widgets or lay so many bricks

But with knowledge work, i don't see it like that, when i worked at companies, I completed my daily tasks and many times just sat around watching series, or learning something I wanted on the side, I was just "on call" just in case something happened outside my expected task.

I think a lot of people see that and feel but hey so many hours are not being used and well also my salary ain't getting any stronger in purchasing power, whats a man to do?

Start your own business? No that's too hard, and risky and involve a lot of unpaid hours, so whats the other option?

When you've been browbeaten like that you're prime for scams, wealth without work has been sold to people for generations, the internet has just jacked it up to 1000

I don't think the 9-5 is a scam, i just think that it doesn't have to apply to every job and companies that figure this out will attract better talent at lower cost and outcompete, or so I tell myself

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @cryotosensei 30 May

Except that it isn’t 9 to 5 anymore. My wife works until 7-8pm sometimes. In Japan, they have a term for overwork: karoshi. So do the South Koreans.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @BTCFC OP 30 May

Sad, so very sad. And then they have nomikai after hours with their boss, or work overtime without being properly compensated because of societal pressures. Not to mention the yen getting hammered so there really is no option but to continue working...