Venting I can't endure 9-5 culture. I feel ashamed and justified at the same time. How do you feel about western work culture?

[CarrotEater]

In the past, you didn't have to work so many hours to get the bare minimum. Now people have to work full time and overtime to pay the bills and get adequate food. Reaching a good standard of living is so difficult now. I'm not sure what the blame is, I think it's mostly companies getting more power and being able to withhold more profits from their laborers. We are heading very far away from that direction, and I don't see it changing anytime soon as long as you can take out loans for a slice of pizza (look at the amount of things you can use Buy Now Pay Later on). People will take on massive loans for basic necessities, and as long as that bubble doesn't pop, it will stay the same. The housing market can be so expensive precisely because people only need to pay 10% of the house's value at first, and then take on burden of debt for the next 50 years.

It was theorized in the last century that with automation, humans could work less and less. But instead, the average guy has to work more and more because of the withholding of better wages. I've seen the people that can go without working 9-5 and it seems pretty pleasant though. My boss goes on vacation every month across the country to engage in his hobbies. Sociologists theorized that the average man could do this with technological advancement, but that is not happening out of pure greed. Look at how people talk about AI. They don't talk about how it could help everyone work less and live better lives, they talk about fear of not having a job and starving on the street, because people hoard money even when they've made more.

Thanks for the answer!

There is a lot I'd like to say here. I wish we voted for people that care about facts and well being of everybody, that would be a good start. We should hold them accountable, it saddens me how some get relected. We can't expect politicians to fix all our issues, but voting for liars and people who make our lives worse is insane. At the same time can't blame people for voting a certain way when their lives are so miserable and they may latch on any kind of hope without caring what is best in the long run.

 

[fallingbehind]

Its embarrassing but work culture plays a large role in my decision to ctb. I dont have the will or the intelligence to work for the rest of my functional years.

 

[LigottiIsRight]

We work in order to sustain the life we spend working. A ridiculous, yet unavoidable loop.

 

[Gustav Hartmann]

But I think there are people (maybe even a majority) who don't have a profession they would actually enjoy doing or that they would even be capable of doing well to begin with. So they are screwed with no means of correcting the situation.

I would say that even with all the compounding and interacting factors that led me to eventual suicide, not having a career that I am happy with and don't hate doing is, at this late stage in my shitty life, the number one reason why I will end up killing myself. I would even say that if that factor could be cured, then I probably wouldn't be suicidal. But it won't be cured.

I forget to mention self motivation. There are often very personal ways for self motivation even if the job is awful. If it is hard and tiring physical work imagine it is your workout. Or feel better if you are valuable for the human society.

 

[areyousafe??]

I had to go on disabilty to fought 3 years to get it . Its degrading

What process did you have to go through to get it?

I read about other people's experiences with trying to get approved for disability under mental health on Reddit. It sounded frustrating- some were not approved because their condition wasn't considered to be stable, or severe enough to impact on working, they hadn't tried enough types of antidepressants etc. I read only 25% of claims got approved. I didn't think I stood a chance but my psychiatrist was supportive and he provided me with a medical report. I had to attend a job capacity assessment and then a medical assessment with a clinical psychologist. They had my medical records from all the times I was hospitalised dating back to 2004. I was surprised when I received a message saying that disability had been approved 2 weeks ago.

 

[divinemistress36]

What process did you have to go through to get it?

I read about other people's experiences with trying to get approved for disability under mental health on Reddit. It sounded frustrating- some were not approved because their condition wasn't considered to be stable, or severe enough to impact on working, they hadn't tried enough types of antidepressants etc. I read only 25% of claims got approved. I didn't think I stood a chance but my psychiatrist was supportive and he provided me with a medical report. I had to attend a job capacity assessment and then a medical assessment with a clinical psychologist. They had my medical records from all the times I was hospitalised dating back to 2004. I was surprised when I received a message saying that disability had been approved 2 weeks ago.

You will always get denied the first time and sometimes second time .you have to get a lawyer to even have a chance to win and a hearing with a judge. Actually went through 2 hearings with a judge and if they see that you worked full time during those years of waiting you will be denied. All the electroshock therapy is what made the 2nd judge be like ya you are disabled

 

[SleepyTransit]

I wouldn't say "western" work culture but, a "North American" one. I live in Canada and can agree with you on that... the 9-5 is not a 9-5. You see people working close to 12 hours a day 5 days week like it's totally normal (Most of which are not payed OT for) luckily I work as a tradesman at a digital printing shop and the hours are the ones for your shift. But i feel absolutely ashamed that we have such a bad work culture. Atleast it's not as bad as like Japan where I have heard of some terrible things Bosses have done to their employees sometimes.

 

[Scythe]

Same, I also struggled in school, mentally, my final semester was me going to school, trying to sleep through some classes so it drains me less, passing time in the afternoon by doing nothing or playing games that I couldn't enjoy because I was drained. It also left a long term change to my brain that makes my depression episodes stronger and more frequent.

I used to get told that I'd just need to work hard and get good grades and once I'm working it'll be easy. I believed my parents until I talked to working adults and realized there's only more suffering down the line.

You don't really need to feel bad about not being adaptable to this, this isn't something I believe we should adapt to. I've seen working change people, it makes them miserable, but they hold on because they want to live, they have to keep working because that's what it takes to live right now.

I've got the conviction to die anyways, don't plan to live long so it's not like I'm leeching off society. (I wouldn't feel bad even if I am because this entire world is fucked up and I honestly cannot give a damn) This current society gives you a "choice" work or die, it just doesn't expect you to die, it's threatening you, and if you're avoiding choosing, good on you. If you choose death, that's fine too, it's the option most people aren't brave enough to choose. There's nothing weak about avoidance either, the current state society is in, the reward is genuinely not worth the effort most of the times.

 

[Adûnâi]

Now people have to work full time and overtime to pay the bills and get adequate food. Reaching a good standard of living is so difficult now.

I feel so inadequate because my mom works in Italy like 2 months per year and has enough money for keeping me alive in the Ukraine? (Also my granny in Italy helps.) Does it mean I'm privileged that I don't have to work? BUT with the caveat that I can't go outside at all.

So why not have an online job, let's say, and emigrate to a third world country such as the Philippines or Romania? I'm rather clueless about these matters, but I feel like when poor countries emigrate to the rich ones, the rich ones don't usually abuse their conditions by emigrating to the low cost of living regions?