7 ms·

> That stuff can't be faked, even with a high salary. Before you say, "it's easy to say when you're getting paid $240K a year." Nah. A person needs challenge; a

by BLanen 2y ago

> That stuff can't be faked, even with a high salary. Before you say, "it's easy to say when you're getting paid $240K a year." Nah. A person needs challenge; a purpose. Lots of FANG ICs making $500K+ who hate their job. Why? No challenge or palpable purpose. Something only someone with a high income would say. Contrary to all data and research and evidence.

xenospn 2y ago
I have a close friend who was making about 1M in TC and hated every moment of it.
- bradlys 2y ago
  I’m not the friend but I’ve quit a 7 figure job. I hated it and put my money where my mouth was. I took another job for a massive pay cut. Money isn’t everything. I started comparing my everyday life to prison. “How much money would I take to live in prison?” Realized it was gonna have to be a lot more than what I was getting.
  - giantg2 2y ago
    I hate my job. I've never been close to 7 figures. I'd love to have a job I'd hate and make 7 figures for a year or two.
    - ryandrake 2y ago
      Yes, please. I think a lot of HN people have lost all sense of proportion. A 7 figure job is $1M plus--a year. That's financially life-changing, no matter how much you hate the content of the work. Grin and bear it for a couple of years, and then... do anything you like for the rest of your life. Maybe 0.1% of the population gets an opportunity like that.
      - ipaddr 2y ago
        Would you take it if it means a marriage breakup and illness?
        giantg2 2y ago
        Sure, those things are common in many jobs that pay much less. Many marriages can survive a year or two of hardship. If they can't, then perhaps it's not a good marriage and it will fall apart anyways at the next major event. Illnesses happen all the time, but I assume you mean stress-related. But there are many stressful jobs that pay much less and result in injury or disability.
        mvkel 2y ago
        "A healthy man wants a thousand things, a sick man only wants one." AirPods.
        macintux 2y ago
        I think if a marriage breaks up after 2 years of one partner working 80+ hours a week to make enough money to have reasonable financial stability for the rest of their lives, the marriage probably had other issues. Illness, well, that's a tougher call.
        sandspar 2y ago
        Of course 2 years of stress can lead to otherwise-good marriages breaking up. Didn't you know happy couples who divorced during COVID lockdowns? It was common.
        macintux 2y ago
        Sure. I’m just arguing that “Here’s an opportunity to sacrifice for 2 years and put ourselves on a solid financial footing” is different from “the world is collapsing and we have to make the best of it”.
        2y ago
traviswingo 2y ago
Not sure if you’re discrediting the parent comment or pointing out the reality of it. But yes this is something only someone with a high income would say. And yes, it’s true. Beyond a certain income, the wrong job can be soul sucking and depressing. And it takes achieving that level of income to fully appreciate that reality.
- mvkel 2y ago
  It's been described as another way to hit rock bottom, because you realize that even after "making it" it doesn't make you happy. So NOW what do you do?
nexus2045 2y ago
Making 500-700k at a FAANG right now. Money certainly makes me worry less, not complaining. I still feel like a cog in a machine. If anything, it further isolated all the problems in my life that money could never really solve. Meaningful friendships, dating, self-control and discipline, self-esteem. Before, I could go by telling myself the story that "if only I had X amount of income, I'd be happy". Now, I don't have that excuse any more. I stare at the mirror, still see the same person, and realize that no amount of money will help. A nice problem to have I guess, but problems that have plagued me my entire life.
- _ah 2y ago
  "You don't seem to realize that a poor person who is unhappy is in a better position than a rich person who is unhappy. Because the poor person has hope. He thinks money would help." -Jean Kerr
  - BLanen 2y ago
    Complete anti-scientific hogwash only rich people would repeat, again.
    - deleted 2y ago
      [deleted]
    - mvkel 2y ago
      There are more than a few studies behind it. Is that "scientific"? Remember that viral story about the guy who made the min salary in his company $70K? What did he base that number on, do you think? Separately, if someone said that your take is "complete anti-scientific hogwash only poor people would repeat," would you think their opinion valid?
      - deathanatos 2y ago
        … maybe cite them? While I could see a study that says being vastly wealthy doesn't lead to happiness, the kinda wealth gap being discussed here is "cannot easily afford a home" ($70k/y; max $1.7k/mo affordable) and "can trivially afford a home" ($500k/y–$700k/y; max $17.5k/mo affordable). (For reference, homes in my area are currently ~$4.8k/mo.)

by BLanen 2y ago

xenospn 2y ago

I have a close friend who was making about 1M in TC and hated every moment of it.

bradlys 2y ago
I’m not the friend but I’ve quit a 7 figure job. I hated it and put my money where my mouth was. I took another job for a massive pay cut. Money isn’t everything. I started comparing my everyday life to prison. “How much money would I take to live in prison?” Realized it was gonna have to be a lot more than what I was getting.
- giantg2 2y ago
  I hate my job. I've never been close to 7 figures. I'd love to have a job I'd hate and make 7 figures for a year or two.
  - ryandrake 2y ago
    Yes, please. I think a lot of HN people have lost all sense of proportion. A 7 figure job is $1M plus--a year. That's financially life-changing, no matter how much you hate the content of the work. Grin and bear it for a couple of years, and then... do anything you like for the rest of your life. Maybe 0.1% of the population gets an opportunity like that.
    - ipaddr 2y ago
      Would you take it if it means a marriage breakup and illness?
      - giantg2 2y ago
        Sure, those things are common in many jobs that pay much less. Many marriages can survive a year or two of hardship. If they can't, then perhaps it's not a good marriage and it will fall apart anyways at the next major event. Illnesses happen all the time, but I assume you mean stress-related. But there are many stressful jobs that pay much less and result in injury or disability.
        mvkel 2y ago
        "A healthy man wants a thousand things, a sick man only wants one." AirPods.
      - macintux 2y ago
        I think if a marriage breaks up after 2 years of one partner working 80+ hours a week to make enough money to have reasonable financial stability for the rest of their lives, the marriage probably had other issues. Illness, well, that's a tougher call.
        sandspar 2y ago
        Of course 2 years of stress can lead to otherwise-good marriages breaking up. Didn't you know happy couples who divorced during COVID lockdowns? It was common.
        macintux 2y ago
        Sure. I’m just arguing that “Here’s an opportunity to sacrifice for 2 years and put ourselves on a solid financial footing” is different from “the world is collapsing and we have to make the best of it”.
        2y ago

traviswingo 2y ago

Not sure if you’re discrediting the parent comment or pointing out the reality of it. But yes this is something only someone with a high income would say. And yes, it’s true. Beyond a certain income, the wrong job can be soul sucking and depressing. And it takes achieving that level of income to fully appreciate that reality.

mvkel 2y ago
It's been described as another way to hit rock bottom, because you realize that even after "making it" it doesn't make you happy. So NOW what do you do?

nexus2045 2y ago

Making 500-700k at a FAANG right now. Money certainly makes me worry less, not complaining. I still feel like a cog in a machine. If anything, it further isolated all the problems in my life that money could never really solve. Meaningful friendships, dating, self-control and discipline, self-esteem. Before, I could go by telling myself the story that "if only I had X amount of income, I'd be happy". Now, I don't have that excuse any more. I stare at the mirror, still see the same person, and realize that no amount of money will help. A nice problem to have I guess, but problems that have plagued me my entire life.

_ah 2y ago
"You don't seem to realize that a poor person who is unhappy is in a better position than a rich person who is unhappy. Because the poor person has hope. He thinks money would help." -Jean Kerr
- BLanen 2y ago
  Complete anti-scientific hogwash only rich people would repeat, again.
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
  - mvkel 2y ago
    There are more than a few studies behind it. Is that "scientific"? Remember that viral story about the guy who made the min salary in his company $70K? What did he base that number on, do you think? Separately, if someone said that your take is "complete anti-scientific hogwash only poor people would repeat," would you think their opinion valid?
    - deathanatos 2y ago
      … maybe cite them? While I could see a study that says being vastly wealthy doesn't lead to happiness, the kinda wealth gap being discussed here is "cannot easily afford a home" ($70k/y; max $1.7k/mo affordable) and "can trivially afford a home" ($500k/y–$700k/y; max $17.5k/mo affordable). (For reference, homes in my area are currently ~$4.8k/mo.)