I absolutely despise work. If there was any way to survive while living alone in a studio apartment or trailer home without having to go to a job I'd do it in a heartbeat. I work a much better job now than I was from 2014-2025, but that's only cause the pay is better and I listen to podcasts all day instead of being forced to interact with people. I still feel my soul being drained when I wake up at 3 AM and have to drag myself there just to do some B's I'd rather not do, but I don't have any other choice given I can't find anything that will pay better without experience or wasting years on a piece of paper.
this post was submitted on 20 Feb 2026
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Itβs either work or twerk and i aint got that kind of body
People don't want to work. They want to live and pay for shit. Work is the only way for people that weren't born rich to get money. Well, either that or crimes, but some crimes can be seen as illegal work.
Most people don't want to feel useless, so if you cut their access to cheap dopamine (phones with internet, social media) they might seek out some work out of boredom.
What really sucks is that society expects us to be "specialists" in one thing for the rest of our lives, as if we are fucking ant drones or gears in a complex machine. It's great for economists and the rich and awful for our individual wellbeing, though some people do enjoy doing the same thing over and over for very long periods of time.
If your really worried about working do your best to find a work place that is fun rather than a workplace that maximizes your income. Assuming you have interests try and find a job that plays to those interests and it helps to feel like your actually helping people rather than being another cog in the machine.
Problem is there's a ton of interests with jobs that just don't exist really anymore or those jobs pay the absolute bare minimum. Like my main interest/hobby is film and writing my thoughts about every single one I watch (along with videogames, but film is easier for me cause it requires a lot less from me). I don't have any interest in making a movie and becoming a paid critic nowadays is near impossible with how flooded the market is with hundreds of thousands of people doing it for free in their spare time. I could work in a movie theater or something similar, but then I'm back to making state minimum wage instead the almost double that I'm currently making.
I grew up on a subsistence farm. Everyone always worked. Every single day of the year. Some days were very long, some were short depending on what needed to be done. To survive. Of course we had fun and time off as well. It's about balance. Most people don't have to do back to the land subsistence living anymore because they substituted living in cities and taking paying jobs to buy what they need. No matter the path, you still have to do some sort of work to live. You can choose which path to some extent. There are small farms looking for people to come work for them in exchange for room and board.
There are many reasons. One is just wanting to know your contributing. Sorta goes with the good days work for a good days pay. Although given pay nowadays is more of a reason not to work. Then there is doing things you are interested in and enjoy. I worked IT for a cs research visualization lab that did a fair amount of networking and colloboration with other labs and fields. It was amazing. Worked at another place were I was hired by a guy and I enjoyed working under him and with the people at the company. Man he left and the job lost a lot of what made it decent. Other places I worked had some good folks and you combine that with my general interest in problem solving the whole contributing thing and its not bad. Granted though I really hate the way we from full time education to full time employment to nothing (if your lucky). would love a citizens income and a more 3 day work week so that the general idea is at some point to work and go to school 3 days a week each and then you fnd someone and have kids you can split it to someone is at home everyday and when they are grown you maybe can grab more educations and it would be nice for the 30 to ramp down as you approach retirment.
I mean, isn't school a bit like that?
Not exactly. I get OP's point. I'm 25 so I've experienced both, and they weren't the same for me.
School is more about the experience and the journey than the results, or at least that's what it feels like. It's the place where you get to spend time and joke around with your friends while developing knowledge together. Your teachers form genuine connections with you, and most of them do care about your well-being and development. If you're lucky, you get to have a mini party on your ride home with fellow students singing and dancing on the school bus. You get to go on fun outings and field trips. You're ultimately responsible for no one but yourself, and every day yoy learn something new.
With work, there's a very hostile environment. Everyone has a huge ego problem, your boss makes it clear that they're not your friend, you're forced to collaborate and be friendly to your colleagues even though you may not like some. You can't just decide to take a day off because clients and colleagues are depending on you. It can be monotonous and stressful. Your only social activities are probably icebreakers or eating out on a day that's supposed to be relaxing (like Christmas holidays and whenever you're nearby). You have other responsibilities when you get home as well, which aren't a sports club or music lessons but chores and admin stuff.
I know not everyone's experience is the same. For some, school is where they met their worst bully and had a miserable time whereas work was where they met their best friend and had fun. This is just me explaining why I relate to OP in our view of school vs work.
School didn't even feel obligatory for me, it was just a planned fun day. I enjoyed most of it: the teachers, the students, the timings, the duties. I even enjoyed some of the homework (and I hate the idea of homework)! There were little tasks that seemed exciting like taking the attendance to the administration's office, going around picking up each class's donations and consent forms, decorating the classroom door for the Christmas competition, getting the keys for the teacher from their staffroom, going next door to borrow a marker, doing group presentations, and being my turn to read the class book, and so on. Work usually lacks these little everyday tasks and just focuses on earning the company money and being professional. It kills joy and personality.
When you ask a question like this in a place like this, understand that you're going to be getting replies from people who have jobs where you can sit around and be bored on the internet
Good workplaces are like the after-school extracurricular classes, you go because you're interested, it's fun to problem-solve with people.
I have to be regularly told to go home at the end of the day.
Place and purpose baby! Working for someone/being exploited sucks shit, sure, but doing stuff is awesome. What else are you gonna do?
This, and working with a team, and working towards the public good. Building successful teams, improving processes, implementing efficient and sustainable systems - all good fun to achieve.
That said these take weeks and months to accomplish where I work. Iβd love to be a chef where the results of my labour was more β¦ immediate.
Its a fuckin nightmare, but gotta eat
We like to be useful. Pitching in and doing our share and making/doing things for other people who do the same for us feels good. Its a large part of what got us here and not living in caves dying of infection.
Recently its become perverted though. There's not enough satisfaction from being a useful member of society, and too much of the guys above you shouting "more! Faster! Better! I can replace you so easily!"
because they have to, else they starve to death.
they are gonna make you hate being unemployed and long for a job by simply making you live with material scarcity if you don't.
Allow me to come at this from the other side.
I can't work. My body gave out, and even though the shit show that is disability income keeps me below the poverty line, I'm essentially useless at any job that requires me being upright. So, I'm stuck there.
But if I could go back to work, I would.
I'd want to be picky at this point, but there's a lot to be said about having structure and an external purpose (as opposed to finding one within yourself, which is still possible while working, just not necessary).
Since my job was at least emotionally and mentally fulfilling, I do miss the actual work ad well. I mean, fuck the industry and the actual available employers, but doing direct patient care was fucking awesome, even when it was stressful or painful (be it physical or mental pain).
The pay sucked. Bad enough that even working full time, I technically have a higher income now than when my hourly rate was at its highest back then. But going in, helping someone, that was the shit right there.
I could have gladly done the hands on work for forty years. Even though most days I was exhausted at the end of the day. If you're lucky enough to have a job that fulfills you, the only problem is when you can't take breaks from it, or when the broken system means you can't make a real living doing it.
I recently had a loved one have a major medical event. During the aftermath, I had plenty of chances to use my old skills, and it was one of the few bright points that got me through the fear and stress of it. There was still that old joy at really, truly helping someone get better, to have a less bad day at the very least.
But, legit, there's other things I could gladly make a job of if I were both physically capable and could make enough for it the be worthwhile.
What sucks for what you're asking is having to work just for survival ata job that isn't fulfilling.
That being said, I've known a ton of people that were quite happy being a cog in the machine as long as the pay was enough to let them live how they wanted.
Besides, you don't have to plug away at the same blah job the entire time. It's entirely possible to not only switch jobs, but move into different industries. Like, one of my uncles over his almost sixty years of working was a prison guard, a foundry worker, a school custodian, a woodworking instructor at a high school, and a mill worker. When he'd get tired of something, he'd just start looking for something with similar pay (or better) and jump ship. He bitches about being bored now that he's retired.
Find something you genuinely enjoy doing.
Also, having moneyz is nice.
The question is, what else would you be doing with your time?
if you do something you enjoy for a living, you will end up hating it. trust me on that one.
Yes! That happened to me!
There are two layers in this question.
In the literal sense, they want to work because it does something for them. For some, work is means to an end. They want to do X but they can't survive on profits from doing X so they spend some time working to do the thing that they feel actually adds meaning to their life.
The other layer of this is the fear you are experiencing because you are staring into an abstract void. 'Work' can mean many, many different things. Quick peek at your Lemmy history says you have some interest in books. What if it was your 'work' to spend hours each day getting paid to read books, as an audio book reader, a literary editor, or something similar? What if it was your 'work' to spend hours each day being paid to write books as an author, or a journalist? Work can be hellish if you end up doing something you hate, for and with people you hate, to produce something you feel is making the world a worse place to live. It can also be a process of going somewhere pleasant, to do things you enjoy, with and for people you like, to produce something that you feel makes the world a better place. Work is just the label on the box. It doesn't tell you much about what's inside.
I can only speak for myself, but I enjoy having a regular supply of interesting problems to solve, and the daily routine keeps me grounded.
This is human nature. The "antiwork" crowd isn't actually against work, but against the exploitative system of how work is executed under capitalism. We all like solving problems and knowing what tomorrow holds for us. If you woke up tomorrow and had absurd "fuck you" money, you'd retire from your job, but you'd still work on things.
Over the years, I've learned the sense of accomplishment and pride that comes from fixing a thing, replacing a broken/old/inferior thing, installing a thing, etc. I was never particularly handy. I don't much enjoy the process itself, but the visible and quantifiable and tangible product of my labor and time are so much more fulfilling to me than the fraction of a fraction of an impact to a billionaire's bottom line, given in exchange for being allowed to have shelter and food.
And really, some jobs are fairly enjoyable too. My wife truly enjoys her job most days, and a lot of that enjoyment comes from her job being less serious. She clocks in, performs tasks in a way that meets expectations while joking with co-workers for a few hours, and clocks out. It's not all soul crushing, but it's easier to stomach when it's <30 hours per week.
Eh, a significant portion of the anti work crowd does seem to think communism is when no ditch digging. This is why communism really requires specific material conditions, because as long as tedious, dangerous jobs exist, there will always be degrees of worker alienation, no matter how much effort the state puts into propaganda which attempts to convince them otherwise.
Important distinction between "working" and "having a job". You do a job for someone else. You should always be working for yourself. Labor for ones own ends in enjoyable. Labor for someone else is a means to an end. Recognize it is something to balance and balance it the best you can for the life you want to have.
This should be higher up.
I think a lot of younger people today struggle to figure out what is important for them to balance and this creates a problem where they just jump from one short term gain to another until they die and if they recognize this pattern without knowing what's happening they just feel hopeless and don't want to change it or themselves and then struggle to be a functioning adult.
Hey look at that it did eventually get higher up haha
It's the money, generally. Life is expensive.
Yep.
I want to provide for my wife and kids. Its my purpose and I find it fulfilling.
He who does not work, neither shall he eat
Most people want to feel productive. Forty hours is too much but almost nobody wants to only sit on the bank that is depressing in the long run.
I don't want to work in order to survive but I want to be productive and keep my mind and body sharp while also contributing to the community. I like my job and while it seems mundane, it keeps me busy, gives me routine, gives my brain problems to solve, and is sometimes the most socializing I get. I just hate that I have to be afraid to lose my job or end up hungry or homeless because of it.
I just hate that I have to be afraid to lose my job or end up hungry or homeless because of it.
it's not an accident that you've come to see it this way; controlled dissent and manufactured fear are effective ways at keeping a population under control.
That's why I'm a communist, but most people are afraid of that term. I would settle for really good socialism in my lifetime though.
I hate being stuck as a wage slave creating wealth for the people standing on my shoulders, but I like to work and I like my job, it's a strange place to exist.
same here; except i'm not a marxist (yet) and i've traded in my labor aristocracy slave status for a non-profit driven workplace that comes with union protections.
watching my union get their collective ass handed to them by starbucks; and others; makes it's clear that union protection doesn't mean much, but it's the best i think i can get in this country.
There's so many different jobs and situations out there, not everything is doom and gloom with employment or work. I assume you're in school, which usually takes up just as much (if not considerably more) of your time commitment.
Yeah. A 40-hour-a-week job is less time than school. After graduating, I suddenly had a shitload more free time and money to go with it.
I like my job, I wouldn't do it for free, but I like it. I like the money it earns to buy cool shit and support my lifestyle. I'd also be so unhealthy if I didn't have the routine it gives me.
I might be an outlier, but I enjoy working. I like what I do. I also like having money.
Most days, when I get home, I do whatever housework is needed and still have time to spend with my family, work on home projects, or relax and play a game or whatnot.
Take care of yourself by exercising and eating right, find a job you enjoy, and you won't be dead tired after work. Granted, there are occasional days when I'm exhausted, but they're the exception, not the norm.
I'm middle age, and as much as you are not looking forward to working, that's how I feel about retirement. I don't know if I will ever retire, not because of money, but because I think I'd get bored.
There is dignity in contributing to society, I do something I'm reasonably good at and therefore enjoy doing, my colleagues are friendly and decent people, it puts a roof over my head, food on the table, and something in the piggy bank for a rainy day.
I'd say aquire as many skills as you can so that one day you can work independently and also save money on things you can do yourself like house repairs or renos. We all need to work to survive but capitalism (unfairness, inequality, abuse...) has made life miserable to millions. The system sucks but you can learn to switch between the system and your lifestyle. Prioritize your life and never be a slave to anyone.
Humans are social animals, and we want to feel useful to and accepted by the group.
Furthermore, some amount of work is always required to survive. It's pretty naturally baked into our brains.
Just remember, work to live not live to work.
I think pretty much everyone wants to feel useful and like they're contributing to society. I also think the modem idea of a job is awful and oppressive, but I think that's more of a problem with capitalism. If we had a better economic system, I think we'd have a better relationship with work. I know that if I didn't have to worry about making money to survive, I wouldn't be lazy and fuck off all the time, there's so many projects I would do and help others with. I suspect that's true for at least 99% of people.
But we live under capitalism right now and many people choose to accept that and try to be happy with wage slavery. "If you get a decent job that makes decent money, it's not so bad." But I think we'd be a lot healthier and happier if we rebuilt the system from the ground up.
Iβm a slave to capitalism. I want to eat and not live in a box on a street.
I also like playing video games. Kind of hard to play video games if you live in a box on the street.
I don't enjoy having to do it to live but I really enjoy a large portion of my job and feel like I am actually helping people
For me it was finding something I love and using the job as training to help with it in situations I like
Then again I am working in ems so the vast majority of my time is spent sitting around doing whatever I want being on call to sprint out the door of the base and or start moving the truck quickly
But seriously if you find something you love and get an actual job that wont suck every last bit of enjoyment from it having a job isn't the problem
Some places do different shifts you may wanna look into
Like the place I am at does the standard work days but you can also do like 4 12 hour shifts or at some bases a 24 hour shift 3 days one week than 2 the next with every other day off and as long as you have the pager set loud enough you can be sleeping a decent portion of the after dark period on either a 24 or a night shift 12
Going to the same place 5 days a week
A lot of jobs involve travel, on a variety of scales. My brother is a civil engineer and is on a different site every week. I personally like the routine of going to the same place, but that's not a requirement for employment.
coming home with no time and energy left
I mean, that sucks. But you don't necessarily have to work that many hours or that demanding a job. I do work a physically and emotionally demanding job; I prefer to work on personal projects and household tasks during the day, go to my job in the evenings, and then it doesn't matter that I come home tired; I go right to bed.
for anything you actual like
A lot of people like their job. Another respondent said she wouldn't do her job for free; I probably would if I could afford to. It makes me happy. I can't afford to and am pretty zealous about making sure I earn a competitive rate, but I even enjoy that aspect, the competition of it.
doing this for FOURTY years or even more
I mean, it doesn't have to be the same work that while time. At forty, I've been a programmer, a teacher, a waitress, and a full-time parent. I'm thinking about picking up a trade, becoming an electrician or a carpenter or a plumber. As long as you keep learning and keep experimenting, you'll have an interesting life.
I had the same dread when I was your age. In hindsight I can see a lot of it was because my childhood sucked therefore my perspective on life sucked. I just didn't know any different then. When I moved away on my own everything changed. I actually enjoyed being an adult and it all came down to freedom. I was in charge of me. I could do whatever I wanted, good or bad. Having to work to support that freedom suddenly didn't seem so bad.
No one likes working except for a few psychos. Everyone else does so begrudgingly. The trick is to find the least awful job you can stand to do or become one of the psychos. It took me 15 years to find a job that didn't make me dread waking up every morning, now I only dread most mornings. Luckily one day I'll be dead because theres no hope for retirement at the rate the world is going to shit.
only slightly /S
There are jobs with flexible hours and partial or full work from home arrangements, and more importantly jobs where you can feel some amount of purpose and personal growth instead of just making money (mostly for someone else, i.e. shareholders). To get such a job you might have to get some specialized skill, or just get lucky.
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