Comment by hermannj314
5 days ago
44, unemployed since July, on a cross country train trip trying to decide if it is worth going on. Stood on a bridge a bit too long the other day just wondering what the point is.
It is over for a lot of us in IT. It isn't going to get better, it is going to get worse very quickly. Rather than tell myself a convenient lie, I'd rather try to figure out why to keep living in a world like this.
Anyone going through the same thing, I hope you find something worth living for.
I'm 40; multiple disabilities due to a rare disease with no cure and neurodivergent. I live in a autocratic third-world country. I had to shutdown my startup for which I had put everything due to my health complications.
I was lost and didn't see any meaning to life, until;
I met this women, with a progressive muscle wasting rare-disease without cure which would eventually make her bed-ridden. Apart from regular work, she works day and night to help people with same disease as hers.
She's always jovial and never seen her complain. Watching her, my problems became minuscule. We fell in love and got married.
I have found my new meaning for life.
P.S. My username is my name, feel free to reach out.
I’m 32 and have been unemployed for a year now, working only temporary contracts.
Keep going man, switch countries, never call it done.
You never know what awaits behind the corner.
What if, in a year, the labor market impact is significant across the board and unemployment is reaching historic heights?
The government should provide the financial support and implement mechanisms for distributing AI-generated wealth more broadly, as planned in the policy proposals Anthropic and OpenAI publish.
I am truly optimistic about the future, and I think it is too early to say that things are not going to get better.
We could very well have a nice life with minimal requirement to work for salary in the near future.
Absolutely not trying to downplay your feelings about this, but was your career really the only thing you were living for? I just find it so hard to relate to. There's so many other activities that bring meaning to life. Try a dance class
That's a big problem with western so ieties. You know The Parable of the Mexican Fisherman? (Mexican prefers to take it easy)
There may be sone cultural truth to that. I'm a 44yo Mexican tech-bro; I've love coding/tech since i was around 10yo, to the point of getting a PhD and have worked in the industry for 25+ years.
But... i dont give a crap about my job. I mean, I am VERY professional and give my best, but I work to live, not live to work.
Right now I'm on the edge of retiring, if machines come and take all the jobs, it's fine, I'll go grow chickens and sell all my stuff to live on a small house in an extremely cheap village.
I come from modest roots, and those were some of the best years of my life. My wife also is pretty aligned. We in some way are what Americans would label "conformists", but darn, we are happy with little things, so when we happen to get big things, they taste amazing! (I just experienced my first American Football game in the Colts stadium, so cool!).
Westerners societies have to learn to be less overachieving
Hey Herman, saw your post on an X post today, i'm from Argentina and wanted to reach out. Never used this forum before but registered to talk to you. I know these are strage times with maybe more uncertainty than has ever been before in human history (i know i may be too dramatic with that statement, humany has had dark times before)
Still, even in these strange days we are living on, I know and i'm certain that all of us have something to live for, call it a purpose, call it a calling, but there is one, for me and there is one for you. We are more than a career, a job, or a talent. I understand it may be hard to see that if we commited a big part of our lives to that career, but as long as we breath, we have the chance to take new decissions.
I truly hope you find that, it make take some time, but it is there. I'll pray for you man, i know God has a purpose for you, and He knows you, and loves you.
Please feel free to reach out to me, you can find me on X at @santiagosas1 or IG at @santiagosas
Take care Herman!
Just read this article, may be it gives you a new perspective of this times
https://felixrieseberg.com/how-to-be-more-ambitious-a-tutori...
Tell us about the train trip.
Amtrak has a $500 10-segment, 30-day rail pass in the US.
I am doing a winding Seattle to Lancaster, PA trip visiting friends and family.
Currently heading to Yuma, AZ after spending yesterday in the Bay Area.
That sounds like a good deal! Staying with friends and family sounds like good company, and saves on costs.
Plenty of good weather down in Yuma. Sunniest city on earth! You got friends/family there too?
Have you watched any videos by @AdamDoesNotExist on YouTube [0]? He does some random/crazy Amtrak trips, but apart from that I enjoy his nice habit of when things going wrong of saying "and that's ok because ...", trying to find some good in the bad.
p.s. ignore sibling that comment criticising your trip
[0] https://www.youtube.com/@AdamDoesNotExist
I would rather recommend flying to Southeast Asia, much better value for your money, you can stay there easily 5-10 times longer for the same money as in the US, while experiecing different cultures/cuisines to get different perspective on life.
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This honestly sounds like a nice voyage. Thanks for sharing.
My personal fantasy is going and spending a week deep in Canyonlands. Few people, good isolation, dark nights.
We should talk.
hey