Proper attitude for re-entering wage slavery?

[Monke]

I posted a few days ago about my first business failing and got some really insightful replies. Thanks to those who commented. 

I know a lot of you guys are like me and developing your life purpose and passion projects while having to work full time hours. I've been applying for jobs and should ideally have some interviews coming up soon. I'm grateful to have skills and work experience that can earn me a good living in this economy and allow me to save up money but the reality of having to "re-enter" the workforce is honestly feeling pretty goddamn bleak at the moment. 

I'm scared of the fact that I'll never be able to just "accept" being a wage slave. I just don't have it in me. I remember the concept of working a full time job seeming absolutely ridiculous to me even when I was like 8 years old. I understand the necessity of it of course but I never understood how people aren't driven completely insane by it. It just wears people down over time until they give up whatever hope they had. 

How do you guys cope with the ceaseless grind of being employed full time? Especially while getting your life purpose off the ground. 

The last thing I need is to fall into a pit of despair and self-pity. That would not be productive. But my personality lends itself to nihilism around these sorts of things.

I want to develop an attitude that actually serves me long term rather than becoming bitter and resentful 

 

 

[Wilhelm44]

3 hours ago, Monke said:

I posted a few days ago about my first business failing and got some really insightful replies. Thanks to those who commented. 

I know a lot of you guys are like me and developing your life purpose and passion projects while having to work full time hours. I've been applying for jobs and should ideally have some interviews coming up soon. I'm grateful to have skills and work experience that can earn me a good living in this economy and allow me to save up money but the reality of having to "re-enter" the workforce is honestly feeling pretty goddamn bleak at the moment. 

I'm scared of the fact that I'll never be able to just "accept" being a wage slave. I just don't have it in me. I remember the concept of working a full time job seeming absolutely ridiculous to me even when I was like 8 years old. I understand the necessity of it of course but I never understood how people aren't driven completely insane by it. It just wears people down over time until they give up whatever hope they had. 

How do you guys cope with the ceaseless grind of being employed full time? Especially while getting your life purpose off the ground. 

The last thing I need is to fall into a pit of despair and self-pity. That would not be productive. But my personality lends itself to nihilism around these sorts of things.

I want to develop an attitude that actually serves me long term rather than becoming bitter and resentful 

 

 

Dont stop working on business ideas that align more and more with who you really are. Never settle for wage slavery as something permanent. But while it's neccesary, try and make the best of it, be playful.

Edited Monday at 06:53 AM by Wilhelm44

[Human Mint]

On 12/8/2025 at 3:51 AM, Wilhelm44 said:

Dont stop working on business ideas that align more and more with who you really are. Never settle for wage slavery as something permanent. But while it's neccesary, try and make the best of it, be playful.

Period.

[Entrepreneur]

On 12/7/2025 at 10:06 PM, Monke said:

How do you guys cope with the ceaseless grind of being employed full time? Especially while getting your life purpose off the ground. 

The last thing I need is to fall into a pit of despair and self-pity. That would not be productive. But my personality lends itself to nihilism around these sorts of things.

I want to develop an attitude that actually serves me long term rather than becoming bitter and resentful 

Here is an exercise that might help you find the answer you seek.

Which of these statements seems closer to the truth?

1)      Within the next month or so, I am going to think my way out of having to do any type of work I don’t want to do for the rest of my life.   Then I won’t have to “grind” and I will be happier.

 

2)      I am probably always going to have to do some things in life that I don’t want to do just because “not” doing them will impact my life negatively in a major way.   I should just accept some amount of it and work at minimizing how much of it I have to live with.

 

Maybe one of those statements is true.   Maybe neither are true. 

I suggest you seek the truth (whatever you end up deciding it honestly is) and take whatever action you need to take to live in alignment with it.

Once you have honestly convinced yourself of what is true, you will know what the right action is for you.

[Elliott]

Wage slavery is a state of mind. Working in the west is equivalent to being a king. Don't waste your money, use your head, you're fine.

[Hojo]

You never will, calling it slavery. Your parroting peoples narratives and now you live in their narratives. You go into the mindset of a slave you are now a slave and will never be successful at it.

Edited 3 hours ago by Hojo