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 yesterday at 05:51 AM by Hojo

[Schizophonia]

Leo and the people here are not Marxists, but they talk about "WAGE SLAVERY"

[Monke]

@Human Mint

On 12/10/2025 at 6:05 AM, Human Mint said:

Period.

Wage slavery is a bit like quicksand. The harder you fight it with half baked business ideas the deeper you sink and the more money you blow in the process. I've lost 20k across various business and side hustles trying to break free so far. Came close last time but no dice. If I would have saved up and exercised patience It's possible I could have escaped by now. I could have started a simple service business like pool cleaning, epoxy flooring, etc. and hired over time. Could have also put money towards real estate or other investments. 

Ironically I think full acceptance that you are in the situation and 99% of people will never get out is required to even begin a viable escape plan. You cannot deny the truth of the situation or bend it to generate more hope. 

As Leo says, once you are already stuck in this situation it is absurdly difficult to change it. I think the key is aligning ones mindset with truth which requires a mature perspective on the uncomfortable reality of the situation itself. 

The movie Shawshank Redemption is a perfect metaphor for the mindset I believe is required to actually escape wage slavery. 

[Human Mint]

@Monke That sounds like a good plan. But yes, it is insanely hard and the few people that have escaped wage slavery have a very specific mindset which they were either brought up that way or learned through harsh life and work.

But your still can learn. Giving up is always knocking on your door but you just simply don't answer.

Again, you expressed what sounds like a good strategy, and probably you understand more now after having the experience of failing. Going the secure way in a market that has always demand and creating your escape plan in there is not a bad idea.

Edited 6 hours ago by Human Mint

[Terell Kirby]

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

I'm scared of the fact that I'll never be able to just "accept" being a wage slave.  

I wouldn't frame your situation negatively- it's a temporary stop gap you'll need to take as more doors open for entreprenuership.

Consider making a salary a hold over until you're back on your feet, biggest thing is not getting comfortable with a salary for too long, or you'll not want to change it.

[Ulax]

I don't have much experience with working but I have an idea. But I am just theorising.

Perhaps you could have a skill based day job, i.e. cybersecurity, which allows you to get better and better at it. Yes, it will lack because it is not your passion. However, it will be a job that lets you develop in skill and I believe some fulfilment comes from developing mastery in anything over time.

This would beat out something like just working at a corner shop in many ways. Because at a corner shop you aren't really developing skills over time in the same way.

Hope that can help out mate.