And most of us will spend 30-40 years of our lives, including all your prime years, spending that 40-45% to serve somelse's desires.
Even if you in enjoy your job, the reality is work is one of the biggest parts of our lives and wrapped up in our sense of self worth and identity.
My job (currently: senior software engineer) is a different beast, even if it touches on aspects of my career. I do it to pay the bills. I do it in a professional way but that's all about it.
Sure, our work time serves someone else's desires... in exchange for money that we use to build the home and life that we want. Hopefully spending our time and energy with the people and family we want. Work is a tool to empower everything else. Do that work - do it well. But let the "everything else" define you.
This is true for all living beings, all animals spend a large part of their day in collecting/scavenging/hunting food, prepaing shelter etc.
Speak for yourself.
I can completely fail at work, go home, and sleep like a baby. Conversely, I can have an amazingly good day, enjoy it and then completely forget about it the next day.
It's just a job.
HN certainly has a selection bias toward founders and early stage employees, but I feel very strongly that your career cannot be your sole source of meaning. Be well.
Big tech doesn't seem all that interested in me so I'm kind of stuck working for smaller companies. I really do enjoy my job and like the people I'm working with but doubling my salary would be life changing for me so I feel like I should have been more balanced in my 20s.
I ended up with the worst of both worlds, and am working my way out of the consequences now. I didn't travel at all in my twenties and worked my a* off in a low-paying field for too long before making a change in my 30's.
Also I love working for smaller companies even if they do pay less than big tech. The opportunity to work on greenfield projects and actually have meaningful input into the direction even as an IC is extremely cool to me.
A lot wished they did more traveling like you when you where younger, but they cannot go back. Is your case a need for doubling the salary now, or can it happen through time? Would you feel the same if you had the same salary, but none of your peers were making double that?
Unless you are suggesting to me they are wrong? Or they have been wrong for 10 years and counting?
Enjoy your life and just be extremely rude to whoever takes exception at your choices.
