Same boat. I hang on to my overpaid / under-fulfilling job on account of the relatively comfortable life & flexibility it provides, as well as a suspicion going anywhere else would be more or less the same, and increase my workload as the "new guy who has to prove themselves." I consider work to be a tolerable means to an end, which I have come to regard as a product of having fallen deep into the comfort trap.
That said, last year I moved to Alaska to help build a cabin on some land I purchased with my sister brother-in-law (he is a carpenter and knows how to do this stuff). I am basically unskilled labor, but learning a lot.
Obviously it is extremely hard work. Our building season is short, and we have try to cram a lot in where we can find time. I am sore, it is admittedly NOT what I usually want to spend my weekend doing, but getting closer to family, learning a craft, camping on that land and waking up on property that is MINE, and seeing the product of labor is a truly glorious feeling that provides a species of satisfaction that my job - nor any other job I've ever had - has ever come close to offering. And this is an endeavor of pure sacrifice; "all" I get in return is that feeling (and, eventually, a badass cabin).
Ultimately though, I believe that rather than building individual structures, the ultimate posterity we are capable of & arguably should be creating is the cultivation of communities that understand & emphasize their connection to the world and the history the next generations are born into. A recognition that the "glue" that brought all this stuff into existence in the first place was people giving a sh*t about it, and trusting and caring about each other enough to cooperate and build it. That, as young people, they are not just "inheriting" a pre-made world that was always here and which can simply be taken for granted, but that they are custodians of these values and need to recognize the social value of keeping those connections active. Moving out of the Denver metro area, which, over the last decade+ looks increasingly like somebody just used the photoshop cloning tool to stamp a bunch of giant, cheaply-made, drab & lifeless townhomes virtually on top of each other, virtually wringing every ounce of character out in the process, I find these things on my mind a lot, but unsure of what to do beyond try to set the best example I can in a place I care about, and with people I care about.
Long comment aside, all this is to say that a lot of what you're doing here resonates, and with regard to this post in particular, I say if you get the opportunity to do something like that - it is very hard work, but rewarding in proportion.
If you want to build something real, join civic tech. I build stuff everyday that has real material impact on people. And it requires the same skills you already have.
It just means taking a pay cut and having to deal with a lot of bullshit politics. But it's worth it.
I’m wondering what the practical advice would be within this framework, i.e. exactly which jobs should a person strive towards while already working a “Bullshit Job” that offers no fulfillment yet pays the bills. I don’t like my job and dream about quitting every day, but the alternatives seem to be just another bullshit job with slightly higher pay. I agree with everything you’re saying, but what should a person do after dissecting the problems
Describes me to a T. Quit my job at FAANG last year. Life is somewhat chaos right now, but since then I've learned basic eletrical, subflooring, flooring skills. Maybe starting a trade job soon if it works out. Pay-to-COL is amazing too. Plus, I'll be able to use by design and project management expertise later on for more complex builds. I want to build my own house some day. It's such a powerful and deep masculine calling. Slowly but surely, I'm now my way to doing it!
Same boat. I hang on to my overpaid / under-fulfilling job on account of the relatively comfortable life & flexibility it provides, as well as a suspicion going anywhere else would be more or less the same, and increase my workload as the "new guy who has to prove themselves." I consider work to be a tolerable means to an end, which I have come to regard as a product of having fallen deep into the comfort trap.
That said, last year I moved to Alaska to help build a cabin on some land I purchased with my sister brother-in-law (he is a carpenter and knows how to do this stuff). I am basically unskilled labor, but learning a lot.
Obviously it is extremely hard work. Our building season is short, and we have try to cram a lot in where we can find time. I am sore, it is admittedly NOT what I usually want to spend my weekend doing, but getting closer to family, learning a craft, camping on that land and waking up on property that is MINE, and seeing the product of labor is a truly glorious feeling that provides a species of satisfaction that my job - nor any other job I've ever had - has ever come close to offering. And this is an endeavor of pure sacrifice; "all" I get in return is that feeling (and, eventually, a badass cabin).
Ultimately though, I believe that rather than building individual structures, the ultimate posterity we are capable of & arguably should be creating is the cultivation of communities that understand & emphasize their connection to the world and the history the next generations are born into. A recognition that the "glue" that brought all this stuff into existence in the first place was people giving a sh*t about it, and trusting and caring about each other enough to cooperate and build it. That, as young people, they are not just "inheriting" a pre-made world that was always here and which can simply be taken for granted, but that they are custodians of these values and need to recognize the social value of keeping those connections active. Moving out of the Denver metro area, which, over the last decade+ looks increasingly like somebody just used the photoshop cloning tool to stamp a bunch of giant, cheaply-made, drab & lifeless townhomes virtually on top of each other, virtually wringing every ounce of character out in the process, I find these things on my mind a lot, but unsure of what to do beyond try to set the best example I can in a place I care about, and with people I care about.
Long comment aside, all this is to say that a lot of what you're doing here resonates, and with regard to this post in particular, I say if you get the opportunity to do something like that - it is very hard work, but rewarding in proportion.
If you want to build something real, join civic tech. I build stuff everyday that has real material impact on people. And it requires the same skills you already have.
It just means taking a pay cut and having to deal with a lot of bullshit politics. But it's worth it.
I’m wondering what the practical advice would be within this framework, i.e. exactly which jobs should a person strive towards while already working a “Bullshit Job” that offers no fulfillment yet pays the bills. I don’t like my job and dream about quitting every day, but the alternatives seem to be just another bullshit job with slightly higher pay. I agree with everything you’re saying, but what should a person do after dissecting the problems
I believe the Italians will actually pay you to do more or less exactly what that rock climber did.
https://portale.regione.calabria.it/website/portaltemplates/view/view.cfm?20805
Ooof!
Describes me to a T. Quit my job at FAANG last year. Life is somewhat chaos right now, but since then I've learned basic eletrical, subflooring, flooring skills. Maybe starting a trade job soon if it works out. Pay-to-COL is amazing too. Plus, I'll be able to use by design and project management expertise later on for more complex builds. I want to build my own house some day. It's such a powerful and deep masculine calling. Slowly but surely, I'm now my way to doing it!