[sokoloff]

That’s the calculus that you’ve made for your situation (and it seems quite reasonable and internally consistent) and recommending others consider that for their situation.

For me: I’ve had many happy times in my life. Many of them where when I was working 60+ hours per week on a project that I didn’t own (sometimes literally owned none of it, other times 0.<many 0s>1 of it).

If you pay me well enough (exact definition subject to negotiation), keep the bullshit to a minimum, and put interesting problems onto the field of play, I’ll happily work 60 hours a week doing puzzles that you’re basically overpaying me to solve because I find them fascinating and would do them for free if the world didn’t run on money.

[brabel]

Yes, but as OP said, this is a problem. You're doing it for no benefit to yourself and if you have a family, to the detriment of your family. If you don't have a family and don't want one, no one is getting hurt and I wouldn't judge you for doing it (I myself spend way too long coding side projects but my wife kind of likes it as she also spends huge amounts of time on her equivalent activities), but life is short and we only get one shot at it... as long as we're consciously choosing what is best to spend our time on and remembering those around us and not causing harm to them or ourselves, all is good.

[sokoloff]

What’s the benefit to myself to watching a ballgame, going to the orchestra, putting together a jigsaw puzzle, watching a reality TV show, or any of the other 1000s of things I could choose to do to entertain myself?