[sigg3]

This is quite normal. Many who win big in the literal lotteries are worse off. I know reddit is all antiwork these days, but that's really mostly about rights and not not working.

Being a productive member of society is meaningful. I'm from Scandinavia and a lot of our identity is tied up with our careers. Being without a job or any structural social purpose is asking for depression.

GWF Hegel wrote about suffering from indeterminacy. In short, autonomy is inherently social, so ways of life that are merely abstract (i.e. that society does not recognize in terms of existing mores) are void of satisfaction. Satisfaction is only real and concrete through reciprocal recognition. So the "I can do anything" type of freedom is only mere freedom (Willkür), which drains the individual of intersubjectively verifiable self-determination. I.e. you're determining yourself, but no one can recognize it without coercion, and you're unable to recognize it in social reality only in your mind. (And conversely, over-determinacy is slavery.

So even if you don't need to work for money, you might need a job to be able to find meaning in your life. We are a social species that survive on collective efforts.

Personally, if I had won lots of money I would strive to live on as if I didn't.

[hcmacro]

I think you're too easily taking for granted that having a job makes one a productive member of society.

Evergreen link: https://www.amazon.com/Bullshit-Jobs-Theory-David-Graeber/dp...

[adv0r]

> society does not recognize in terms of existing

The hell with this. Society nows recognizes Early Retirment as a status to aspire to. People look up to joung retirees, and this provides a pretty big identity.

The FI movement now put a name and label on it, so the belonging part of meaning is covered.

[gffrd]

Doesn’t society also recognize celebrity as a status to aspire to?

[TheOtherHobbes]

Considering the number of depressed people who have jobs, this seems a very questionable view.

[ivanbakel]

    (!a -> !b) =/=> (a -> b)

Nobody said a job was sufficient to ensure good mental health.

[y4mi]

Most of these people are forced to work.

I think for me personally a 4-6h workday on 4 days per week would be optimal. It's enjoyable to actually work together with a team on a product and provide a service which people want to use.

Such part time jobs can be very fulfilling if money is not an issue.

[jack_pp]

Wouldn't there be resentment from the team because they work harder than you or just generally putting in more effort?

Open source might be the right avenue for this type of freedom. Work on something important like Matrix or something

[y4mi]

> Wouldn't there be resentment from the team because they work harder than you or just generally putting in more effort?

not in my experience. there are often people around that only do 25-35hours per week... at least in the places I've worked at 'till now.

> Open source might be the right avenue for this type of freedom

with open source, you're always an outside contributor. That might be enough for some - but I doubt that my motivation could keep up long term in that setting.

[ivanhoe]

It's just a matter of what you've been taught to believe is important in life (by culture, religion, parents, peers, etc.). What humans need psychologically is something to keep them occupied and their time structured in some meaningful way, but one doesn't need a job for that - you can practice your hobbies, socializing, taking care of family, or whatever one finds fulfilling. People also need a sense of security and, as you mentioned, peer recognition, but having money fixes both of those quite well. In the end it's all very individual, because the sense of purpose, achievement and self-esteem doesn't deal with some absolute predefined values, but it's relative to your own set of expectations and goals.

[randomopining]

What if you can internalize the social mental sphere inside yourself? Giving yourself an honest and just approval when deserved?