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by paskozdilar 1552 days ago
> you actually can take a break from work, you are just unwilling to deal with a (potentially rapid) change in lifestyle.

A "change in lifestyle" can also mean becoming homeless and dying of starvation. In that case, true, I am quite unwilling to deal with such a change.
1 comments
nebulous_two 1552 days ago
This is some fatalistic nonsense. There is a long way to go for an IT person to die of starvation. It would have to be intentional: wanting to die of starvation.
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paskozdilar 1551 days ago
I don't understand a single thing you're talking about. The path is very simple:

    don't work -> run out of money -> unable to afford food and rent -> work again / die of starvation
Can you specify which part of the path is intentional? Why would anyone want to die of starvation?
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Majestic121 1551 days ago
The path is not realistic, there's a lot between "don't work -> run out of money", including using up savings that you had, taking up unemployment benefits, finding another kind of work or going for part time, getting help from a large number of charities... And finally, if you end up actually on the verge of starvation, as an IT person you most probably can get another job even with a gap in your resume.

The whole "if you don't work you die" is very dramatic but not very true in the west, and most people that die of poverty are dying from other reasons than starvation, mostly drugs and cold.

Strangely, I'd bet that the strongest link between poverty, food and dying is through obesity, not starvation

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paskozdilar 1551 days ago
> there's a lot between "don't work -> run out of money", including using up savings that you had, taking up unemployment benefits, finding another kind of work or going for part time, getting help from a large number of charities... And finally, if you end up actually on the verge of starvation, as an IT person you most probably can get another job even with a gap in your resume.

So basically:

    don't work -> run out of money -> work again

?
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Majestic121 1551 days ago
That's not what I said.

I mentioned that one of the solution to stop a specific job is to pick a different line of work, and that even if worse comes to worse, the jump away from work is not that risky because you can come back.

But I also mentioned a lot of alternatives, including charity and government benefits, which are enough in most western countries to not starve.

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paskozdilar 1551 days ago
> one of the solution to stop a specific job is to pick a different line of work

That does not count as "taking a break" from work.

> But I also mentioned a lot of alternatives, including charity and government benefits, which are enough in most western countries to not starve.

I see your point, but not all of us are lucky to be born in such a place. I do admit that my bitterness may come from the fact that I live in a country where the social program is... not really the greatest, to say the least.

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s1artibartfast 1551 days ago
If you are located in the US, anyone can get free food to avoid starvation. Food stamps and food banks are two of the most common options.

>work again / die of starvation

If you get to this step, the choice is yours. What do you estimate the chance of not being able to find work at? 1%,… 0.00001%?

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paskozdilar 1551 days ago
The graph loops at "work again / die of starvation", which by definition means I cannot afford not to work.

> What do you estimate the chance of not being able to find work at?

How is that relevant? My point is that I cannot afford not to work.

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s1artibartfast 1551 days ago
>My point is that I cannot afford not to work

I think you are getting the skepticism from others because most of the time these limitations are artificial and self imposed.

I certainly have felt that way when I was severely depressed and fed up with my job/life.

I felt helpless and blamed my situation, when in reality I was simply refusing to take ownership of my choices. I could quit my job, I could leave my partner, I could abandon my kids and family. I could go sleep in a park, I could buy a van and travel the country.

Why do you think you cannot afford to not work?

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paskozdilar 1551 days ago
> I felt helpless and blamed my situation, when in reality I was simply refusing to take ownership of my choices. I could quit my job, I could leave my partner, I could abandon my kids and family. I could go sleep in a park, I could buy a van and travel the country.

The fact that you have a hypothetical possibility to do whatever does not mean anything in the real world. Besides, I am not depressed and I do not want to change my life, I like my life, I just want to not have to work.

> Why do you think you cannot afford to not work?

Why is it so hard to imagine that there is a corner in this world where not everything is taken care of for you by the big daddy govt?

To answer your question - if I were to stop working, two simple things would happen:

- I would not be able to afford rent

- I would not be able to afford food

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