[gammabetadelta]

The problem with a lot of these posts is that there's a spectrum of people.

On one end you have the sigma grind who work all the time and on the other those who don't do anything and complain.

Both are toxic in their own ways since accomplishment is so critical to self-worth. Yet, at the same time you have to listen to your body and rest.

I find that the happiest people don't read the hustle culture and just focus on their family and are happy with what they have.

The problem is some of us can't help but work so we have to accept that grinding is better than self-loathing. For some that's a false dichotomy, for others it is truth. That's sad.

[lumost]

as I've gotten older, I've learned that it matters where you invest your "extra capacity". If you invest it in leisure, it's often good for a time - but depressing in the long term, if you invest it in work - you can risk burnout. I'd argue that investing it in any particular area all the time will lead to some form of burnout.

The key is to look for where you get the most return on invested energy. There are times where work is a thankless grind that doesn't care if you put in 20 hours or 80. There are times where putting in an extra 5 hours leads to a promotion/accomplishment of note. When you have 40 hours of spare capacity, binging netflix is not going to make you happy in the long term.

At the office, expecting everyone to want and be able to put in 60 hours a week is going to be a problem. I did this for my first 3 jobs, and it caused friction with those who are putting in their 30/35. Ultimately, it lead to me burning out and changing jobs rapidly for 5 years - because I wasn't getting out of my job something commensurate with the extra investment I was putting in.

[chasd00]

> I find that the happiest people don't read the hustle culture and just focus on their family and are happy with what they have.

I think something often missed is you have to learn what makes you happy. I feel like that should be a top priority (and it may very well turn out to be work that makes you happy). If you can figure out what brings you happiness and joy in your life then you can get started maximizing it.

I'm 46 and have done enough to look back and identify the happiest moments in my life, derive a pattern, and then work to maximize the chances of more of those moments. For me, it all revolves around relationships either with my kids, wife, family, or friends. Not once do my happiest moments involve a screen or my work so I don't chase those things. I work, and work hard, to provide for myself and family but that has never brought me joy. For me, working and work success is how i pay the bills and that's it.