| I'm guessing the author does not have a family. I've been in both spots. I've quit to work on a startup full time making no money (luckily I had my wife to support me). At the time I didn't have kids. Now I have one kid (and another 2 on the way) and I'm going to work at a large stable company. In my case, at least I tried. But I completely understand this other guy. It's not just saying no to a pay check. For many people they are giving up money, healthcare, and stability. Perhaps people discount stability but stability is often needed for safety and happiness. Losing stability means stress and conflict. I know families that have been destroyed to these kind of stresses (eg. divorces that came about because the father nearly bankrupted the family). So it's not just the paycheck, per se, but what the paycheck and stable job give. With that said, I think people who've saved enough money and don't live outside their means can get to a point where they give themselves 6 months to 1 year to try something. Even if that's the case, in families it's not just one person's decision but should be both parents decision. Unfortunately, that is probably not as common. People grow into their paychecks with mortgages, car payments, day care/tuition, vacations, home help, and so on. |