Comments on: Twentysomething: Why I don't want work/life balance http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/04/02/twentysomething-why-i-dont-want-worklife-balance/ Advice at the intersection of work and life Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:27:21 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: kfe http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/04/02/twentysomething-why-i-dont-want-worklife-balance/comment-page-2/#comment-206697 kfe Sun, 04 Oct 2009 21:08:20 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/04/02/twentysomething-why-i-dont-want-worklife-balance/#comment-206697 its disgusting to see you people so dehumanized by these systems that you actually believe you were put on this planet to toil in the mud. step back and see that we have the power, medical understanding, scientific knowledge to produce a kind of human paradise. the problem is that we are led by the least among us. least noble. least visionary. least intelligent. no one fights back against these dehumanizing values that are handed down as control icons. CULTURE IS NOT YOUR FRIEND. culture is for the convenience of various institutions, churches, corporations, etc. every day you are systematically disempowered, used and abused. culture is a perversion, it fetishizes objects, creates consumer mania, and preaches endless forms of false happiness. endless forms of false understanding, it invites you to diminish yourself by behaving like machines. human meme processors. the time has come to thoroughly renounce and reject the chains that bind. only through RADICAL INDIVIDUALISM and creative processes, we can begin maximize our humanness, thus becoming much more incomprehensible to the machine/system. wake up. you're alive! its disgusting to see you people so dehumanized by these systems that you actually believe you were put on this planet to toil in the mud. step back and see that we have the power, medical understanding, scientific knowledge to produce a kind of human paradise. the problem is that we are led by the least among us. least noble. least visionary. least intelligent. no one fights back against these dehumanizing values that are handed down as control icons. CULTURE IS NOT YOUR FRIEND. culture is for the convenience of various institutions, churches, corporations, etc. every day you are systematically disempowered, used and abused. culture is a perversion, it fetishizes objects, creates consumer mania, and preaches endless forms of false happiness. endless forms of false understanding, it invites you to diminish yourself by behaving like machines. human meme processors. the time has come to thoroughly renounce and reject the chains that bind. only through RADICAL INDIVIDUALISM and creative processes, we can begin maximize our humanness, thus becoming much more incomprehensible to the machine/system. wake up. you're alive!

]]> By: Been There, Done That http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/04/02/twentysomething-why-i-dont-want-worklife-balance/comment-page-2/#comment-205082 Been There, Done That Wed, 30 Sep 2009 21:16:05 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/04/02/twentysomething-why-i-dont-want-worklife-balance/#comment-205082 Life is all about choices. How you choose to utilize your time is one of the biggest. As you get older, with more obligations, and people depending upon you for their livings, you can feel the weight of the world pressing down on your shoulders and soon, everything you do is chore. That quickie email to wrap up a project seems like a tome. Going to a friend of your child's birthday party is a prison sentence. Just wait and see. And the worst thing about life is that the older you get the faster time slips by. Which is why so many people in meaningful careers suffer burn out and mid life crisis about the age of 45. Blending is fine when you're young, but you will see that when you hit 40 you just want to turn it all off and have some quiet time with loved ones, or solitary time by yourself. Life is all about choices. How you choose to utilize your time is one of the biggest. As you get older, with more obligations, and people depending upon you for their livings, you can feel the weight of the world pressing down on your shoulders and soon, everything you do is chore. That quickie email to wrap up a project seems like a tome. Going to a friend of your child's birthday party is a prison sentence. Just wait and see. And the worst thing about life is that the older you get the faster time slips by. Which is why so many people in meaningful careers suffer burn out and mid life crisis about the age of 45. Blending is fine when you're young, but you will see that when you hit 40 you just want to turn it all off and have some quiet time with loved ones, or solitary time by yourself.

]]> By: Adriana http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/04/02/twentysomething-why-i-dont-want-worklife-balance/comment-page-2/#comment-202325 Adriana Wed, 23 Sep 2009 21:23:03 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/04/02/twentysomething-why-i-dont-want-worklife-balance/#comment-202325 Couldn't say it better. I keep talking to people about this exact topic, saying that balance is unachievable and being content with all aspects of life is what is important. However, the response is always "no one likes their job." I'm glad I don't believe that response yet, but I can't help but see myself thinking that way in 5 years, if I still don't have a "job" doing something satisfying. Couldn't say it better. I keep talking to people about this exact topic, saying that balance is unachievable and being content with all aspects of life is what is important. However, the response is always "no one likes their job." I'm glad I don't believe that response yet, but I can't help but see myself thinking that way in 5 years, if I still don't have a "job" doing something satisfying.

]]> By: Jen http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/04/02/twentysomething-why-i-dont-want-worklife-balance/comment-page-2/#comment-190106 Jen Tue, 04 Aug 2009 04:23:56 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/04/02/twentysomething-why-i-dont-want-worklife-balance/#comment-190106 I don't find this reasonable. I am two courses away from an MS degree and I don't see the joy in spending all day doing work for someone else, especially when it doesn't seem to be making a difference (except to make someone a big profit). I am miserable being away from home, friends, and family for most of my life (other than sleeping). Even the hours that are not spent at work, you have to think about work, dream about work, get ready for work, commute, etc. It NEVER ENDS! The only thing I can do for 8 hours a day or more is write...but I don't know how I can make a living writing novels and articles all day. That's so risky! How do people do it? The thought of spending the next 50 years as a slave makes me want to end my life sometimes. I don't have a husband or family now, but I've always dreamed of having a big one, but you need money, which requires you to hand your life over to office politics, slavery, lonely days with angry people, and mundane, routine tasks or overly demanding ones. I wish I could be more positive, but I'm burned out and was recently laid off (although I'm realieved because I was treated like scum). I am actually a very hard worker and spend hours devoted to my jobs...but I'm sick of it because that's not the life I want. I want to learn, spend time with people I love, and tend to my health. I want to be home where I can enjoy peace and less drama! I don't find this reasonable. I am two courses away from an MS degree and I don't see the joy in spending all day doing work for someone else, especially when it doesn't seem to be making a difference (except to make someone a big profit).

I am miserable being away from home, friends, and family for most of my life (other than sleeping). Even the hours that are not spent at work, you have to think about work, dream about work, get ready for work, commute, etc. It NEVER ENDS!

The only thing I can do for 8 hours a day or more is write…but I don't know how I can make a living writing novels and articles all day. That's so risky!

How do people do it? The thought of spending the next 50 years as a slave makes me want to end my life sometimes.

I don't have a husband or family now, but I've always dreamed of having a big one, but you need money, which requires you to hand your life over to office politics, slavery, lonely days with angry people, and mundane, routine tasks or overly demanding ones.

I wish I could be more positive, but I'm burned out and was recently laid off (although I'm realieved because I was treated like scum).

I am actually a very hard worker and spend hours devoted to my jobs…but I'm sick of it because that's not the life I want. I want to learn, spend time with people I love, and tend to my health. I want to be home where I can enjoy peace and less drama!

]]> By: Jonathan http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/04/02/twentysomething-why-i-dont-want-worklife-balance/comment-page-2/#comment-186899 Jonathan Sat, 06 Jun 2009 04:43:00 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/04/02/twentysomething-why-i-dont-want-worklife-balance/#comment-186899 I agree with Sharon, you need to work at what you love. I agree with Sharon, you need to work at what you love.

]]> By: TBJ http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/04/02/twentysomething-why-i-dont-want-worklife-balance/comment-page-2/#comment-185539 TBJ Wed, 13 May 2009 16:18:34 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/04/02/twentysomething-why-i-dont-want-worklife-balance/#comment-185539 I am 30, no significant other. I find this concept very interesting, but I personally see it another way. There isnt enough accomodation of the choicelessness of modern society here imo. We all have to make choices in life, and often they benefit you in one way and hinder you in another. These choices are made by your ego that is largely defined by your early 20's. These choices define the life you have, and even though you would like to think you would have made a differnt choice if you was there again, you wouldn't. So for me, if you are having issues with life and things dont seem to be going the way you would have wanted, dont look at what exactly is the problem, coz you wont find it. Instead learn to understand your decision making process and maybe that will change your future decisions, or at least make you more capable of making the choice you want to make, rather than the choice you feel choiceless to make. I am 30, no significant other.
I find this concept very interesting, but I personally see it another way. There isnt enough accomodation of the choicelessness of modern society here imo.

We all have to make choices in life, and often they benefit you in one way and hinder you in another. These choices are made by your ego that is largely defined by your early 20's. These choices define the life you have, and even though you would like to think you would have made a differnt choice if you was there again, you wouldn't.

So for me, if you are having issues with life and things dont seem to be going the way you would have wanted, dont look at what exactly is the problem, coz you wont find it. Instead learn to understand your decision making process and maybe that will change your future decisions, or at least make you more capable of making the choice you want to make, rather than the choice you feel choiceless to make.

]]> By: Why I don’t want work/life balance | Idea Girl http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/04/02/twentysomething-why-i-dont-want-worklife-balance/comment-page-2/#comment-184236 Why I don’t want work/life balance | Idea Girl Sat, 18 Apr 2009 21:09:42 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/04/02/twentysomething-why-i-dont-want-worklife-balance/#comment-184236 [...] This guy, on the Brazen Careerist blog: [...] [...] This guy, on the Brazen Careerist blog: [...]

]]> By: Sharon Wilson http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/04/02/twentysomething-why-i-dont-want-worklife-balance/comment-page-2/#comment-183372 Sharon Wilson Tue, 07 Apr 2009 23:02:20 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/04/02/twentysomething-why-i-dont-want-worklife-balance/#comment-183372 Easiest way to balance work and life? It's easy, simply make a living out of something you love doing. ;) Easiest way to balance work and life? It's easy, simply make a living out of something you love doing. ;)

]]> By: Generational gap on work-life balance « Women and the work-life balance http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/04/02/twentysomething-why-i-dont-want-worklife-balance/comment-page-2/#comment-183160 Generational gap on work-life balance « Women and the work-life balance Wed, 01 Apr 2009 23:13:47 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/04/02/twentysomething-why-i-dont-want-worklife-balance/#comment-183160 [...] They don’t necessarily see it as a divide, or at least not in the traditional sense. One blogger writes that growing up in an always-on, connected world means that young people don’t embrace [...] [...] They don't necessarily see it as a divide, or at least not in the traditional sense. One blogger writes that growing up in an always-on, connected world means that young people don't embrace [...]

]]> By: Real http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/04/02/twentysomething-why-i-dont-want-worklife-balance/comment-page-2/#comment-181120 Real Tue, 17 Feb 2009 23:42:26 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/04/02/twentysomething-why-i-dont-want-worklife-balance/#comment-181120 Late twenty-something here. Hate to say it but this article shows the demarc between ideals and reality. Ideally, we'd all like to have careers that we love that would fully support the lives that we live. However, some of us have careers that we love, but work in offices with people that we can't stand. Some of us have well paid jobs but are burnt out but have obligations to family or bills and need to continue on in support of who we love or what we have. It depends on your job, your status, and how much you make. I am blessed to make alot of money, but I am slowly burning out in my "career" due to this forced blending. I personally love my "career" but my job gets on my nerves. I work with people who have absolutely no life. People who call in while on vacation to join conference calls. I love to workout and stay fit. I work with a bunch of lazy fat people who do nothing but sit in front of computers all day and nag you about how to help them. Then once you are off the clock they call you about escalated issues and need your help. Crying about the issue has been escalated up to senior management. They always want to "solve" issues so they are always working and sending emails off hours. Because we are a international company people are calling me at 6am to join conference calls. Now I end up late for work if I can even make it in at all because people begging me to log into the damn computer (VPN) and look into some issue remotely. Sometimes I just say screw it and work from home because of back to back emergency conference calls early in the morning. Once I got an email that came in at 3am about a meeting at 7:30am. Please. My career is in computers and I just turned 29 but I'll be damned if I have an Instant Messenger account, Myspace, Facebook, or any of that crap in my life. I do not socially network on the computer. I know far less about gadgets, cell phones, ripping .mp3s, than the average 20 something because my blended career. At this point I don't care about it. The little time I spend on the computer at home is for researching hobbies, travelling, etc. I'm on a conference call now. It's 3:15pm and this has been going on since 7am. I haven't eaten. I see why people are stressed, fat, unfit and have heart attacks. By the time you leave work you are mentally tired from sitting and figuring things out, then you are too tired to cook, so you leave to gorge on fast food and overeat. At work, nothing but junk food machines and soda machines all over office. It's freaking horrible. I have no kids, but everyone NEEDS to have time to myself, family, and friends. In the long term, the blended lifestyle is not healthy mentally or physically. I don't want my job to be the elephant in the room in my personal life. Late twenty-something here. Hate to say it but this article shows the demarc between ideals and reality. Ideally, we'd all like to have careers that we love that would fully support the lives that we live. However, some of us have careers that we love, but work in offices with people that we can't stand. Some of us have well paid jobs but are burnt out but have obligations to family or bills and need to continue on in support of who we love or what we have. It depends on your job, your status, and how much you make. I am blessed to make alot of money, but I am slowly burning out in my "career" due to this forced blending.
I personally love my "career" but my job gets on my nerves. I work with people who have absolutely no life. People who call in while on vacation to join conference calls. I love to workout and stay fit. I work with a bunch of lazy fat people who do nothing but sit in front of computers all day and nag you about how to help them. Then once you are off the clock they call you about escalated issues and need your help. Crying about the issue has been escalated up to senior management. They always want to "solve" issues so they are always working and sending emails off hours. Because we are a international company people are calling me at 6am to join conference calls. Now I end up late for work if I can even make it in at all because people begging me to log into the damn computer (VPN) and look into some issue remotely. Sometimes I just say screw it and work from home because of back to back emergency conference calls early in the morning. Once I got an email that came in at 3am about a meeting at 7:30am. Please.
My career is in computers and I just turned 29 but I'll be damned if I have an Instant Messenger account, Myspace, Facebook, or any of that crap in my life. I do not socially network on the computer. I know far less about gadgets, cell phones, ripping .mp3s, than the average 20 something because my blended career. At this point I don't care about it. The little time I spend on the computer at home is for researching hobbies, travelling, etc.
I'm on a conference call now. It's 3:15pm and this has been going on since 7am. I haven't eaten. I see why people are stressed, fat, unfit and have heart attacks. By the time you leave work you are mentally tired from sitting and figuring things out, then you are too tired to cook, so you leave to gorge on fast food and overeat. At work, nothing but junk food machines and soda machines all over office. It's freaking horrible. I have no kids, but everyone NEEDS to have time to myself, family, and friends.
In the long term, the blended lifestyle is not healthy mentally or physically. I don't want my job to be the elephant in the room in my personal life.

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