If You Work For a Living, Why Do You Kill Yourself Working
We all know this famous quote, be it a meme or not (of course it’s serious), what’s the ideal amount of work you should do— after waking up at 4 in the morning and rushing to the workplace and working like a mule for 8 hours straight, this thing came into my mind once my head is almost cleared up with a nap this afternoon.
To me, the amount of work is equal to the money I need for survival. Now another question arises— how much money do I need? Well, perhaps it’s infinity, lol. Then again, what’s the meaning of survival to me— is it food, shelter, and other basic necessities or survival from the odds in any given situation?
Unfortunately, I am stuck right here.
The true meaning of survival. There are personal expenses, there are families to support, there are hobbies to take care of, there are dreams to chase, and of course, savings to be made— the figure in my wallet; big or small, I love seeing them when I have absolutely nothing to do.
Surviving in this expensive world isn’t a joke. Even though I can live on with the bare minimum, people attached to me may not. Some may have high expectations, especially parents. And there is this demanding society and relatives, always looking forward to pinching when we are in our most vulnerable situation. The term survival definitely prioritises these situations where saving your soul from being poisoned by these special kinds of people is more than necessary.
So, what do you do— you pretend. You act as if you don’t care. That is possible when you are alone, but if you care for your beloveds, then you just cannot shut your ears and move forward. You react. Either by throwing words at them or proving your worth by other means; mostly by throwing some money, making (un)necessary expenses, more of it. Even when it’s not that important, you make things look really important and go for them.
Makes sense?
To me, absolutely not. But it is what it is.
You may evade selling your soul to Mephistopheles, but you barely escape people around you, your society. And in some places of the world, society is everything you care about; from birth to death. If you don’t, you are an outcast. A subject to be mocked by intelligent people of the society. Not a good thing for your mental health.
You may avoid paying attention to them for a certain period, but not for eternity. And these people are there for you all the time, reluctantly pushing you to the edges until you burst out or shut yourself from everything around you, which comes with a heavy price no doubt.
Surviving those parasites takes a toll. Hope it doesn’t affect you.