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And if you don't think that, don't worry you'll find out. Or if you want to post something in opposition to this then that doesn't change the fact that this describes a good 99 percent or so of the human race.
I guess I was 26 when I had this dawning realization. I was at a newspaper job and had spent my whole life wanting to be a reporter. Then one day I was just fired. Unjustly so. I know this because I sought legal advice and was told I had a case. Of course I never went through with it because again, "insignificant cog."
The good thing about being unjustly fired is that other employers are less likely to hold it against you. So I went back to a former employer and am still there as well as working for another similar company with hours totaling about 70 per week. Neither are in journalism, which I don't think I'll ever get completely over, but I get by. I also have no real passion to ever try to get back into journalism or a desire to move to the middle of nowhere and make $20,000 a year without benefits just to try to "live the dream."
I guess I still have some hope, but I feel kind of like Winston in 1984 after he gets found out by Big Brother. By working so I much I may some day sock away enough money where I can retire at a fairly young age, but know there are so many obstacles in place this may be less likely to happen than will.
Anyway, not sure if this is venting, some kind of joke or just honestly looking for others who believe this is a genuine reality. Perhaps it is a cathartic post made for purely that experience and to know others may see it rather than just to have it exist in my mind. I'm definitely not looking for sympathy though (at least not intentionally) as I've certainly been worse off and said nothing and also know plenty of you lot have it much worse off than me.
We all are to an extent. Companies are here to make a profit, and we are a tool that is used to help get to that goal. Nothing more, nothing less. I don't spend too much time thinking about it because there's no way to change it. I choose to be a quality tool, and not some cheap knock off that isn't worth much.
However, my long term goal is to eventually have my own wheel with my own cogs. The customer will always be the machine. But you can choose to be the wheel, or the cog.
I was unjustly fired about 12 years ago from a company and at first it made a huge negative impact. But I eventually came to the realization that it was a stepping stone for me and took some lessons from it. Never looked back after that. The past is the past... no reason to live there.
You sound kind of bitter over your experiences with your employer, best advice, get over it. My brother was laid off for vague reasons and he never got over it and it has effected his career. The employer/employee relationship is simple, you offer your skills and time, the employer pays you for that as long as they want you or need you. When either of you want to end that agreement, it's over. Are you part of the machine, sure, as long as you are a service provider, you have to constantly find a place that your "gear cog" fits into an employers machine. If you don't like that, you need to build your own machine.
And if you don't think that, don't worry you'll find out. Or if you want to post something in opposition to this then that doesn't change the fact that this describes a good 99 percent or so of the human race.
That is precisely the reason I abhor the American custom of defining yourself through your job. Who are you? - I am an engineer, I am a janitor, I am a salesman... People should stop with that. You are a human being first and foremost, no matter if you are currently employed or not. And even if you are not, that does not take away your value as a person. There is just so much more to a developed personality than a friggin' job.
That is precisely the reason I abhor the American custom of defining yourself through your job. Who are you? - I am an engineer, I am a janitor, I am a salesman... People should stop with that. You are a human being first and foremost, no matter if you are currently employed or not. And even if you are not, that does not take away your value as a person. There is just so much more to a developed personality than a friggin' job.
Compared to many other countries we work far more hours and have less vacation time. It's not a surprise someone would define themselves by their work since they spend the majority of their time there. Even when you're not working, you may be taking classes or self-learning to be marketable. Don't also forget the prep time before work, the commute, the after hours networking functions like playing golf or eating at a restaurant with your colleagues, etc.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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I have always done work that was considered important, and have been well compensated for it. Still, if I walked away tomorrow the work would continue on with someone else managing it. As someone once said "there are many irreplaceable people in the cemetery."
You may not want to go back to brick-and-mortar journalism, and chasing after clicks is an even more depressing thought, but what about a NEW dream? A new skill that will let you EARN MORE but not have to devote 70 hours a week to it? Yes, still a cog, forever a cog, but - Choose Your Cog!
That is precisely the reason I abhor the American custom of defining yourself through your job. Who are you? - I am an engineer, I am a janitor, I am a salesman... People should stop with that. You are a human being first and foremost, no matter if you are currently employed or not. And even if you are not, that does not take away your value as a person. There is just so much more to a developed personality than a friggin' job.
Of course even if you don't define yourself by your job, if you are fired, you have a very realistic chance of not being able to support yourself or your family because the US isn't a completely socialist country.
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