Occupational Guilt

Have you ever worked somewhere, out of necessity for a job, that went a gainst something you believe in?

For example:

A vegetarian working at a fast food restaurant, or a steakhouse
or
Someone who is for animal rights, working at Exxon.

 

i've worked at several places where i had to serve or help super rich assholes that treated me like crap. i don't believe in perpetuating this horrible class system, but i did it for the money.

 

I suppose that is my actual point. We are forced to do things that we believe to be wrong, in the pursuit of money.

 

well, i can't say that i was forced. everyone has freedom of choice. i chose having a bit of moey to get by vs. being a broke ass loser. but, the guilt is there.

 

It is almost impossible for me to work anywhere and feel good about it all the time.

That's why I'm saving up to quit. I'm going to quit the whole thing and move to Thailand and work on the farm.

Until that gets boring, and then I'll set up a sweat shop or underage brothel.

 

Sort of. I've worked in sales, where I felt like I sold my soul most of all.

But none of us are forced to do anything, as vh pointed out. It's all choice.

 

True, but what choice is there, really?
You can choose to be poor and have nothing at all, possibly not even a roof over your head, or clothes on your back.
OR
You can choose to work somewhere that you despise, and at least have somewhere to live. That doesn't really seem like a choice to me, as much as an ultimatum.

 

You got it, buddy. The fix is in.

 

having a job is against my morals period.

 

actually you do have a choice, ss. you can choose to remove yourself from the system, which plenty of pople have done. but, it takes either a lot of money to begin with, or a lot of suffering.

 

It's possible to think outside the box.

First, there are many jobs that are wonderful. Anyone with half a brain can get a job they love, with or without education.

Second, you don't need money. You need food and shelter. These can be gained in many different ways.

There are many, many options available to you. But if all you see is two of them, then those are the only ones you may choose from.

 

Can I have a few examples of wonderful jobs that you can get without an education? And also a few examples of how you can get food and shelter without money?

 

Anyone who speaks a bit of English can go teach in loads of countries around the world. This is great work, rewarding and enjoyable.

And if you're willing to invest a couple thousand bucks and a few months of your time, you can get certified in a lot of different things.

You can volunteer in exchange for food and shelter, in many ways and many places.

 

I suppose. But the fact remains that there are lots of immoral jobs out there, and not too many moral jobs...and someone is going to have to do all the immoral stuff.

I guess if everyone did as you advise, the immoral jobs would just start having to pay more, which would cause more people to want them, which would lower the wages again, and we'd be right back where we started-- as a society, anyway.

 

Not everyone would sacrifice lifestyle and job satisfaction for more money.

If everyone did as I do, and as you're planning on doing, society as we know it would crumble.

 

yeah working construction --even though mescaline told me i was hurting the earth---covering it with concrete and using too many trees---but i dealt pot acid shrooms and mescaline for 5 years so i wouldnt have to do it for awhile--but after 2 police raids that came close to getting me busted i had to go back to work and i hated every minute of it--now im trying for disability cas of my bad back so i can go hichhicking for the rest of my life--following bands around and staying stoned--but i might have to go back to dealing pot--gotta have money to live and have been poor for a year fighting this case--but im working on being good gotta do my part to save the planet

btw i ve been homeless and everything is free-medical food and shelter--and learning how to work the medical system i can get xanax vicodiene and soma which i can sell for money for pot---poor and high is an option--just wish i could play guitar

 

I actually walked out on a job this past weekend because they wanted me to lie to people and I wasn't having it... It's just a job. I have to live with me.

 

I think slowly, everyone has sacrificed lifestyle and job satisfaction for more money. There are very few people who are willing to jump off the merry-go-round, precisely because the society that everyone at least sorta resents would crumble, and they're afraid.

 

Ahhh... I really don't believe in some of the methods at work. Like drugging the living shit out of adhd kids with stimulants.
But, they just killed overtime, & on the new schedule I'm only going to be given 4 shifts a week. So, seeing as I cannot afford to live that way... I'm essentially being forced to search for a new gig anyhow.

 

You gotta do what you gotta do to survive. But yeah, there are definitely jobs I won't do just based on my own personal values. One of the reasons I'm turning down this job at the post office is that I just right out do not want to work directly for the government. It's a good paying job, but I'm pretty sure a paranoid hippie wouldn't fare too well with the man as her boss. And I'm also pretty sure they coined the phrase "Going postal" for a reason... (amongst other things). I also wouldn't work for our veterinarian here because he's a greedy money-hungry asshole. But then again, I have a job, and while it even compromises some of my standards, it's either be an adult and be able to feed myself, or forever depend on someone else to feed me. An ultimatum? Perhaps, but it could also be translated into, be a productive member of society, or be a leech on society.