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95 points robtherobber | 2 comments | | HN request time: 0.447s | source
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BenFranklin100 ◴[] No.45674877[source]
As people get older, they often come to realize that any job that puts a roof over ones head, food on the table, and allows quality time with friends and family, is meaningful work.
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1. roadside_picnic ◴[] No.45675293[source]
This really downplays why people fight against "meaningless" work, it's not because of any philosophical grounds.

The real problem with meaningless work is it tends to be incredibly stressful. Because the underlying work creates no value, even locally (existentially of course it's all nil, but again, this isn't about that level of abstraction). The trouble with "no value" is that you also have no way know how to or even if you are doing your job "well".

Your description sounds pleasant, but my real experience with meaningless work is that it results in long hours worked, very aggressive office politics, and consistent insecurity around the future of your job and income.

The essence of "meaningless work" is captured very well in Kafka's The Trial. While their are brief moments where one can laugh at the absurdity of the situation, most of the time it sits in exact confrontation to the idyllic view of work you are proposing.

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2. hugh-avherald ◴[] No.45680582[source]
Indeed. If your family's welfare depends on you having work, and your work is meaningless, then it can be taken away honestly and without recourse.