Why the 9-5 people aren't happy?
The 9-5 job is one of the most hated concepts in the world right now, as if it’s the worst thing to have happened to mankind. Everyone wants to escape this routine. But is it really that bad? A job is how the majority of people make money, fulfill their desires, support their families, and provide a strong foundation for the next generation to flourish.
A job is still a barter system where you give your time in exchange for money. That money is then spent on facilities that fulfill your desires, making you feel secure and safe. Before jobs became mainstream, men would enlist in armies, start farms to produce agriculture, or, if skilled, open shops to provide goods and earn money. The Industrial Revolution brought machines, and we needed operators to run those machines. It brought a paradigm shift to the world.
Our education system is designed to produce good, efficient clerks who follow instructions. People compare the 9-5 to slavery, but unlike slavery, you get paid here as part of the barter system. So, what makes people hate it so much?
People don’t mind the money from the job; they mind the hours they have to sacrifice to earn it. If that’s the case, shouldn’t higher hourly wages solve the problem? Another argument is about the boss—someone else dictating what to do and when to do it. But that was part of the barter deal; you agreed to give them your hours. This argument also leads to the topic of exploitation, where corporations are said to exploit employees by making them work excessively. The natural solution would be to rise up the ladder and become the exploiter.
There is no alternative to hard, laborious work. In a business, the customers are your boss, dictating the direction of your ship. Your business’s progress will determine how many hours you’ll spend. It’s a leveraged game with high risk, so you may or may not see a dime in your life. For some, the risk pays off; for others, it becomes a bitter lesson. Setting up a business does not free a person from commitments, fixed hours, or bosses.
So, why is the solution to the 9-5 always seen as starting a business?
Following a logical deduction, the answer lies in the potential reward relative to the risk. In a 9-5, the risk is minimal—you might lose a job and have to look for another. The probability of losing a job depends on many factors, like the times we live in, your industry’s progress, and your company’s financial health. The reward is proportional: you keep earning money based on the hours you work. It’s a lower-risk, lower-reward, and overall safe bet for life.
In business, the risk is highest—either you succeed, or you go hungry. The reward, if you win, is even greater. The trajectory of your life will be transformed if you succeed in business.
The reason people hate the 9-5 isn’t the hours, the job, or the boss. It’s the underlying potential for reward in both pursuits.