Swiping through reels, I was met with an all-too-familiar video telling me that I should quit my job and travel the world. Rebuking me was a pretty, 20-something girl swimming in what I assumed to be the Mediterranean, backdropped by a gorgeous sunset. Scrolling is an incredibly unfeeling activity most of the time, but for some reason this video sparked emotion in me. At first it was anger that I am of the generation which heralds this perspective. Next was probably some jealousy. Finally, I felt disheartened at how screwed up our world is. Then I kept scrolling.
The sort of content which encourages the rejection of the "rat race" has been covered extensively, so it's unlikely I can offer a novel perspective on the matter. I also acknowledge that me criticizing privileged Gen Zers is a little like the pot calling the kettle black. What I really aim to create with this essay is an ode to the "rat race" and hopefully convince some folks that life ain't that bad.
I'll start with a critically oversimplified telling of how we got where we are today. Humans have been specialized creatures since the dawn of civilization. As we moved from hunter-gatherer societies into more tightly knit communities which would evolve to become cities as we know them today, people found their niches. Our food, water, and shelter needs could now be met more efficiently, increasing the ratio of sustenance output to people working on producing it (i.e., one farmer producing food for many individuals). No longer was a person's entire existence spent surviving--we could trade our time spent working on our specialty (as a potter, blacksmith, factory worker, or computer programmer) for our basic necessities.
I need to interject here to provide some clarification. We all come to the bargaining table with varying abilities to perform this "trade" I allude to. Lots of folks show up empty handed for reasons that are totally out of their control. Tomorrow isn't promised for any of us, but it's even less assured for some. This is not intended to be a dismissal or trivialization of the financial and social struggles that so many Americans face daily. Rather, it is an addressal of the angst shared by many of my socioeconomic peers, the same angst expressed by the "quit your job and travel" girl I mentioned previously. It's an encouragement of gratitude, not an ignorant rant.
Back to the "quit your job and travel" girl: a natural question when faced with this type of video is "how can one afford this lifestyle?" The answer, I think, is unimportant. Rather, I'd prefer to consider her call to action. In fact, I think the "travel" part of her proclamation is likewise irrelevant. It seems to me that there is a growing proportion of my peers who hold the belief that the social construct of a career is damning to the realization of a happy and fulfilling life. Some say the "9 to 5" is oppressive, others feel it's unnecessary. They can't fathom why people have agreed to this system in which they waste the better half of their lives chained to a desk, all to grow old and unable to enjoy the fruits of their labor. It seems that folks are forgetting the alternative.
I'll admit, it's a very elderly thing to say, "we can't all just not work," but I think there is some wisdom in this blue-collared scorn toward soft hands. A 9 to 5 isn't a mindless obligation or oppressive social construct, it's a means of survival and a way to serve the society which provides for our needs. It's a mechanism that affords us time to recreate, socialize, and even travel. At the most fundamental level, it's a way to trade time for the satisfaction of basic needs. As a bonus, we get to do so in a way that is often less hazardous than chasing buffalo off cliffs or slinging atlatls toward woolly mammoths.
That's not to say working a steady job is easy or without its hazards, as it's most certainly not. If this growing angst among Gen Z and Millenials is indicative of anything, it's an affirmation that a traditional career path is undercelebrated. There's not much sexy about cubicles and timesheets (though accounts like @hubs.life_ on Instagram are doing a good job "normalizing the norm," as he puts it). Social media is built for the extravagant, and if we are so far removed from the actual value of a career, it's easy to think "why not?" when faced with the urge to flee society and live more freely. Except that's not a reality. The "quit your job and travel" girl couldn't do what she does without hotel operators providing her shelter, restauranteurs providing her nourishment, law enforcement and security providing safety. Sure, she's paying for these needs, but what's so bad about being a provider? Shouldn't the model for a fulfilling life be one lived creating value for someone, producing an output which will help them meet their needs in some way or another? Viewed this way, any career from slinging burgers at McDonalds to driving truck to customer service is honorable.
Therefore, I encourage folks to take a step back and look at their life in the broader context of humanity. We are an interdependent species, relying on the work of others to thrive. There is a broader array of opportunities to contribute to the greater human society than ever before. Have gratitude. There is beauty and fulfillment in producing something of value, no matter the cause or scale. I find a lot of comfort in that, even if it means 45 years of 9 to 5.