Why do we conform to this day to day rat race ?

nickf – the key thing is you clearly love your job!
I’d never say that the job I have now is easy, and I still thrive on the challenge of busy periods. It doesn’t require the pound of flesh my old job did though, and the work culture is far more understanding of the fact that work is not, and should not, be the ‘be-all and end-all’!

Are some people kidding themselves that they are not part of the rat race?
I could describe my job exactly as Northwind does, but getting up at the same time everyday, working in the same place everyday, getting home at the same time everyday, surely that’s THE RAT RACE?
Go through phases where I think “WTF am I doing?” but that’s always a phase and things are ok in general.
You get to a stage in life where responsibilities (family, mortgage etc.) don’t allow for a major change, so you have to find other things to keep you happy and sane.
Mountain biking is a major one. (So I need to do more of it!)

superfluous wealth buys superfluous things

once you get to a certain point, there is no point

Agreed – work is, after all, just a job. I’m clear on that, and always have been.

And (whisper it) I’d do this job for a whole lot less. The market rate for the job is high, so I’d be insulted if I wasn’t offered at least that, but the reality is that I don’t need the salary level I get. If the pay was 50% lower I’d still not choose another line of work nor feel hard done by.

Ok to clarify the reason for my op… I arrange rides with large groups of friends from all walks of life and differing employment .Got into a discussion as to why I arrange stuff and like to pester to get folks out riding and having fun again. I stated “I thought this whole rat race thing was shite and we need more people doing stuff for community and not selfish personal gain”. None of us go to sleep hungry, scared or thirsty and could manage with a lot less. From the look on several faces I had just become a hippy. It just made me think a bit, like you do from time to time. We need a change a big change ….

The world is full of compromise, the trick is working out what you’re willing to compromise. I know people that live a nomadic lifestyle, they own what they can carry and survive on a fiver a day … they are some of the happiest folk I’ve ever met.

I removed myself from the rat race/ normal society a few years ago. People often say that they’re jelous of the lifestyle I’m able to lead but after a few days they admit that they couldn’t live it as the compromises required are too great. They need shops, pubs, cinemas, street lights, TV, phone signal, etc … I value the ability to stand outside stark bollock naked in broard day light without getting arrested 😯

I value the ability to stand outside stark bollock naked in broard day light without getting arrested

+1 😆

For many people, they see a life of idyll just beyond their reach. One where living is self contained, there are no surprises, and they have an inner peace.

Most are too scared to look for this, some do but struggle with the realities. A small handful strike the balance.

We all justify the hell out of our life choices and we’ll defend those choices until we are blue in the face.

Different strokes for different folks…

It’s years since I worked for another man, and even longer since I last claimed any benefits.

Modern lifestyle – Work hard for things you’re told you need but don’t, or work hard for things you need but are overpriced because the market is distorted by so many people working so hard for money to give them buying power.

On the other hand, consumerism via flash bike bits is fine.

It’s all about keeping up with the Jonese

That’s rubbish. A very poor analysis of why people do the things that they do. No-one’s given a crap about the Joneses since the 50s.

Not everyone out there is chasing needless materialism you know.

Molgrips, combined with your posts on the TV thread…. is this you?

Heh..

The real thing I am annoyed with is poor thinking.. gets itself into all areas of life unfortunately.

Molgrips – I agree. Might stop short of getting a Prius though!

I removed myself from the rat race/ normal society a few years ago. People often say that they’re jelous of the lifestyle I’m able to lead but after a few days they admit that they couldn’t live it as the compromises required are too great. They need shops, pubs, cinemas, street lights, TV, phone signal, etc … I value the ability to stand outside stark bollock naked in broard day light without getting arrested

Whate are you doing now? Sounds interesting.

Molgrips – I agree. Might stop short of getting a Prius though!

Fair enough.. I don’t mind what you drive as long as it’s efficient 🙂

Although I do recognise that tokenism is at work in motoring too. There’s no point getting a car that does 50mpg then thinking that makes it okay to drive 40k miles a year without consequence.

I’m a mountain bike instructor Finbar. Live on a farm in the mid Wales mountains with GF, 2 llamas, 2 lurchers, 2 owls and a blind sheep called Helen … you couldn’t make it up.

My ‘office’ is a 1000 acres of forest, we’ve no neighbours hence I get to do the naked thing if I fancy … but not when I’m instructing obviously. 😉

I used to own a motorbike shop (17 years). Worked 6 days a week, 10-14 hour days, only ever had 1 holiday and only 2 days sick in that time. To cut a long story short, I’d built a monster and it dictated every aspect of life. Now I work an average of 4 days a week, outside, riding bikes with great people. I’m never going to make a million but that doesn’t matter … I know chasing that doesn’t make me happy.

Stuart

That sounds awesome Stuart.

I’ve got the “best” of both worlds – i’m working my arse off AND not earning anything. PhDs are for suckers!

I value the ability to stand outside stark bollock naked in broard day light without getting arrested

Live on a farm in the mid Wales

thank god i am not in wales 😉

Top “work” Stuart!

Now if you could improve my pantaloons DH ability, it might be worth a trip up there…

Here’s food for thought.

We can’t all do fabulous jobs, can we? Some of us MUST do the rubbish, otherwise it won’t get done.

So how do we decide? There are always going to be people doing jobs they hate I think.

I think Brits are too conditioned into thinking it’s their “right” to have a “good” job. Go abroad and you’ll often see happy street cleaners, bin men, etc. Over here it’s nothing but grumble grumble, life’s so unfair, etc.

The thing is, we live in a free society with a “free market” job system. We can all find another job is we want one badly. But we tend to complain instead, not appreciating the fact that many people would give their right arm for the job we have.

I think Brits are too conditioned into thinking it’s their “right” to have a “good” job

Do we? Never heard anything like that.

The reasons we grumble are somewhat different I feel.

We can all find another job is we want one badly.

This I disagree with completely.

I loved my job and I have no current financial worries I just get sick of the constant greed driven world. I know we mtbers are guilty of spending on bikes, kit and stuff but my trade off is to see others learn to ride and play like kids again (male and females) i.e have fun & get fit. The way we all live could be more basic and vastly improved, don’t you think ?

Why do we conform to this day to day rat race ?

Becuase it is easier than wrestling sabre toothed tigers in a 10ft snow drift wearing only a rabbit fur loincloth.

I’d pay to watch you do that ADH.

This I disagree with completely.

How rare… 😆

al – how much?

*readies loincloth*

We could grow our own food when not tiger wreslting of course ? how radicle would that be ? Knit our own clothes, grow beards,bathe naked in the local river……the possibilities are endless 8)

The way we all live could be more basic and vastly improved, don’t you think ?

It could. But the economy would have to take a massive leap backwards.

Very very complicated business this global economy. Potentially a lot of people would have to starve to death.

We can’t all do fabulous jobs, can we? Some of us MUST do the rubbish, otherwise it won’t get done.

nah, that’s just not true.

in germany there is a massive emphasis on getting a degree and having a proper career.

the GF’s old man thinks i’m a disaster and calls me a “lebenskuenstler” as i flit about between jobs. i earn enough to cover my expenses, contribute and afford a few of (my) luxuries.

whereas many of the GF’s contempoararies are all ‘well educated’ (they went to uni, many are unemployed, have several thousand €s of debt, but at least they got a piece of paper at the end of it). some have a good job, but i don’t think that they are necessarily happy with their lot.

it peeves me that when you ask how they are there first or second point is usually work related – how much they’ve got going on; how the boss annoys them; how early they got up; what conference they have to fly to.

if you don’t like it, don’t do it. more so, don’t maon to me about at…. i’m happy.

molgrips – Member

“The way we all live could be more basic and vastly improved, don’t you think ?”

It could. But the economy would have to take a massive leap backwards.

would that be such a bad thing?

work four days, ride/swim/walk/relax three.

Personally, I think my job could be much improved by working 4 days on, 4 days off. It’d never come to pass though, due to the number of my co-workers who have kids.

I pretty much agree that the age of keeping up with the Jones has past in terms of material possessions.

Most of my mates dont own cars/houses etc they all rent they dont really have that much of in terms of possessions.

But there does seem to be some kind of keeping up with the Jones in terms of experience ie whos had the most holidays, whos done the most extreme holiday, whos run the fastest half marathon, who has cycled across the country, whos the best footy player ?

Im not so guilty of the first things ie holidays but Im pretty guilty of the second group.

Its not about who does what job though is it ? Its the way we live our lives. It could be so much better and the numerous mentions of careers and stuff just reinforces the here we go back into the rat race culture.

I dinnae have much in the way of responsibilities, so it’s easy for me to say this… but material stuff equals clutter, which (by and large) I can often do without. I’ve got a good degree, from a good university. I’ve worked for the best part of a decade at the sharp end of the NHS. I’m currently mulling over my next move – but as long as I’m near some decent woods, I’m happy.

Really, my only ambitions for the next ten years are to read books and ride my bike, as much as I possibly can. Shacking up with Chan Marshall would be a bonus, though.

It could. But the economy would have to take a massive leap backwards.
would that be such a bad thing?

Yes. There would not be enough money moving around to feed everyone. Particularly in the developing world.