Gen-Xer here. I want to start off by showing much appreciation for the views on this sub. Much needed in this society indeed.
In my fifties. Married with kids. Semi Retired. Been in both corporate and entrepreneurship. Sold my last business. Work around my house mostly now a days. Not super rich or anything, but have enough not to have to work full time. Got here through drinking the American Dream Cool Aid and some luck. Worked non stop for almost 30 years straight and have the scars(depression, anxiety, etc) to show for it. Looking back, was it worth it? Not sure.
But I admit that I am enjoying the fruits of the labor (slavery?) now. Would not have gotten here otherwise. I could not have worked like that if I didn’t have a clear goal in mind. Those goals made the work, I dare to say, somewhat enjoyable as well.
Early in my career when in corporate, I would agree with all viewpoints on this sub. Later when I had my own business, I did what I could to improve lives of employees. Didn’t just match 401K, I just put money into their accounts separately from their pay. I was always happy for them if some got promotional jobs elsewhere. Still friends with many of them now.
But anyone that knows me would always describe me being driven, type A personality. Being this way does have its perks. For one thing, it allows you to enjoy what you’re doing. Always. I think that was the biggest benefit actually. And this is where the dichotomy rears its head. To drink the cool aid would be falling for the trap of the evil system. To not drink it has its perils. So what gives? What’s the end game?