How do people do it?

[ATLien247]

Well, for me it's a combination of lack of ambition and fear of failure. I have a great IT job right now, but I'm sure I could do much better...

 

[AMCRambler]

Quote
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How do people do it?
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when two people fall in love, they express that love by...

Personally I like to be on bottom, but that's just me...

 

[CraigRT]

people are LAZY

including myself..

 

[Shade4ever]

Between the growing socialism of America, and the willingness of many to do the minimum required to maintain their lifestyle, I'd say it's a bit of both the system and the people. Welfare/medicare/food stamps/similar programs give an incentive to not work harder, get a better job, etc. At the same time, those who've become accustomed to certain living conditions may decide that they're fine where they are and don't need to move up in the world. Finally, I think what we're seeing may also be the residual effect of how college was viewed until recently...college was looked at as nice, and useful for a few, but an unnecessary expense for most people. This view did not really change (as I understand it, I've only been alive since the early 80's so this is what I've heard from teachers, etc.) until the late 70's/early 80's. Thus, those older folks mentioned above, are simply the non-grads who opted for menial jobs as a way of life.

 

[phantom309]

Originally posted by: yobarman
while I attend college. There's a couple people there who are middle-aged and still do this, working retail and food service with a sub $10 per hour paycheck. And it seems like there's no shortage of labor here either... just moving from job to job taking what they can get.

Study hard in college, get a good job, and enjoy the good things your work brings you. But please don't pretend a part-time job at Denny's gives you any special insight towards the poor, struggling masses. Every one of those people has a different reason for winding up where they are. And you know what? They don't owe you an explanation for not living up to your standards.

 

[Azraele]

I work a menial job as a cake decorator. Am I happy with it? No. The constant grind is horrifying to my mind. I was raised as a creative person. Writing, poetry, those things I like. I don't even have the energy to do them by the time I get off of work. I eat, sleep, and work. That's my life right now.

I'm not satisfied, and I intend that one day this will change.

 

[xirtam]

Some people actually like menial jobs. So in that way, "some people are content," although they do realize there's more... they just don't decide that it's necessarily personally better. Personally, I think it would suck to be a CEO. I don't want to be a slave to my job. I want to work 40 hours a week. Not 100. I want to work how I want, if I want, when I want. "Menial" jobs sometimes afford greater flexibility.

Some people are lazy. These people aren't motivated enough to go through the proper channels and avenues.

Other people recognize problems inherent in the system, and their personal values conflict with "jumping through the hoops." These can be either nonconforming extremists or just an arrogant subset of society that says, "if I can't do it my way, I won't do it at all."

It's not the American capitalist system. If you can't make it here, you can't make it anywhere.

The American system is doing nothing to promote the ignorance of the masses. There's enough of that going around as it is.

My parents came here with nothing and made something of themselves.

There's your answer. There's nothing wrong with being a cook at Denny's. Do you want more? Are you discontent? I believe you are, and I believe that's why you're taking steps to "improve" your condition. Other people find contentment in their jobs, or at least contentment enough in the "off-job" time that they're not worried about finding "that perfect job" which doesn't exist.

But some people were just called to be cooks at Denny's, that's all.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

It depends on the person.

Some people don't want to be buried in computers and liabilities and just want a pad w/ a TV, fridge and microwave. They know that a front row seat at a game costs $150, but that same $150 will power the TV for a year and let them see EVERY game. And the drinks and food are alot cheaper. They can get a cheap stereo and have the same amount of enjoyment as a more expensive one, so why get the expensive one? They don't want a job where they can't move, they don't want a desk job, they'd rather shovel snow than do paperwork. Hell, even I've considered ditching my job and becoming a mechanic or something like that. Being in an upper class involves living with alot of pomp, and they don't like that. There is a neighborhood near mine that requires all fences be white plank fences, your garage door must remain shut unless you're on the way out or in, any woodworking must be done inside. All deliveries must happen between a set number of hours in the day (gated community) This neighborhood has 3-5-10 acre lots and boarders ours (though the entrances are a couple miles apart). Our neighborhood has 5-10 acre plots but has a laisse faire style of management. We take care of the roads, and and requests are done strictly person-person. Usually isn't a problem. Everyone likes it. It's not a high class neighborhood, but there's more freedom and a relaxed atmosphere to it. Maybe the upper class isn't the best place to be.

 

[AstIsis]

Three things you can do to decrease your chances of being poor:

1. Finish High School
2. Do not get married till you are 21
3. Do not have children till you are married

(NOTE: It is either O'Reilly or Rush who said this..can't remember, but I can see the wisdom in it.)

Thanks Xirtam..corrected it!

 

[yobarman]

Originally posted by: phantom309

Originally posted by: yobarman
while I attend college. There's a couple people there who are middle-aged and still do this, working retail and food service with a sub $10 per hour paycheck. And it seems like there's no shortage of labor here either... just moving from job to job taking what they can get.

Study hard in college, get a good job, and enjoy the good things your work brings you. But please don't pretend a part-time job at Denny's gives you any special insight towards the poor, struggling masses. Every one of those people has a different reason for winding up where they are. And you know what? They don't owe you an explanation for not living up to your standards.

Hey don't get pissed of at me for trying to understand how people live their lives. I've worked 3 jobs over the years... K-mart employee, Customer Service Rep, and Dennys... and all of these jobs had people who just thought it was the end of the line and this is what it will consist of. But at my CSR job i knew a girl who had some pretty rough times and trying as hard as possible to get the education to become a nurse. I really admired that.

And i also respect the people who do these jobs. I do realize it is possible they don't have the brains to become a manager, they aren't physically able, or they have family problems bogging them down preventing them from getting an education. I don't know how they put up with the day to day struggle because I can't last 2 weeks (talkin about Dennys here lol)..

But who knows, I might be putting my own foot in my mouth and end up working minimum wage because I f'ed up in college, or even I get my degree but there's no where to work for me. But still, even then I would not settle and try to be the best at what i can be in the situation.

 

[xirtam]

There's nothing wrong with contemplating occupational psychology. Personally, I think people are insane for thinking that their "dream" job is so much better than what they've got now.

I've met very few people who like what they do. Very few. And those I've met who do don't make a lot of money.

 

[yobarman]

Originally posted by: AstIsis
Three things you can do to decrease your chances of being poor:

1. Finish High School
2. Do not get married till you are 21
3. Do not have children till you are married

(NOTE: It is either O'Reilly or Rush who said this..can't remember, but I can see the wisdom in it.)

Thanks Xirtam..corrected it!

Very good advice... hopefully i'll stick to it... you know unless the condom busts

 

[jaeger66]

It isn't always laziness. The Mexicans who trim my hedges work like slaves for less than minimum wage.

 

[her209]

Its easier in life when you actually have extra money to spend or invest in the future.

Most of the folks that you speak of have no choice. They need to get the bills paid, a place to sleep, some food to eat, some mouths at home to feed.

I'm sure that if given the opportunity to earn more, not one person would refuse it. Sh!t happens in life.

Sadly, beggars can't be choosers.

 

[GiLtY]

For those who requested it.

Behold the bunny

As to your question, not everybody who comes to the US has a good start, and there are conditions that hinder them from going to higher places. I'm not exact sure of the specifics either, but that's just my $.01

 

[BooGiMaN]

diffrent people have different stories..i wonder how many IT peopel are out of a job and having to work these menial jobs after unemployment runs out...what if the IT field really never recovers or they let too much time pass and companies prefer to hire new grads ..what do these people do?

I wouldnt be to quick to judeg without knowing the background story

rememeber alot of people are a few paychecks away from being homeless broke and poor

 

[melly]

i feel similar to you but really there are many reasons. sometimes they are lazy or have no ambition. sometimes they got knocked up at a young age and never bothered to finish school and thus can't get hired anywhere else. or perhaps they have never worked a day in their life, and once the husband retired they needed to get the bloody hell outta the house for a few hours each day

i worked many part-time jobs while in highschool and university but have since gone on to getting a good job with the government. i have a weakness for dollar stores, though, and i can't help but wonder about why one of the ladies who works there is doing that job. she's prolly in her mid-thirties, works part-time there, and makes approx. $7/hour (CDN). but you know what? she's perfectly happy there, and nobody should judge her.

 

[Aztech]

Many are lazy, I know I am. I've had it easy though. Parents paid for education, I had a decent summer job that led to a permanent position, and I've been there ever since (I graduated from college in '96). It took me 6 years to get my EE degree too. Laziness contributed to my xtended stay. Good times though. Now, my job is in jeopardy and still I can't motivate myself to even browse monster.com or something. Though my skills are dead as they were never put to good use. But I digress...

Some are lazy, some don't care, some care but it's not that easy to do better when you're in a poor family. Maybe they need your financial support. There are a thousand reasons though, so I voted for other.

 

[yoda291]

I think it's because it's exceedingly and disproportionately hard to move up the social ladder. Think about it from the standpoint of the welfare collecting, food stamp using, medicaid candidate. The government provides an awful lot of support for them while they don't really need to do all that much to receive it. Now let's say something hits this person and they want to better themself. So they go out, attend night classes, get a diploma and start making a little money. They find they run into taxes. They go high enough, they aren't below the poverty line anymore. There goes all that government aid they were receiving. So now what happened. They're essentially where they were before, except now they have to work 3-4 times as hard. Fine...let's say they don't like this, hit up colleges and technical schools, get a nice posh job. Let's say they double their salary and workload. The problem with this is, if you double his salary, a disproportionate amount gets taken out in taxes and he now qualifies for more and more taxes levied against him. Let's say he REALLY busts a gut and decides to start up his own business and does well. Let's make it a moderate sized, say 6-7 hundred thousand gross annually. He's suddenly got expenses associated with the business. He's gotta hire an accountant to manage his books. He's got employees. He's got operating expenses etc. so let's say he takes home 100k after all is said and done. Uncle sam will happily bit off around 34 of that leaving about 66k spending money. Not bad....except for the fact that he's had to up his productivity 1000%+ to get there. He's invested a huge part, if not a majority of his life to get there and all he can show for it is an income of around 70 thousand - living expenses per year where he could have been making 10,000 and getting by doing virtually nothing before. It all pretty much boils down to, the more you make, the more society will take a bite out of you and give to someone else. you make over 100k, they really chomp down on you. So it's actually very hard to break out when you think of it...too hard for most people.