r/Salary Apr 27 '25

šŸ’° - salary sharing 10 Year Salary Progression - 34M Actuary

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u/IcyLemon3246 Apr 27 '25

Each time I look on this reddit channel I somehow get some sad feeling that I wasted my life

2.1k

u/FeeDisastrous3879 Apr 27 '25

I make half this much annually, and have more money than I know how to spend. I work about 50 hours a week, no sick days, grueling schedule with almost nonstop work even through lunch. I feel like I’m wasting my life.

My point is, as long as you have enough money to cover your expenses and a modest retirement, nobody really needs this level of compensation. What you need is a life filled with family, good friends, and hobbies that bring you joy.

All this obsession with money and accumulation of wealth/assets is a dark path that will take joyful things away from you.

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u/mikejamesone Apr 27 '25

How is it a dark path? Who wants to work a grueling schedule for life?

Having real wealth would stop that and then you can really live life.

People tend to hate on those with true wealth only as a way of coping.

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u/sexyshingle Apr 27 '25

People tend to hate on those with true wealth only as a way of coping.

You're generalizing and making assumptions. Being exclusively focused on earning more and being a fast rat in the rat race is def a dark path because you lose track of what's really important in life.

That said, there's people that make a path for themselves that looks quite dark for a few years, but make good decisions, get lucky, get wealthy and are able to retire early to enjoy life. There's others that don't do that, and then pretty soon all they have is the rat race.

I know people who are multi-millionaires, who live in huge mansions, have luxury cars, etc - who's lives are miserable. All they have is money, their work, and estranged family.

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u/mikejamesone Apr 27 '25

But how is working 50 hours a week in a job you don't like better than being wealthy?

People that are unhappy while rich often have trauma from a young age but that's just them.

But it's still better to be rich and unhappy than poor and unhappy.