self slavery

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“Careers are for Slaves”

Why would you want a career? Why chain yourself to a system that demands your time, your energy, your creativity—only to return a paycheck? Let’s face it: careers are for slaves. Harsh? Maybe. But let’s unpack this.

A career is this grand illusion we’ve been sold. Go to school, get a job, work hard, climb the corporate ladder, and one day, maybe you’ll retire with enough time left to enjoy life. This is slavery. Not the brutal, physical kind that we associate with chains and whips—but the mental and emotional slavery that keeps us from living life on our own terms.

Ownership of Time

A job gives you money. A career gives you “prestige” and maybe a higher salary. But ask yourself, at what cost? The most valuable asset we have is time. A career takes that from you. It demands that you show up, that you conform to someone else’s expectations, that you “prove” your worth. Every hour you spend working for someone else is an hour you’ll never get back.

By the time you retire, assuming you even make it that far, most of your prime years will be gone. What then? You’ve lived your entire life on someone else’s schedule. You’ve been told when you can vacation, when you need to work, and even how much time you’re “allowed” to spend with your family.

This is why I reject the notion of careers. I don’t want to ask for permission to live my life. I don’t want to trade my time for money in a system that values profit over human experience. Careers are designed to keep you in a box, enslaved to a system that doesn’t care about you as a person—it only cares about what you can produce.

Self-Sufficiency vs. Dependency

When you have a career, you’re dependent on a paycheck. You’re dependent on a company to give you “stability.” But that stability is a lie. You’re replaceable. One bad quarter, and you could be laid off, your value suddenly deemed expendable. What kind of life is that? Why put yourself in a position where someone else controls your livelihood?

Instead, become your own master. The ultimate freedom isn’t in landing the “perfect job”—it’s in rejecting the idea that a job can define you. Create your own work. Make your own rules. Live life on your terms.

I think about this every time I see someone tied to their desk, staring at the clock, wishing they were anywhere but in their “career.” I think about this every time I talk to someone who has to “ask their boss” for permission to live. That’s not life. That’s not freedom.

The Myth of Stability

People often tell me, “But Eric, what about stability? What about security? Isn’t a career the responsible choice?” And to that, I say: Stability is an illusion. There’s no real security in a career. You can be fired. You can be replaced. Your company can go bankrupt. And while you’ve been dedicating your life to climbing the ladder, who’s been living your life? Not you.

The only true stability comes from self-sufficiency. From knowing that you don’t need anyone else to give you permission to live. The entrepreneur, the artist, the creator—these people understand that life is about taking risks, not seeking comfort. It’s about making decisions that align with your values, not what society expects from you.

I used to think that the goal was to get more money, more recognition, more “success.” But success isn’t something that a career can give you. Success is being able to live each day on your own terms, doing work that matters to you, without having to worry about what your “boss” thinks.

Live Without Chains

I’m not here to say that you shouldn’t work. But work is different from a career. Work is what you do because it fulfills you. It’s the creative act of making something that matters. Work is what you do when you wake up every morning excited about what the day holds. A career, on the other hand, is what you do because you’ve been told it’s the only way to survive.

Don’t be a slave to a career. Don’t be a slave to the system that tells you that your worth is defined by your job title, your salary, or your position in the corporate hierarchy. Own your time. Own your work. Own your life.

The next time you feel trapped in your job, the next time you find yourself counting down the days to the weekend, ask yourself: Am I living, or am I surviving? Careers are for slaves. Freedom is for those who dare to break free.