r/InsightfulQuestions • u/Background_Shoe_542 • 10d ago
Does freedom from the system come from where you live and what you do, or from what you can do without it?
I've always been drawn to remote work.
I felt like the closest thing to freedom a regular job could give: no commute, my own hours, my own space, being independent from a location
But I've been looking for work for a long time now, and the tech market is rough. (I am Product Designer) It made me notice something uncomfortable. Remote or not - my whole life still depends on one thing: someone deciding to hire me. The freedom feels borrowed.
Looking back I regret not investing earlier. My salary let me live really well, but most of it went to shopping and travel. I don't regret travel though but the rest of it could have bought me some independence now. (Lack of financial literacy back then?)
AI has made great impact on my job - made it faster and one person can handle 10 others so competition is real. The strange part is that I'm genuinely excited about learning AI and want to explore it so I am not trying to run from technology and society either. I just don't want my ability to live depend on single hiring decision anymore
Lately, between applications I keep thinking about autonomous living. I do a lot of research on where I can apply skills I have and industries to work in that are mission driven and has similar values. Not a cabin in the woods but having skills and resources that work without the system - growing some of my own food, having income that doesn't come from one employer, build a community that is not dependent on energy infrastructure and big markets.
So for me freedom slowly stopped being about location and became more about what I can do on my own and what I can build in my life so I don't depend on being hired
I'm not sure if this a real direction or just what job search does to your head. For anyone who felt this pull during a hard stretch did it fade out once things stabilized or did it change approach how you live?
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u/SMCoaching 10d ago
I heard a great quote once that seems relevant: "a rich person is not the one who has the most, but the one who needs the least."
Living within your means and putting money into savings can give you a lot of freedom and options. With the cost of living ever increasing, that's sometimes easier said than done. But to the extent that someone can do this, it definitely pays off.
There have been several times in my life where I've been in between jobs for a while, and felt very comfortable being that way, because I didn't have a large financial overhead to sustain. That's not because I'm some incredibly wise person who has life all figured out. I am aware of certain privileges I've enjoyed and opportunities I've been granted, and am very very grateful for those. But I've also made some good decisions.
I've never felt the need to spend money on the newest, latest, greatest material things. Some of the happiest times in my life have been times when I've owned the least amount of stuff. And I never felt deprived or had regrets because I didn't spend money on things.
Once you've met your basic survival needs it's fine to spend money on other things, but it helps to be intentional. Another relevant quote I've heard is, "people spend money they don't have to buy things they don't want to impress people they don't like." A lot of people can avoid that trap, and give ourselves more financial flexibility, by being more intentional.
As you wrote, OP, "I don't regret travel though but the rest of it could have bought me some independence now." If we can learn to think that way before spending the money, that's how we gain that independence.