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3471A recent Reddit post is striking a nerve with thousands of users who are questioning whether working 40+ hours a week is still the best way to define success.
“Why are we still pretending the 9–5 is the gold standard for ‘success’?” asked the original poster, who described nearly a decade of decent jobs, titles, and pay but little time to actually live.
A Growing Discontent With the 9–5 Norm
The post, which quickly went viral, sparked hundreds of comments from users who are either burned out or already pursuing alternatives.
“What if I want to earn less but live more?” the OP asked. “Is it really ‘lazy’ or ‘unambitious’ to reject that hustle mindset?”
For some, the answer is a clear no.
One commenter shared, “You get to define your own measure of success. For most, a job isn’t the end goal, but a means to get what they want and need.”
Another said, “Honestly, that’s most people’s dream, isto be able to afford to live their life without having to work 40 hours a week.”
The Privilege Conversation
But others pointed out that opting out of the grind is not a realistic option for everyone.
“Because if you’re not born into wealth, there’s not a reliable alternative,” one user wrote. “If you don’t have equity, all you have to sell is your labor.”
Another comment pushed the point further: “You think like this because you already made it. You have breathing room to actually be able to think this. If you asked yourself 10 or 20 years ago I bet you’d hear a different story.”
Healthcare professionals, service workers, and others chimed in to say that the 9–5 often sounds like a dream compared to their long shifts, rotating schedules, and weekend demands.
“What’s this 9-5 and 40 hours a week you are referring to?” wrote one commenter who said they work in healthcare.
READ ALSO: ‘Can’t Even Qualify For A Mortgage’—Listings In South Florida Have Skyrocketed As Residents Leave
A Middle Ground
Several users shared that they’ve found happiness by redefining success.
One said they left a high-paying job for a small business and now work three days a week. Others said flexibilityl ike remote work or 4-day schedules, made a huge difference in their quality of life.
“I declined a job with a better salary for a fully remote one with a lower salary. I have zero regrets,” one user said.
Another wrote, “I left the 9–5 for the 3/4 day work week. 12 hours a day but I have 3 days off one week and 4 the next.”
Entrepreneurship Isn’t a Shortcut Either
Some who tried to escape the 9–5 by starting businesses had a reality check.
“Working a 9–5 is 1000x easier,” one former corporate worker turned entrepreneur wrote.
“Try working from the time you wake up to the time you go to bed while cutting your pay in half because you won’t be successful if you don’t reinvest every penny into the business.”
Another added, “If you have your own business you will go from a 9–5 to a 24/7.”
The Bigger Picture
Several users argued that the entire system is built on workers selling their time, and questioning that system isn’t lazy, it’s logical.
“We’re all just slaves to the sh*t we own. It’s sad,” one commenter reflected.
“It’s not the burnout talking, it is the common sense itself,” another said.
As more people reassess their priorities post-pandemic, the idea of working just to live may be shifting.
While the 9–5 might still offer stability for many, it’s no longer seen as the only valid or admirable path.
“Nobody got rich with a salary,” one quote read.
But for plenty of people, getting rich isn’t the point. Living well, however, is.
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