Since dropping out of college 10 years ago and being forced to make it on my own in a foreign country (France), I have experienced my fair share of odd jobs and random business ventures:
- Organic fast food chain worker
- Foot model
- Supermarket shelf stocker
- Cheesecake and hamburger bun delivery driver
- Started a Vietnamese restaurant with an Algerian ex-poker player (failed)
- Started a hand-made skateboard company (failed)
- Luxury handbag salesman in department stores
- Supplement salesman
- Hair gel salesman
- Shoe store manager
- Uber driver
- Flipping washing machines
- Reddit/social media propaganda bot
- Website consultant for American realtors
- Project Manager for web design company
- Website designer
- Content writer
I learned 1000X more working these jobs than I learned in two years of ‘business school’ smoking hash and getting drunk all the time.
Growing up in Cleveland and Los Angeles, I was sent to private school, given a luxury sedan at the age of 16, and no one ever talked to me about money. I was forced to learn that the world owes me nothing.
I also learned that some jobs are conducive to health and spiritual well-being, while others can destroy almost every aspect of your health. I’ve also crossed paths with plenty of people from all sorts of backgrounds and professions along the way, and have formed some conclusions based on my observations.
All our lives we sweat and save. Building for a shallow grave.
-The Doors
Soul sucking jobs that destroy your health:
Hourly Pay
Few things are more destructive to the soul, sense of self-worth and dignity than working for other people and being paid by the hour. Doing this will sooner or later be reflected in your physical health, as you are forced to spend 8 hours per day working and often performing repetitive tasks.
You also have to ask other men and women for permission to do things (go eat lunch, go on vacation), making it a glorified form of enslavement.
It’s much better to sell products or services directly to your own clients and be paid on either a per-project or per-product basis. Being some sort of independent contractor is one solution here, or a business owner.
One of my favorite past-times was quitting hourly jobs. Nothing is more satisfying than looking the servile manager in the eye and saying, “by the way, I’m not coming back from lunch break.” I feel like I’m walking out of prison. There is some part of their reaction that reveals that they desperately want to do the same thing, but reasonability and fear hold them back.
“Today as always, men fall into two groups: slaves and free men. Whoever does not have two-thirds of his day for himself, is a slave, whatever he may be: a statesman, a businessman, an official, or a scholar.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
Indoor Office Work
Fluorescent lights, air conditioning, staring at a screen, and sitting down all day is horrible for your health. You are also forced to see people that you don’t necessarily want to see daily.
Location-Dependent Work
Location-dependent work often creates deep-seated resentment because you are forced to stay in a specified area for the majority of your existence, leaving little opportunity for spontaneity, adventure or exploration.
Although the internet certainly has its downsides, it is a life-changing tool if it’s used correctly. The internet makes it possible for anyone to find work that can be done from just about anywhere with an internet connection, and you don’t need a degree to get started. I found my first remote writing job with zero experience on Indeed and was earning $3-4K/month. Other worthwhile sites are https://weworkremotely.com/, https://www.upwork.com/, and https://www.fiverr.com/.
Literally Stealing from Other People
This would involve any line of work that does not actually improve other people’s quality of life, and/or is taking advantage of people. Although everyone who has decided to live in the modern world must deceive and intrigue at least to some extent, some jobs are especially parasitic in nature.
The bottom line is don’t rip people off, and make an objective assessment as to whether or not what you’re doing is genuinely improving the life of your fellow man, and not exploiting human vice.
A Note on Side Hustles
“Side Hustle Culture” is a reflection of the endless pursuit of productivity that is prioritized in modern society.
Every waking hour of your life does not need to be dedicated to making money, unless you are poor. Once you have your needs met, turn the side hustle into your only hustle, and make sure that it’s efficient enough to provide you with 2/3 of the day to yourself so you can pursue other projects that matter to you.
If your lifestyle is too expensive, sell things you don’t need, move to a rural area, and live within your means. Or, you can find a more efficient “hustle” and make more money.
FYI, selling washing machines and other home appliances can be especially profitable if you are near a big city. When I was doing this, I never had one that did not sell the same day I had it listed on the French equivalent of Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace.
Whatever you do, find a way to have the majority of your day to spend it as you see fit.
