Why do most people feel bored and depressed without a job?

Tom_Cruise · 15-05-2013 10:54PM

When you are working you have no little time to do things but have the money to do them.

When you are on the dole you have all the time in the world to do things, but no money to do them.

Or you can be like me, 10k a day CEO of a multinational company working 5 hours a week and traveling the world hooking up with Swedish models and celebrities every night at VIP nightclubs while drinking 30,000 euro bottles of champagne.

15-05-2013 10:54PM

The thing is, who has the money to really enjoy themselves when they're unemployed? I'm not a materialistic person, but I love travelling - how can you do that if you don't have a job? I don't know many people whose hobbies and interests are completely free.

Tisserand · 15-05-2013 10:55PM

BlimpGaz wrote: »

I was going to start another thread with this question, but I guess I can simply ask it here:

Why don't more females in developed nations sell their bodies for cash? The average prostitute ears €200 not per week, not even per day (which itself would be great enough) but per hour. And even more, it's 100% tax free. You'd think at least half the population of females in our country would take up this wonderful opportunity (at least those of appropriate age and attractiveness) but alas most of the prostitutes here are foreign.

....Gets coat....removes bulb from light fitting in porch and replaces it with a red one...will keep ye posted

BlimpGaz · 15-05-2013 10:56PM

Muff_Daddy wrote: »

The 'bare minimum' for most people in this country costs a lot more than the social welfare pays, think of a family of 5 struggling with a mortgage.

Dig up my other threads, listen to my wisdom, and save yourself the ghastly abomination of the situation you described ever happening to you.

In short, I got a vasectomy three weeks after my son was born. It was at that time I realized what a mistake I made by engaging in risky sex. Nowadays I can have as much unprotected sex as I like, and it's physically impossible for me to get any female pregnant again. It baffles me how vasectomies aren't a lot more common. Must mean rational men are very much uncommon. :pac:

pwurple · 15-05-2013 10:57PM

You may eventually feel bad about taking money from others and not giving anything in return. Depends on your morals and ethics.

BlimpGaz · 15-05-2013 11:00PM

pwurple wrote: »

You may eventually feel bad about taking money from others and not giving anything in return. Depends on your morals and ethics.

"Morality" has been scientifically proven to be a fiction, and a man-made intellectual construct for the weak masses who need to believe in an eternal creator god to get by in life. If you were rich, would you still hold onto your ideals of morality? Didn't think so.

harney · 15-05-2013 11:01PM

BlimpGaz wrote: »

I was going to start another thread with this question, but I guess I can simply ask it here:

Why don't more females in developed nations sell their bodies for cash? The average prostitute ears €200 not per week, not even per day (which itself would be great enough) but per hour. And even more, it's 100% tax free. You'd think at least half the population of females in our country would take up this wonderful opportunity (at least those of appropriate age and attractiveness) but alas most of the prostitutes here are foreign.

You're really asking where you can find cheaper prostitutes, aren't you? Try a regional forum, they'd probably have better local knowledge.

deco nate · 15-05-2013 11:01PM

BlimpGaz wrote: »

Dig up my other threads, listen to my wisdom, and save yourself the ghastly abomination of the situation you described ever happening to you.

In short, I got a vasectomy three weeks after my son was born. It was at that time I realized what a mistake I made by engaging in risky sex. Nowadays I can have as much unprotected sex as I like, and it's physically impossible for me to get any female pregnant again. It baffles me how vasectomies aren't a lot more common. Must mean rational men are very much uncommon. :pac:

you are a ****e troll...pac ****in pac!

and you are a re-reg!

15-05-2013 11:02PM

BlimpGaz wrote: »

Dig up my other threads, listen to my wisdom, and save yourself the ghastly abomination of the situation you described ever happening to you.

In short, I got a vasectomy three weeks after my son was born. It was at that time I realized what a mistake I made by engaging in risky sex. Nowadays I can have as much unprotected sex as I like, and it's physically impossible for me to get any female pregnant again. It baffles me how vasectomies aren't a lot more common. Must mean rational men are very much uncommon. :pac:

You're not going to enjoy your life as much when you've got the AIDS.

Dunny · 15-05-2013 11:03PM

Too busy counting my wages to read the OP tbh

starviewadams · 15-05-2013 11:03PM

Was unemployed for a fair few months in 2009 and thinking back these were some of the reasons I felt down:

Isolation from friends who are working and can afford nights out,holidays etc.

Fear of never getting another job because you've been unemployed for a certain amount of time,and of being branded a waster/loser etc.

No money for anything bar the bare essentials,sometimes even no money for those.

Not being to say anything when people ask you what you've been up to,what you do etc.

Bored/lonely with nothing meaningful to do every day.

harney · 15-05-2013 11:21PM

BlimpGaz wrote: »

Years ago, when I worked for the Social Welfare Office, I remember that when the unemployed would come in for an assessment, I would often overhear them tell our staff:

“I would much rather be working than collecting the dole. When I’m working, I have pride and purpose. I earn my money. And my weekends mean something. But when I’m unemployed, my weekends have no value. I don’t enjoy them.”

Frankly, I never understood this mentality that most Irish people have.

I remember during my periods of unemployment, people would occasionally ask me “Aren’t you bored?” which would bewilder me, since how can one be bored when they have freedom to do what they want, get up whenever they want, eat whenever they want, etc.? Isn’t it far more boring and mind numbing to be under constant surveillance as a slave 8 to 9 hours a day, against your will, doing something you don’t want (most people’s jobs are not aligned with their interests after all), just for the money and because you “have to”? So I never understood this logic that said that your life is boring without a job and exciting with one.

Obviously, society conditions you to believe that your life is boring, meaningless, devoid of purpose, and ultimately depressing if you don’t have a JOB or regular employment, as if you were only half a man without one.

But for me, nothing could be further from the truth. With a million interests, I can always find something to do when I’m not working. Here is a list of examples off the top of my head:

- There are an unlimited amount of good interesting books I can read, in all areas of interest.
- There are an unlimited number of great films to watch that I’m interested in.
- There is a unlimited variety of music I can listen to.
- With the advent of the internet of course, there is an unlimited endless number of things I can do online, more than I could ever have time for.
- There are many hobbies I can indulge in – writing books and articles, learning to draw or paint, or learning any new skill or craft, etc.
- Outdoor activities, parks, hiking, swimming, sports, boating, etc. And if you live near a park, all the better.
- Travel the world or around the country.
- There are an unlimited number of interesting people out there to meet and spend time with too (unless they are all working), especially if you are in a country where people are more open, communal, inclusive and less isolated.
- I can go shopping.
- I can learn to cook and prepare meals, or bake cookies
- I can call my many friends on the phone from all over the world

The list is endless as you can see. And the above can never be completely exhausted either. So how the hell can you have nothing to do if you’re unemployed? That makes no sense and seems like a cheap brainwashing tactic of society. I also don’t see why I have to feel “guilty” for doing what I want if I’m unemployed. In fact, even if I did nothing during my free time except sit around and daydream with my active rich imagination, I’d still be far more entertained than working a typical job of drudgery.

In my last job when I was eventually laid off due to budget cuts, my co-workers felt pity for me and expected me to feel bad and take it hard. But in reality, I was in a state of euphoria, as though I were being released from jail (much like how I felt when I got out of secondary school) and about to regain my freedom again. My time and life would again be mine, and it was something to look forward to and be excited about, especially since I had plans to go overseas that summer to Bulgaria and now had an excuse to extend my trip. This perplexed my co-workers, who believed that your job was your life and reason for living. Unlike me, they all “lived to work” and assumed that everyone else did too.

After spending 7 months on the dole in the UK it was a bit mind numbing, and not quite as generous as the Irish system by the sounds of it. A whole £71 per week, minus the £5.30 it cost me to travel by bus to the next town every two weeks for my dole interview.

The problem I found was that you had to at least appear, even to yourself all alone at home, to be looking for work during "working hours" which meant you couldn't sit back and do "enjoyable" stuff e.g. reading book or watching movies. I did tent to feel a bit guilty if I didn't do something that I felt was productive in my job hunt every day. The worst times were when you had gone through the second stage of an interview and then they drag out the answer by a week, only to deliver a no. Very deomoralising, and you don't know should you be sending out tons of cvs during that week or not (I eventually learned the answer is yes to that one).

I don't remember how the Irish system works, but over here you had to fill out some forms every two weeks and sit down for a 5 minute interview going through it showing what work you had applied for in the last two weeks.

In short I can't say I never watched a move or read a book during my dole stint but it was few and far between, and I felt very durty and a tad guilty if I did it during working hours

Brain Stroking · 16-05-2013 12:26AM

Lack of routine.

Agricola · 16-05-2013 12:44AM

I've a relative who works on a mind numbing factory line doing unsociable shifts every week of the year. Awhile back he was involved in a minor accident which meant he was on leave for 2/3 weeks while he healed. No major breaks, concussion and bruising etc. I would have expected him to be delighted about having some free time to do what he wanted to do for a change. If I'd been in his shoes, Id be reveling in the chance to have some lie-ins, read, go to the cinema at a normal hour etc etc, just ti basically have your life back from such an restrictive job. But after 3 days he was pulling his hair out, complaining about the boredom. Without the structure of his job, he just sat in his pants all day in the house staring at the wall and wishing his leave away.....

The mind fúcking boggles.

Greentopia · 16-05-2013 12:49AM

Fromthetrees wrote: »

No, not at all, it's just that money buys you freedom, the more money you have the more freedom you have.

Not necessarily. Money brings with it it's own responsibilities and worries too- How do I keep it safe? how do I know people like me for myself and not my money? I have to protect it and all my new shiny stuff bought with it with security. I have to protect my family more now from robbers, intruders and kidnappers. I have a certain lifestyle with all this money so therefore I have to work even harder to maintain it and never have the time to enjoy it, and that's just the start.

Money can give freedom from financial struggle it's true and an enhanced lifestyle if you're into the trinkets of consumerism but the freedom it does give you is often offset by worry and other problems.
I grew up around moneyed people, I've seen some of the problems it can bring.

And the only form of work that is empowering and freeing is work that is under one's own control, which most wage earners/slaves don't have.

Greentopia · 16-05-2013 12:57AM

Madeleine Rough Forceps wrote: »

The thing is, who has the money to really enjoy themselves when they're unemployed? I'm not a materialistic person, but I love travelling - how can you do that if you don't have a job? I don't know many people whose hobbies and interests are completely free.

Not a problem for an unemployed friend of mine who travels to different countries all the time. It's possible. He has no phone, no internet-uses the library-,no car, no kids, hardly any bills and loves travelling so he saves most of his dole to go to different places whenever he has enough money.
In the last two years he's been to Mexico twice, Portugal, Czech, Amsterdam, all over North Africa...

Not condoning it, though I am envious

just saying that's what he does and it's possible.

AlekSmart · 16-05-2013 12:58AM

Bipolar Joe wrote: »

Maybe they want to learn music, start a band. I'm lucky to have gotten all the things I need for that stuff before I became unemployed, there's no way I could afford it now. There's more hobbies than having "fancy clothes." That's a really dumb thing to say.

This is something which is exercising my mind...

We all know of the huge role that Slavery,Oppression and later the Great Depression played in forming American (and inter alia World) Musical culture.

The awesome gritty stories of hardship,cruelty and eventually salvation which came from such greats as Bessie Smith,Leadbelly,Jelly Roll Morton,Robert Johnson,John Lee Hooker(!!) served to form so much of our musical background.

SO...given that Ireland is currently,if some are to be believed,being sucked dry by Austerity with it's people being trampled underfoot by the Irish equivalent of wealthy Plantation Owners,why are we not seeing a resurgence of the Irish Music scene...where are the New,Come all ye's to rival the many oul ones still being performed in sheebens throughout the land.

This is indeed not yer normal depression we're enduring,perhaps it's a special Irish version which does'nt stir the emotions as the olden days one's did ?

ringadingding · 16-05-2013 01:03AM

In other words, op wants to win the lotto and retire

LOI Stats · 16-05-2013 01:12AM

BlimpGaz wrote: »

how can one be bored when they have freedom to do what they want

It costs money to do pretty much anything these days.

Maybe you found it great personally, but I would be shocked if the vast majority of people who find themselves unemployed wouldn't prefer to be working.

Keeping the rent and bills is hard. You have to make a lot of sacrifices, which is fair enough, but to imply that it's a complete holiday camp is wrong.

zenno · 16-05-2013 01:32AM

I always found that strange how people say they are going mad when they have no work or are on the dole with nothing to do ?.

Do these people even have a working brain ? I mean when i was let go a while back and signed on the dole i kept waking up every morning at the time i had to go to work and then i would cop on a few seconds later with joy and a big smile on my face thinking i don't have to go in today.

So i wake up and have a cup of tea and think of what i am going to do for the day as i can do anything, so i decide to get back into learning the classical guitar of which i couldn't do before because i'd be knackered after a long day but now i could so i am still learning this and it's great, no boredom.

Then only 2 weeks ago i decided to learn html5 as i have all day to do so and it's progressing well and i have not felt any boredom yet, and when i need to leave the house i just hop into my car and drive to the beach for a long walk while listening to beautiful music, then come back home and do the weights for an hour and get stuck back into either the guitar or html programming learning and if it's a clear night i'll get stuck into watching the stars/planets and moon in astronomy with this telescope.

So i cannot understand how people feel bored if not in work ? these kind of people must have no life other than the work they are used to and cannot function when not in work which is sad. Surely people have interests outside of work and i don't mean going to the pub as that's brain-dead, i.e, not good for the brain. Watching tv will melt a persons brain within a few days.

If you have a lot of interests that you love, you will never be bored, ever. There's more to life than work work work, well easy for me as i have no kids which is great, i'm a free man.

Cheerful Spring · 16-05-2013 01:32AM

I'm unemployed. I see dole as getting paid for doing nothing. I paid lot of taxes when i worked. So have not always been a burden on the state. But the dole is money not earned. So i can't say its life i enjoy.But i'm not depressed i gym and do social activities ( i play and also watch soccer matches at my local stadium) every week.

I do get more down on myself when i'm around people who work ( my own insecurity)

The dole i find it not lot of fun especially if you have bills and like your nights out. A night for me would cost 80 Euros (suddenly i'm broke for the week)

This might seem sad to some of you, but i don't really date anymore either ( I just can't afford a women friend) even though lot of mates and girls i know say i'm very good looking. I just feel like been on the dole and dating would be boring. Not good for a relationship (by the way my last one was 2011 five years it lasted) When i am out which is probably once every month i meet someone most of the time, that's it- goes no further.

The way the country is now i don't think the dole payments will be the same next five years. Master in Europe would have everyone off the dole if they had their way and i think the government is listening. I think payments all year round likely will be that first thing to go.

If people enjoy not working good for them-but i think its more healthy to be up and about doing something.

Cheerful Spring · 16-05-2013 01:47AM

Agricola wrote: »

I've a relative who works on a mind numbing factory line doing unsociable shifts every week of the year. Awhile back he was involved in a minor accident which meant he was on leave for 2/3 weeks while he healed. No major breaks, concussion and bruising etc. I would have expected him to be delighted about having some free time to do what he wanted to do for a change. If I'd been in his shoes, Id be reveling in the chance to have some lie-ins, read, go to the cinema at a normal hour etc etc, just ti basically have your life back from such an restrictive job. But after 3 days he was pulling his hair out, complaining about the boredom. Without the structure of his job, he just sat in his pants all day in the house staring at the wall and wishing his leave away.....

The mind fúcking boggles.

I've worked on the lines for companies all my life and i miss the craic i used to have. Couple of my friends who are now trainee accountants for firms, tell me all the time, they miss the craic. And would go back if they could.

What was mind numbing working to you doesn't mean it was boring to him. Factory work can be rewarding socially lot more interaction. Office jobs people often just stick to themselves.

zenno · 16-05-2013 01:50AM

Don't get me wrong, i'll be back working soon hopefully as i enjoy everyday i have at the moment being free from time-sets and enjoying my time to do what i like, but i know i will be back doing the grind soon enough but i will always remember the enjoyment of having all this free time to myself

.

I payed my taxes for donkeys years so i paid my share and will be paying them again soon but it will not bother me in the least of paying tax that goes to all parts of society including the dole because i'm not a brain-dead Irish begrudger mouthpiece like many are on this website.

Henlars67 · 16-05-2013 02:54AM

Being out of work and having very little money is an awful place to be.

That said, if I were to come into enough money that I wouldn't have to work, then I wouldn't work, but I would have money to do things, and I wouldn't be drawing the dole and being looked down on and called a scrounger

pabloh999 · 16-05-2013 03:23AM

Working = productive member of society
Not working and taking handouts = drain on society

seven_eleven · 16-05-2013 03:32AM

OP thats absolutely ridiculous. Conditioned? ah come on now.

Humans need to keep active, whether it be physically, mentally or both. This includes dealing with people and making yourself feel worthwhile. Even if you're an introverted person you need this, just in less doses.

People who are left doing nothing all day become depressed, they have nothing to do. Reading books and browsing the internet doesnt help overcome this. It's a genuine thing. Isolation, and mental illness.

Not just that though. It has to do with money being earned too amongst other thing. There are very few people out there who are complacent just sitting at home all day on their computer drawing the dole. A lot of those who think they are, are only lying to themselves.

That is of course, unless you have tonnes of unemployed friends and you go out every single day and do lots of great activities, and get involved with stuff. But thats far from the reality.

zenno · 16-05-2013 03:45AM

Look at it this way... You have a person of which works in a job 9 to 5 for many years and then suddenly hears the banshee sound of...we have to let you go, were sorry, this business is failing i'm sorry.

After working for so many years in this business, when it ends, and you are sitting at home on your first day from been let go pondering on why it all ended, you feel like it was a break-up of a relationship you lost, just like the first time with a break-up after being with a woman for so many years and you do not know what to do and feel all alone and in some cases crying because of the loss.

It's tough indeed, especially after working in a place that you were used to and knowing everybody for so long and it all comes to an end. This is where interests and hobbies and things you never had the chance to do before comes in handy if you can get over the long term integrated loss of your previous position and think positively and focus on your real love of freedom.

€188 per week for a single person is not much but if you use it wisely it can be manageable. There's plenty to do that costs no money but you have to find your interests to succeed in not going mad or insane.

People saying there is nothing to do and i find myself sitting around all day bored are not awake in this life, as you can go online and do free courses in anything and learn something interesting that could enhance your life.There's tons of things you can do. Pick a door and open it, you might find something you like as there are many doors to enlightenment.

neaideabh · 16-05-2013 03:52AM

BlimpGaz wrote: »

Obviously, society conditions you to believe that your life is boring, meaningless, devoid of purpose, and ultimately depressing if you don’t have a JOB or regular employment, as if you were only half a man without one.

But for me, nothing could be further from the truth. With a million interests, I can always find something to do when I’m not working. Here is a list of examples off the top of my head:

- There are an unlimited amount of good interesting books I can read, in all areas of interest.
- There are an unlimited number of great films to watch that I’m interested in.
- There is a unlimited variety of music I can listen to.
- With the advent of the internet of course, there is an unlimited endless number of things I can do online, more than I could ever have time for.
- There are many hobbies I can indulge in – writing books and articles, learning to draw or paint, or learning any new skill or craft, etc.
- Outdoor activities, parks, hiking, swimming, sports, boating, etc. And if you live near a park, all the better.
- Travel the world or around the country.
- There are an unlimited number of interesting people out there to meet and spend time with too (unless they are all working), especially if you are in a country where people are more open, communal, inclusive and less isolated.
- I can go shopping.
- I can learn to cook and prepare meals, or bake cookies
- I can call my many friends on the phone from all over the world

I can see the OP's point but the OP must have a rich dad or something coz nearly all what you suggest to do in your freedom costs money!

I have been out of work nearly 3 years apart from doing a jobbridge scheme. To be honest I am half thinking of doing another internship if I know it will help me get a job and keep me sane! Despite working for nothing, it got me out and meeting people.

Unemployment for me was a shortlived delight! I quickly became anxious and depressed being out of work. It's not nice feeling that you are being judged and being seen to not even try despite applying to every job that you qualify for! It's not nice having to spend a huge percentage of your dole getting around the country for interviews with company's that don't even have the courtesy to give you a PFO in the form of a phone call or even an e-mail, let alone feedback!

What's worse is having recruitment agents call you up and get you hopes up about a role that "they think you are ideal for", only for them to meet with you and they find out you don't have the experience that they expected when it's all there in black and white on the CV! Again, you have to spend money on petrol and transport to avail of this service!

It's not nice seeing all your friends (now this is a typical rant!) go off on nice holidays, and generally enjoying life and everything they take for granted! Being on the dole scares away the girls! As soon as you mention your predicament, you may aswell go to the bar and get yourself another drink!

I may come across as a bitter fool here but I do try to keep myself entertained and occupied. I took up the guitar about 2 years ago and have progressed to a level where I need lessons to get better but guess what... they cost money! I play football 2 or three times a week. That costs money and they both are things that I enjoy!

Then there's living with the parents at 32! Don't get me started there!

Fromthetrees · 16-05-2013 04:26AM

Greentopia wrote: »

Not necessarily. Money brings with it it's own responsibilities and worries too- How do I keep it safe? how do I know people like me for myself and not my money? I have to protect it and all my new shiny stuff bought with it with security. I have to protect my family more now from robbers, intruders and kidnappers. I have a certain lifestyle with all this money so therefore I have to work even harder to maintain it and never have the time to enjoy it, and that's just the start.

Money can give freedom from financial struggle it's true and an enhanced lifestyle if you're into the trinkets of consumerism but the freedom it does give you is often offset by worry and other problems.
I grew up around moneyed people, I've seen some of the problems it can bring.

And the only form of work that is empowering and freeing is work that is under one's own control, which most wage earners/slaves don't have.

I agree generally with your post. I was more responding to the op where he says you have/will have a great life on the dole of 188 per week, I accept it's possible to have an okay one but I still strongly feel money brings you freedom, the more money the more freedom you have, as in, working for minimum wage or 12 euro per hour or getting the dole there isn't a crazy massive difference but there still is a noticeable one. Then when you get into bigger money you can kind of do whatever the hell you want with your spare time.

The way the demographics are shifting in the West now with more and more people living further into retirement there will be a less and less generous state. You can be a worker, have modest pension contributions, some savings, own your own house, have health insurance ect. by your retirement when you reach pensionable age (what will it be in 40 years time?) or you can go and live a life of 'not working' like the op outlined. Who's going to live a better life? Will one have to 'start working' when they get sick because of public health care cutbacks, will the 'non working person' actually have to work into their 70's because the state pension isn't enough to get by on, will the state be able to afford his care home, will the op be able to get a job in say his late 30's with a CV that says absolutely nothing, will the op ever be able to get anyway of a half decent job with no experience ect.

I'm not on a right winger when it comes to state help by any means but it's just a fact the state (Ireland) will simply not be able to afford 'non workers' in the future, it's a ticking clock so to speak. Hence, more money means more freedom, both for now and in the future.

zenno · 16-05-2013 04:29AM

Greentopia wrote: »

Not necessarily. Money brings with it it's own responsibilities and worries too- How do I keep it safe? how do I know people like me for myself and not my money? I have to protect it and all my new shiny stuff bought with it with security. I have to protect my family more now from robbers, intruders and kidnappers. I have a certain lifestyle with all this money so therefore I have to work even harder to maintain it and never have the time to enjoy it, and that's just the start.

Money can give freedom from financial struggle it's true and an enhanced lifestyle if you're into the trinkets of consumerism but the freedom it does give you is often offset by worry and other problems.
I grew up around moneyed people, I've seen some of the problems it can bring.

And the only form of work that is empowering and freeing is work that is under one's own control, which most wage earners/slaves don't have.

Can i have your money ? I can take all the worry and problems away from you and inflict them on myself if you like ? i'd be very happy to do so if you like.

Why do most people feel bored and depressed without a job?

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