Opinion: Higher salary allows you to pursue interests

Brilliantly put. Thinking of a day job this way changed my thinking. I read something similar on a blog named 'The Arc of the Practical Creator', by Lawrence Yeo. Excerpts below... "A Practical Creator doesn’t view a boring job as a dead-end endeavor, but as an active patron of their creativity. In the same way that wealthy families support the financial needs of their favorite artists, the same could be said about you and your employer. You exchange your time for money, which is then used to purchase the clarity of attention you can invest into your creative work."

Important to be able to do what you want when you want. That’s called being rich.

Thanks, needed to hear this.

I agree, having a higher salary definitely gives you more financial freedom to pursue your interests and hobbies. It can also give you more peace of mind and security overall. At the same time it’s important to remember that money isn't everything. Having a diverse set of friends defn helps as you don’t end up comparing careers, growth etc.

Exactly, writing code is fun, but collecting HLD and code reviews are mundane. So work is not always interesting. Sports can help a lot, I started boxing, writing poems and trekking. As a result I have met people from all over India & Made countless connections.

After 5 years of working, even in a profession you were passionate about, many facets of your job become mundane. I really like my job but it's a job at the end of the day. Imo, discipline, a good life outside work is important to be happy in the long run.

A higher salary usually comes with larger responsibilities and accountability. The exception is usually when you have a very niche skill set and you are paid handsomely just for possessing that skill. So when you have a lot of responsibilities that suck most of the time out of your day job, to the extent that delegation and LNO doesn't work anymore, I find it hard how one would find time to pursue other interests. IMO, you would be really lucky to be in a job that really interests you and find meaning in, and still pays you well. Otherwise, you will be stuck in the balancing act of "work and life", and wait for Fridays to arrive and dread Mondays!