Comment by Henchman21
Comment by Henchman21 2 days ago
The world is addicted to stimulants. It is very disheartening.
Comment by Henchman21 2 days ago
The world is addicted to stimulants. It is very disheartening.
I personally love the taste of coffee. If decaffeinated were able to achieve the same flavors, I'd be quite happy with it. Unfortunately, it doesn't taste at all the same.
I will not consume caffeine and tbh the rest of you need to slow down. Modern life runs on stimulants and caffeine is a whip at the back of the worker. I know this forum doesn’t give a damn about worker’s rights, but I do, and man I am tired of all this.
Your personal choice is fine for you. My personal choice is to enjoy a cup or two of coffee per day, because I love the way it tastes, not because I want or need the caffeine. I currently don't have regular employment, as I am attempting a career change, but my coffee consumption doesn't change when I'm on a job.
With respect, I think your worldview needs to widen out a bit. Just because there are lots of worker exploitation issues going on the world doesn't mean that everything fits in that lens. Some of us like coffee, and that doesn't mean it's because we like or accept a "whip at the back".
You're not alone in feeling this way.
I'm almost 50 and hit total burnout a couple years ago trying to keep up with ever-increasing KPIs, OKRs, and the relentless churn of new frameworks and trends.
I had to quit caffeine and stimulants too because my heart was starting to have problems.
This industry didn't used to be so stressful. It feels like a Red Queen’s race now: you have to keep running faster just to stay in place.
Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if companies start offering modafinil next, just to keep the line going unsustainably upward. That’s where this trajectory feels headed, and it’s exhausting.
Thank you — always good to know I’m not alone!
I also worry about where we’re headed. It certainly doesn’t seem like it’s anyplace good.
I also care about workers' rights.
Stimulants are a problem, but I do not see stimulants as detrimental to workers' rights.
I see stimulants as a problem for healthcare though. I know people who have heart problems that are exacerbated by stimulants. But that's not a problem for everyone -- just as diabetes or heart disease are prevalent, nor a problem for everyone, and nor are they detrimental to workers' rights.
When I heard the tale of how the coffee break came to be — created so workers wouldn’t need an afternoon break — I find myself unable to separate the coffee from that fact. It was a tool used by Capitalists to keep the workers working. Now its so prevalent that no one can see the original causes.
Most of the world is also deeply addicted to the internet, and we have rapidly normalized it to at least the same degree as caffeine.
I see it all the time: people go out to restaurants, talk for a few minutes, then silently drift into their phones. The connection just evaporates. It feels like we've traded presence for stimulation.
And I'm not saying this as a Luddite. I used to be incredibly excited about technology. I still am, in some ways. But it's hard not to feel like we're losing something important.
I am often reminded of /The Game/ (S05E06) episode from TNG[0]
Are we in it?
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Game_(Star_Trek:_The_Next_...