Am I delusional about the way I work?
I am a career nomad (for lack of a better term). Ever since I started working, I’ve followed a pattern: I work at one place for a year or two, take a break ranging from six months to one year, and then move on to the next job.
This has always felt completely natural to me. I lead a very modest life, spending money only on what I actually need. Aside from rent, I have no major expenses, so I can easily save most of my earnings. I’ve never had financial trouble or relied on benefits. I am very happy with my life; it brings me total fulfillment.
However, whenever I explain my lifestyle to others, the reaction is always the same: shock and a hint of disgust. People have called me lazy, said my life is empty, or claimed I’m missing out on so much. They say I’m unstable and will never achieve anything in life. But I truly don’t need anything more. I don’t need a high-ranking position or heaps of money to feel fulfilled. I don't want to take part in rat race or climb the career ladder, I just want to have peace and quiet.
If the purpose of a job is to provide money for survival, why is it seen as a problem that I want to use my money to actually "live"?
If I take a job to learn new skills, but the company stops offering anything new or becomes toxic, I simply leave. Then during my breaks, I focus on my health, pursue my hobbies (and I have plenty of them), spend time with friends, travel, learn languages or whatever I find interesting at the moment. I’m always doing something different. But I do all of this for myself.
I simply see myself as someone with an interesting, perhaps slightly chaotic, but rich life. I’m constantly learning new things because I don’t like standing still, and I know when to call it quits before my productivity drops or a toxic environment takes a toll on my health. Honestly, I’ve never even had trouble finding a job too. I really like my life and wouldn’t want to change it. Maybe when I’m older and want kids or something, things will be different, but right now, this suits me perfectly.
So, the question is... is this kind of mindset really harmful or wrong? Because, honestly, from what I hear from people, it feels like they’d prefer to hear I live beyond my means and stay in the same job for 40 years straight. Like as if this was something most desirable for society.
But why? Is living a minimalist lifestyle really that anti-social? if I feel I needed more money I would work more but if I don't, what is the problem with my breaks since I'm completely self-sufficient?
I’d really like to understand what’s wrong with the way I think. My question is completely genuine, can this way of living actually affect my future and make me seem unemployable? I'm just tired feeling guilty every time I start the topic.
Posted Jul 6, 2026, 8:57 PM UTC