The Tedium of Modern Life: Rowing to 80 in a Shitty Job

The Tedium of Modern Life: Rowing to 80 in a Shitty Job

Modern life is boring. That is the conclusion drawn from a debate that, far from being a passing complaint, portrays a deeper malaise: the feeling that humans are not made for the world they have been assigned to live in. "Humans are not made for the modern world, unless you are an intellectual who can live by philosophizing or exploring physics or mathematics. The rest of us are made to be hunter-gatherers and die one day in a war against another tribe. That rowing until you are 80 in a shitty job is torture," declares a participant. The phrase condenses the axis of a conversation that drifts toward politics, geopolitics, and the human condition.

Life as a Simulation with a Bad Plot

The idea that life is a poorly written simulation appears early. "If life is a simulation, the graphics get a 10, but the plot is a ing mess," summarizes a message. The quip, half-joking, connects with a recurring complaint: the lack of meaning, repetition, and the absence of adventure. "You young ones, live adventures, Hamijos, don't let yourself get caught in the Rat Race," advises the author of the initial message, a forty-something who confesses that the most exciting thing about his week is dodging a coworker. The paradox is that, even recognizing the tedium, many see no way out: "He who has no adventures is because he doesn't want them," responds another, though he later qualifies: "I don't know, I don't live them either, but I don't complain. I resign myself."

War as a Recurring Fantasy

The desire for war runs through several messages. "Men are prepared for war, for the heat of battle... I want to live adventures like Captain Alatriste... forty-five years I will reach and I haven't even debuted at the Front," writes the initial author. The war nostalgia mixes with geopolitics: "at least the Russians have wars every so often, I envy them." The response does not take long: "I hope that when recruitment for the next invented/provoked artificially war begins, you don't hide." The discussion drifts toward Ukraine and Zelensky, with accusations of corruption and an explicit rejection of "going to die for an inept, corrupt, and drug addict." War, here, is not a solution but an imaginary escape.

Boredom as a Class Issue

Not everyone shares the diagnosis. "If life seems boring to you, just wait until you see death," responds a message. Another points out: "There are many ways to live adventures. You can invest your free time in training in something, learning something new, starting your own little online business... Getting bored is the easy path. Fill your life with things to do." The division is clear between those who see tedium as a choice and those who consider it structural. "The Calopez plan is everyone's dream with two brains: generate income to cover basic expenses and leave the system," intervenes a participant, who nevertheless warns: "Easy to say, ing hard to do when you've spent half your life working with frozen hands in a fish factory."

Contemplative Life and Its Limits

The aspiration to a contemplative life appears in several messages. "I could live 20 centuries in contemplative life, philosophizing, linking my life only to wisdom and thought. Doing nothing and sleeping is one of my greatest pleasures," writes a participant. The rebuttal arrives with skepticism: "Living 20 centuries philosophizing looks very nice on paper. But then it turns out that real contemplative life tires more than being eight hours stuffing boxes in a cold storage room." The exchange leaves an open question: is boredom a luxury or a condemnation?

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The debate does not close. Some blame the system, others the lack of initiative. Meanwhile, life remains, for many, a simulation with a bad script. Is there any way out that does not involve war, resignation, or ignoring it?