But as it turns out I believed a lie that was groomed in me by influential people and culture about what is and isn't possible for my own life and wellbeing. Today I'm choosing to disbelieve that lie. Hopefully pouring gasoline on it and giving it a fiery death.

/7

Absolutely kill you.

3. No business, no CEO would kill themself for your well-being & no job is worth killing yourself for. Period.

4: I started in tech because it was something Im good at that could make money. Maybe you can see the problem with this and maybe not.

/6

2: The mental load of the labor builds up over time. If you aren't taking vacations every chance you get and spending your off hours doing things to recharge your batteries you are doing yourself a disservice. It won't be a question of IF you'll hit this but WHEN and it can

/5

It's exacerbated by many SDEs ascribing a tech worker identity to themselves (something I shed a long time ago mostly due to my personal politics). If this work /industry is all you are and that work or work context makes you miserable you're 100% on a road to destruction.

/4

Burnout can put you in a very bad spot mentally and emotionally. 2020 didn't help obviously. A lot of escape was just off the table but this is deeper than escape. Hosting a deep lingering dissatisfaction with the thing you're spending 8-12hrs on every day will kill you.

/3

A few things have crystallized for me in making this decision.

1: I know I'm not alone. In an unscientific poll of my peers something like 80% have hit this depth of soulcrushing burnout and needed to take prolonged time off. For several it was due to endangered well-being.

/2

Today is my last day at Datadog after only 2 mos here. For two years I've been intensely excruciatingly burned out. 10 years in the industry and I need time off from software. Or at least off from the common experience of being an engineer. No idea what the future holds but -

/1

I'll tell you why:

Age 8: Computer camp. Instructor told my mom not to bring me back. He said I would distract the boys.

Age 12: Computer aided drafting class. My partner was a guy who did nothing, but I wanted to use the computer so was happy to do everything. He got a https://twitter.com/PrasoonPratham/status/1366807306600476672…

One of LA's last Black communities is at risk to lose the fight against gentrification TOMORROW and no one is talking about it?!