Work Life Balance: Despite earning Rs 2.5 lakh per month, why is the young man feeling empty and dissatisfied? What changes happened in his life after earning more compared to the days of low salary? Why did the young man call himself the “glorified data entry clerk” of his bank account?
Salary vs Happiness: PayWhat is the relationship between sa and happiness in life? A social media post by a corporate employee has sparked a new debate on this question. This person said in a post on Reddit that despite getting a salary of Rs 2.5 lakh every month, his life is completely empty and lifeless. This post has caught the attention of those who believe that a higher salary alone does not bring peace of mind.
‘Me then and me today’
This young man titled his post, “I am earning Rs 2.5 lakh a month, but I never felt so poor. I was happier earning Rs 25,000.” He told that when his income was less, even small expenses used to add great thrill to his life. But as the income increased, that old enthusiasm for life disappeared. The young man asked, “I have achieved that position. Every month I get a message on my phone: Rs 2,50,000 have been credited to your account. I am successful on every parameter of the society. I am at the pinnacle of success. Still, why am I not feeling anything?”
Recalling his low-earning days, he wrote, “When I used to get Rs 25,000 a month, there was a different intoxication in life. At that time, even a simple dinner of Rs 500 seemed like a big victory earned through hard work. Buying a new shirt was like a festival. Then every rupee had a purpose and also complete freedom. I was really living.”
‘Entry clerk of your own bank account’
The employee described himself as a ‘glorified data entry clerk’ of his own bank account. He says that as soon as the salary comes into the account, half of it goes into investments, mutual funds and emergency funds. “I am saving all this for some unknown person in the future whom I don’t even know. But for this I am starving the ‘I’ of today. Just for the number of a bank balance, I am selling my youth, peace and 40-plus hours a week. There is nothing left to spend on my happiness. I have become a spectator in my own life, how to stop this?”
People gave ways to spend
As soon as this post went viral, various reactions started coming on social media. Some people understood the mental condition of the young man, while some gave practical advice to get out of this crisis. Some said enjoy life, spend money and travel abroad. This will rekindle the desire to earn more. Some people said that this is a psychological condition, where as the income increases, the happiness that money buys starts decreasing.
Another user wrote in disappointment, “My salary is Rs 50,000 per month. You are still able to invest the money by earning it, I can’t even do that. I work hard for the whole month and as soon as the salary comes, it all ends. Sometimes I feel so tired of life that I feel like just sleeping forever.”