Working Hard

It’s great to work hard. Working hard is probably what got you to IB. Working hard is a great characteristic to have. It takes sacrifice to work hard (less hanging out, less hobby time, less dumb shit you’d like to enjoy). You could be working plenty of hours and sleep a refreshing 8 hours a night and do it all over again. You’re self-driven, motivated, and proud of your work.

At some point, working hard becomes working at the detriment to your health (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual). It’s the kind of work that makes you less and less sharp and more and more sleep deprived. It’s the kind of work that makes you unable to exercise, unable to eat healthily, and unable to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Why are people defending this toxic lifestyle that is IB WFH, 90+ hours a week? If you need this job and the money, and you’re willing to avert your eyes, go for it - HR probably loves you. Nothing wrong with grinding through. But the point is that this lifestyle isn’t normal, so stop trying to make people accept it as such. If you’re overeager, just say you are. I have a lot of respect for people who keep on grinding because they’re just so driven. But anyways, if it’s just money we’re talking about, there’s other places to make a decently high salary with less stress and still reach your and your family’s financial goals. So what’s with this false sense of superiority? Can’t we all take a step back and just see how ridiculous our lives can be? People on the outside hate Wall Street and won’t give two shits about our troubles, so can’t we at least have some unity on this inside?