June 24, 2026 at 12:45 am

She’s Spent Years Climbing the Corporate Ladder — Now She’s Questioning if It Was Ever Worth It

by Liberty Canlas

Woman talking on the phone and covering her face while in the office

Pexels/Reddit

Many people spend years questioning whether they’re living to work or working to live.

This woman has spent several years working a traditional corporate job. Lately, she has been struggling with the routine that comes with it. So now, she’s wondering whether this is really how life is supposed to be. While the people around her seem to accept it as normal, she finds herself questioning the bigger picture.

I’m sure a lot of people can relate to this because it’s a story about one of those broader life discussions that almost everyone who has worked a full-time job has probably thought about at some point. Read the full story below and find out.

Most people around me seem to think this is just… normal.

I’ve been working a 9-to-5 corporate job for a few years now, and whenever I question it, I hear the same responses:

“That’s life.”

“That’s how it is.”

“Everyone does it.”

But how is this normal?

This woman couldn’t accept that people were expected to spend most of their lives working.

We’re expected to wake up every morning, spend 8-9 hours staring at a screen, commute home exhausted, get a few hours to ourselves, and sleep.

And then repeat the exact same cycle for decades. Forty years of this.

Maybe a couple of weeks of vacation each year if we’re lucky.

And somehow we’re supposed to accept that this is the best way to spend the majority of our lives?

She thinks society has normalized working to survive.

I genuinely don’t understand how so many people have accepted a life that’s centered around survival.

Rather than actually living.

Does anyone else feel like we’ve normalized something completely insane?

These are some valid questions right here. OP has some really good points, considering that a lot of people have been too focused on earning a living without taking time to live their lives as they should. While a corporate job is the reality for many, it shouldn’t be the reason they stop having fun and spending time with people who truly matter.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about an employee who wasn’t keen on contributing more to a coworker’s gift than originally planned.

Let’s see the comments of other Reddit users.

This user shares their thoughts.

Screenshot 2026 06 14 at 9.15.46 AM Shes Spent Years Climbing the Corporate Ladder — Now Shes Questioning if It Was Ever Worth It

Here’s an honest opinion.

Screenshot 2026 06 14 at 9.16.06 AM Shes Spent Years Climbing the Corporate Ladder — Now Shes Questioning if It Was Ever Worth It

Another valid point.

Screenshot 2026 06 14 at 9.16.27 AM Shes Spent Years Climbing the Corporate Ladder — Now Shes Questioning if It Was Ever Worth It

This person suggests working out more.

Screenshot 2026 06 14 at 9.16.48 AM Shes Spent Years Climbing the Corporate Ladder — Now Shes Questioning if It Was Ever Worth It

And lastly, this one agrees it’s not normal.

Screenshot 2026 06 14 at 9.17.29 AM Shes Spent Years Climbing the Corporate Ladder — Now Shes Questioning if It Was Ever Worth It

Work should just be a part of life, not the whole of it.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about an employee who just let clients complain after her boss refused to approve overtime.

Liberty Canlas | Contributing Writer, Lifestyle & Relationships

Liberty Canlas is a contributing writer for TwistedSifter specializing in relationship dynamics, social sciences, and modern family life. Leveraging her extensive professional background in scientific research and data analysis, Liberty brings a highly analytical yet empathetic approach to dissecting viral online conflicts and social media trends.

Rather than simply reporting on internet drama, Liberty uses her deep understanding of human cognition and behavior to explain why people react the way they do. She excels at transforming complex interpersonal debates into relatable, insightful commentary that helps readers better understand human interaction.

Outside of her editorial work, Liberty embraces a holistic, "semi-crunchy" lifestyle as a dedicated homeschooling mother. When she isn’t analyzing the latest trending relationship dilemma, she spends her time meticulously researching and planning her family’s next global travel adventure.

Connect with Liberty on Threads.