Note: I am not the original author of this text. This post originally appeared on Reddit, posted by /u/Father_Idol, who has given me permission to repost it here. I have edited the title to be less accusatory, since this post is not appearing in its original context. References in the text to other posts are referring to posts on /r/simpleliving.

Hint: There is no such thing as an inherently simple job.

These posts pop up quite frequently but I feel like the amount we have had just in the past 48 hours is incredibly high. “I am quitting my job for the simple life”; “Can you live simple on a high salary”; “Am I doomed for a complicated life if I work 9-5”.

You people are losing the forest through the trees. The path to simple living is through contentment and the path through contentment is by finding comfort in where you are. So if you are working a 9-5 job, ask yourself how YOU feel about that. If you aren’t comfortable with that, ask yourself WHY. Explore YOUR motivations and thoughts. It is irrelevant what people on this board think about YOUR life (in general that is, of course targeted advice can be productive).

For example, some people find simple living through teaching English in Africa. I could never do that, it would be incredibly challenging, taxing, and not simple at all for me. But if someone chooses that path as a way towards simplicity, more power to them.

The point is, there is more than one path. Focus on self-reflection and find what works for YOU, not what other people want you to do.