If you had to choose, which of the following would you pick:

. A fairly high-paying highly stressful job which you managed to acquire by attending university for many years in order to earn a nice degree.

Or:

. A low to average paying stress-free job like an online freelance job where you could work from home whenever without having to work for someone you hate. (I know - a job like this could be stressful due to the modest income that you'd earn, but let's say you're a good spender.)

I pick the bottom choice.

I am honestly content with having very little. Give me a few nice electronics (computer, blu-ray player, plasma TV, stereo), a car that works, an apartment of any size to live in, enough money to buy food and beer and I'd be content.

I'd pick the top one, probably. I think I would slack off with a stress-free job. At least with a high-paying stressful job, I'd be keeping myself busy and making money. I want to live pretty well off.

I could never handle with stressful responsible jobs, even if they're high paid - that would definitely kill me.

I guess I'd take either one. I don't give a damn about money - it doesn't mean anything to me other than means of survival. I have a degree, but I haven't really applied it in the 2 years since I graduated. I reckon if I had to pick one or the other, I'd take the stress-free job. Life is about having a good time for me, not about having "things".

i'd take the high paying stressful job, save as much as i could and be able to retire which is something you can't do with a low paying job. who wants to work when they're in thier 60's?

Any normal job in the service of society would for me mean death so I might as well take the stressful and well paid one. Maybe I would last 6 months then kill myself.

I would also pick the bottom choice for similar reasons. I've always said all I ever need is a computer, tv and couch in a cozy apartment and I'm set. However, I can also see some appeal in one of those more stressful jobs. If it is something i enjoy, I can cope with the stress much better. Plus there are benefits to attending a University outside of academic reasons.

So I guess it really depends... I am looking for a part time position right now, so I can possibly attend a local college in the future. A part time position leaves me open to do that. But its by no means set in concrete- I may find that attending school and work to be too difficult, but we'll see what the future brings there. If all I ever achieve is the above paragraph, then that is fine too.

"The low to average-paying stress-free job"

I'm very bad at handling any kind of stress. Part of the reason I couldn't handle a job, despite being afraid to leave the house lol, is the stress that would be involved. So I know I could never manage a high-stress job, although I would definitely love to not be poor some day.

That's easy: I'd choose the low-paying job.
I don't care about money, or having a big house or an expensive car. As long as I have enough money to pay my bills. I could never keep a high-paying stressful job, even if I wanted to. A simple job already causes enough stress for me.

Low-paying stress-free job. Path of least resistance.

I'd choose an High-stressful pay-free job.

It depends on what the jobs were....I'd take whichever job made me happier, which is far more important than money.

You always ask the most interesting questions Chair.

I am going to say that I would take a high paying/stress job. Mainly because my current job is really stressful ^_^;;. I have tons of deadlines that have to be met. I am constantly worrying about what will get done tomorrow or the next day or whatever. I am always on call so most nights I am worried I am going to have to work. I am even starting to have to make up work on the weekends. Even still I would choose the stressful job.

The main reason being, I am not happy with my life guys. If I have work it keeps me from brooding on how I screwed up my life. By being stressed out at work it keeps me from defeating myself. It allows me to see my goals and not over analyze them. When I am lying around just lying around. I tend to start thinking.. and when I think I tend to fall back to my old self-defeating ways. Then I get depressed.. and suicidal... had a bad episode this weekend actually. Anyway the stress keeps my mind off such crap.

Plus my anime and video game and driving habits are FUCKING EXPENSIVE.

You're a trip, Reiji. My gaming habits will be expensive, too, when I get a full-time job.

I guess I'd have to go with the low paying stress-free job. Even though I crave having peoples respect and like almost everyone, want to have enough money to live a decent life, I'm pretty sure I couldn't deal with a stressful job where a lot of responsibility was put on my shoulders. When it boils down to it my needs are few, having a small place of my own, enough money to eat and pay for essential bills like electricity and water, and also a little left over to pay for the odd item, I'd be happy enough with that.

Since I consider myself to have a more laid back personality, I'd have to go with the latter. My own family stresses me out enough as it is. I won't feel confident enough to have a better paying job until I move out of here and get into college someday. Until then, I'm taking it easy with whatever I can get.

I just thought of something else. Having a lower paycheck means you will have to live in a lower income area with more crime and such. So living here will case more stress during your down time.

I guess my question is, what qualifies as lower paying?

FONEternal: you have no idea how much more expensive my video games became after I had a regular disposable income.

My first thought was that it would have to be the low-paying stress-free job.
But then I realized that I'd find a way to make the low-paying job stressful anyhow.
The job I have now doesn't pay particularly well, shouldn't be stressful, but always is.
Might as well go for more money.

I did choose the average, stress-free job, but I'm only 17 so I guess I'm not in a position to make those sorts of decisions on my own yet.
If I could, I would give up going to college and not have to bother with being pushed to go to University etc. The whole ordeal is scaring the crap out of me.
It's one of those things I wish would simply disappear, but of course it won't. So I guess I'll see how far I get until it gets the better of me.

Maybe if I can get far enough to be a qualified programmer, I can live as a code monkey, maybe even from home. I'd like that.

Been in both. If you're doing somrthing that is for a positive result. The stress is manageble for a while. Otherwise go for the second one--It will leave you with fewer stress related problems as you get older. I have health issues at 62 that are a direct result of high stress frustrating work.

High-paying stressful job. As much as I don't like to admit it, I have expensive tastes. I want a Cadillac, I want leather furniture, I want to live in a city, I want top of the line electronics, I like good food, good wine and good cheeses, I want to travel. I'm also concerned with having enough for the future, saving for a good retirement. I don't want to work after 62, I want to retire as early as possible. I don't plan on children, I probably won't get married, so without those expenses it's easier to have nice things. I have to work anyways, so I might as well make it so I can work for less time even if it means working harder.

Plus, if you fuck up in a high-stress environment, you can always fuck off and go get a crappy job later. Or go to prison. I'm not afraid of prison as a last resort...

I want things! so I have to have the high paying stressful job if I don't like it that makes no difference to me. (I'm going to hate pretty much any job I have to do) Unless I'm self employed. So having stress (which I had at School every day anyway) won't make much of a difference for me anyway

All those $$$$$ would more than make up for the shitty ass job

All I care is paying the bills. Working hard so someone else can get rich by selling more useless products/services to more brainwashed consumers, can never be on my agenda. All the world is on a producing/spending spree that will end up eating the whole planet. I can hardly imagine a job that still "matters" at this point considering that we as the human race are oversized and overshooting in every possible sense. The last thing I want is being a drone. So, the fewest hours the better, as long as it pays the bills. I'm actually more useful when I fix computers for free than in my job.

Low stress, low money...I don't care about cash. I don't really have a lot of expensive hobbies, though sometimes knitting and origami get burdensome if I want to make nicer stuff. (And then there's the manga collection...I keep telling myself it doesn't matter whether my cracktastic homolust is on the screen or on paper, but I just love to pull down a volume and read. So indulgent~ )

I just want to do a job where I actually help people...I could never be the kind of person who works for a big firm screwing money out of down-and-out proles.

Actually, at this point, any job other than McSlavery would probably be a step up in the world for me, ahah.