i'm in the same boat. spent over 20 years in the software engineering industry, making assholes who wouldn't give me the time of day richer, helping to cement the system as it is, glaring problems and all. i am now completely burnt out by it. lately I've been cooking a bit, making barely enough to get by, writing and helping my family and friends and it's been much more rewarding.

everything is geared toward moving up the social, corporate, political and luxury-goods ladders, trading increases in pay for shinier stuff and more glamorous niehborhoods, more expensive toys and fancier clothing. slow down and you appear to be stuck. corporate America is now becoming the norm. because it seems to work for them. that's only because it has an extensive weeding-out process.