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33 Overrated Industries That Mask Stress, Pressure, And A Toxic Work Culture
Interview With Expert
Is it just me, or is capitalism consuming everything? It almost seems like capitalist industries are making millions by scamming the commoners. However, they are pretty good at hiding their dirty secrets and the toxic shenanigans that they pull off behind the scenes.
Well, these insiders and former employees decided that enough was enough. When a netizen asked them to spill the horrifying truths about their industries, they didn’t hold back. From jaw-droppingly evil to utterly shocking, here are some of these facts that we have compiled just for you. Scroll down to check them out for yourself!
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#1
I say this as a veteran.
The military. Society holds the military up as a brave men and women who are doing the right thing by serving their country and have higher moral standards. It’s a load of bullshit.
The military is just a smaller scale version of society. There’s theft, atack, domestic violence, workplace violence,🍇, and unalivings just like in civilian society. The coverups are just easier.
Der Kommissar 6 minutes ago
Adjusting back to civilian life after being given a license to k**l can be difficult
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#2
Working with elderly people who have Alzheimer’s and dementia isn’t really glorified but you will be assaulted and your boss will do nothing because “it’s the disease.”
Calane E. Vanya 52 minutes ago
I wonder what solution could actually be sensible here. Providing psychological support or safety training would probably be unrealistic in most countries. Elderly care is rarely well-funded. Maybe changing some rules about not working alone with certain patients could help. But adding more staff also requires more money than governments want to spend.
#3
I'm an urban planner with a masters degree in urban planning. A handful of extremely wealthy companies are actively working on buying as much housing as they possibly can in order to artificially inflate the housing market, and there is functionally zero regulatory pushback.
Whiskey Tango Delicious 27 minutes ago
I heard the exact opposite, that companies (such as Blackrock) is selling in droves because of regulators.
I don’t know about you, but some of these stories truly left me rattled by how easily they can scam common people. To get deeper insight into the horrifying truths of these fields, Bored Panda reached out to Apoorva Kale, an industrial and organizational psychology practitioner. She believes that industry glorification is primarily driven by occupational prestige and Social Identity Theory.
“We gravitate toward sectors that act as high-value signals of our own competence and status. By aligning ourselves with ‘elite’ or ‘noble’ industries, we enhance our self-concept and derive a sense of belonging from the collective brand. This creates a powerful magnet for talent, as the industry isn’t just selling a job; it’s selling an identity that commands immediate social respect,” she narrated.
#4
So you want to be a chef? Be prepared to give up your nights, weekends, holidays, family gatherings and most relationships. It does take passion and dedication. Be prepared to hire thieves, illegal substances users & the dregs of the galaxy to be your best employees you ever had.
#5
Librarians do not get to read and chat about books all day. We are untrained social workers, unarmed cops, and unwitting tech repair.
Whiskey Tango Delicious 33 minutes ago
But they somehow taught me the Dewey Decimal system. Miracle workers...
#6
Electricians don't make much. The owners do. Union guys do all right but they work very hard for it the data center boom right now has had hunted a lot of the better electricians but starting out and trying to work long-term without apprenticeship and no license.
Burger King pays more so if you're going to do this trade make sure you're aiming for one of the niche trades that pay well and be prepared to stick it out for years.
Our expert further elaborated her point: “Glorified industries use a Halo Effect to make jobs look better than they are. As they produce cool or noble things, we assume the daily work is just as exciting in these fields. Companies offer fancy perks and a sense of purpose to turn a standard job into a personal calling, which often erases the boundaries between work and life.”
She stressed that this status leads to "passion exploitation" of their employees. Since these roles are prestigious, workers tie their entire identities to their job titles, according to Apoorva. When your self-worth depends on your company’s brand, you’re more likely to accept burnout and long hours just to keep your spot, she noted.
#7
As a former journalist? Realizing that even though reporters are publishing good and careful work that tells the real story every single day, people’s media literacy is so bad that they can’t tell the difference between those journalists and crappy online hacks and pink slime “journalism”.
#8
Most charitable organizations dealing with orphans, children from war zones, as well as foster homes are massive funnels into human trafficking.
#9
If you ever buy “designer” sunglasses or visit a retail optometrist, you’re giving money to the same company: Luxottica.
They own virtually every designer eyewear brand, from Ray-Ban and Oakley to Chanel and Oliver Peoples. They own retail like Sunglass Hut. They also own the health side with LensCrafters and Pearle Vision for prescriptions and optometrists.
You’re spending all of your money with one big bad conglomerate.
Apoorva also emphasized that we only see the winners from these industries. According to her, media coverage focuses on the few people who have become successful. Mostly, the huge number of workers who have burned out or quit along the way is ignored. This creates a fake image of success that makes the grueling daily grind look like a necessary hustle rather than a broken system, she commented.
“Also, there is a culture of silence. Because these jobs are so prestigious, employees feel a huge pressure to act like they love their lives. Admitting they are miserable would hurt their reputation or make them look weak. Everyone stays quiet to protect their status, which keeps the industry’s 'glorious' lie alive while the internal problems get worse,” Apoorva commented.
#10
As a forensic psychologist the children who are targeted by predators in public places are the ones whose parents aren’t watching. They watch the parents more than the kids. Then target the kid whose parent isn’t paying attentionWhile they have preferences they are more opportunistic. Little boys are attackedd in bathrooms because so many parents will leave them unattended while focusing on going in with the little girls. Supervise both. Always. No little boys alone in the men’s restroom EVER.
#11
Entrepreneurship is sold as freedom, but for most people it’s just anxiety with invoices.
Unstable income, no benefits, constant pressure and if it fails, it’s all on you.
Worst part? The loudest ‘successful’ ones make their money selling courses, not businesses.
#12
Environmental work. 99% of it is just discovering horrors that you wish you didn’t know, like how fragile our water systems are.
Another example - recycling, specifically clothes. You think you’re going to help the world and distribute clothes to folks who need them and turn unusable clothes and shoes into materials. Nope, they’re sold off to monopolies in the southern hemisphere and then dumped on trash mountains that you can see from space.
Lastly, we conversed with Apoorva about the impact these industries have on their employees. “When a dream job turns out to be a nightmare, workers start to doubt themselves. As everyone else thinks the job is amazing, the employee feels guilty or crazy for being unhappy. This is especially painful in fields that claim to do good; it leaves workers feeling lied to and deeply bitter,” she noted.
She brought up the point she had made earlier that people get stuck because their job title becomes their identity. They feel like they are nobody without that prestigious name on their business card, so they keep the industry’s dark secrets to protect their own status. They end up trapped in a “gold cage,” staying for the money and the bragging rights while faking a smile and burning out on the inside, she concluded.
#13
As a former firefighter, I can tell you that sexism is rampant in firefighting and nothing has changed in decades. This doesn't mean every firefighter is sexist, but at least half of them are. And this is why firefighters are almost always men- not bc they're more capable, because the job is hostile to anyone who isn't a straight cis man.
#14
As a firefighter, if you’re too obese to be extricated from a burn, you will be left.
It doesn’t mean we won’t try our hardest to get you out, but it comes to a point where it’s not worth a whole crew for one person.
And it’s not that we don’t want to save them, it’s that we literally can’t. The heat, the weight, and obstacles all culminate to make it damn near impossible to move a morbidly obese victim.
#15
Speaking as someone who makes a lot of money via writing, almost no one can make a living as a writer. I was only able to do it because I married a doctor and was able to stick it out for ten years until my career took off. Also, I have an MBA and am a marketing expert, and you MUST sell your work as much as you work on writing.
But if you can pull it off, it’s fucking awesome.
Well, that genuinely sounds terrifying, and I definitely wouldn't want to belong to such a “glorified” industry. Anyway, dear readers, that’s it from our end, as we want to hear from you now. Would you bite down on your happiness if asked to work in such a field?
Also, if you are already a part of it, how do you handle all the toxicity and stay sane at the same time? We would really love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to drop them in the comments below!
#16
The vast majority of people in gospel music are not living the Christian life you think they are.
#17
One of the hardest parts of veterinary medicine is not the euthanasias, its owners extending a VERY sick pet’s life because *they* aren’t ready to say goodbye. You see how cruel it truly is to the animal (even though it’s usually unintentional and ultimately out of love). Also, you inevitably end up becoming numb and desensitized to sickness and d***h. You see it so often that you have no choice but to push it away and it changes you. Its tough.
LakotaWolf (she/her) 14 minutes ago
As much as I want my beloved pets to stay with me for as long as possible, I will not be selfish and keep them alive when they are suffering or when their quality of life is burdened too much by their pain. We cannot make that choice for the majority of our human loved ones, but we CAN make that decision for our furry/scaly/feathered loved ones. We must make that choice, because they depend on us for everything, including ending their pain. My German Shepherd, Ember, was 12 when she was diagnosed with mammary cancer. I didn't want to lose her. We did pain management. But just a few weeks after her diagnosis, I went to greet her one morning and I saw in her eyes that it was time. I took her to the vet that day. It's been 16 years and it still hurts, but I'd make that choice every time. I euthanized her out of love - but gods, it still hurts.
#18
Most therapists are not sufficiently trained to deal with trauma, especially complex trauma.
#19
As a florist I have wrapped flowers for a man's mistress and wife at the same time. The mistresses bouquet was much more expensive.🫠🫢
#20
As a former banker, the person you think is doing so much better than you isn’t. They are all swimming in debt.
#21
Golf courses are violence to the landscape. Heavy toxic fertilizers, uniform cut barren lawn, toxic herbicides used to keep lawn barren….. native flora and fauna EXILED for (mostly men) to go dissassociate from their families on the weekends and ‘work on their swing’ save it! Horrendous
#22
Im in the home construction industry, the same contractors build your $200K and $5M homes, using the exact same materials and methods
#23
When I was a teacher, the amount of special education students were being neglected was wayyyy too frequent.
#24
Former pastor's kid here and until ten years ago a lifelong evangelical Christian. A lot of mentally unwell people get jobs and end up in positions of power and authority in churches because there's no need to pass a background check. You can be a felon and be a pastor. It doesn't even have to be hidden because Christianity preaches redemption and forgiveness for everybody. Some people truly do not deserve to be redeemed or forgiven and I will stand ten toes down on that.
#25
People say often that I get to play with dogs and cats all day, as a pet sitter. Sure, I do! But the truth is that my job is completely feast or famine, I work 7 days a week, I have no consistency or predictability, I'm always dirty, I drive way too much, i miss out on social stuff, it's isolating, and it's not hugely lucrative unless you work yourself to the bone.
I love what I do though and I don't ever want to do anything else, if I can help it.
#26
Dog Grooming is more akin to agricultural work than "being a hairstylist for dogs". It's physically brutal work that is extremely dangerous, thankless and very underpaid. It has extremely high turnover due to injury, burnout and crippling pain.
#27
Horse racing isn’t glamour and fancy hats. Too many horses d*e. And it’s all part of the gambling industrial complex.
#29
You will be absolutely shocked at how many IT systems are hanging by a thread. It is not that the programmers, coders, engineers etc. are bad at their jobs but their bosses make them make huge compromises in the name of money. Also, in recent years the amount of terrible code has exponentially increased since companies hired people with minimal experience and qualifications like 150 hour seminars. My fear is that this will only get worse as a lot of A.I. tools are trained on such code.
#30
Illustration rates haven't gone up in 40 years and most of us are living in abject poverty thanks to corporate greed and gen ai. Our work goes into every book, film, game and ad and many other things
#31
I painted backdrops and scenery for Broadway movies and television for 27 years. (Union Scenic Artist) The waste involved in creating a production then deconstructing it is staggering. Sometimes sets as big as towns will get tossed into dumpsters. I was going to make a documentary about it called “Entertaining Waste.”
#32
Software engineer here.
You have *no idea* how many apps send data back and forth unencrypted in human readable text. This includes things like remote car starters, meaning if you get the wrong product, a hacker can disable your car with their phone.
#33
I've had my own wedding and photography business for almost 18 years. I’m Ready to spill some dirt on the wedding industry! If you hire a husband-and-wife photography team, 90% of the time it's only one person who has any actual talent. They just charge extra and put a camera in the other partner's hands.
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