Every time I've switched jobs I looked back and questioned the time and effort I put in. It seems like I never got back what I put in.
When it comes to my son though, I've never once regretted the time and effort I dedicated to him.
Sounds like the real loser is Joe Lonsdale. I hope he'll come to understand what's truly import during the short time on this planet before it's too late.
i mean, all the effort you put in and the owner puts in goes to making the owner richer, so yea it makes sense for the owner to say that but it doesn't make sense for workers to believe it.
This rings very true for me as well. Family time never feels wasted but staying up all those extra hours to ship better code never seems to be worth it in the end.
Beware of men who soapbox about masculinity. Often, they lack confidence and are doing it as a result of their own personal struggles with masculinity.
If you value masculinity, look for the "quiet professional" type role models. The ones doing masculine things and not posting brags, rants, and videos on YouTube or social media about it. And do[1] your own masculine things[2].
One positive role model I can refer people to is Pat McNamara on YouTube. He's got tons of "masculine cred" (retired Delta Force operator, killer workout regime and work ethic) but is in touch with his feelings, enjoys gardening and bird watching, and is humorously self-deprecating, which I respect tremendously.
1. If you want to do masculine things. You don't have to. There are a huge variety of people out there and a huge variety of personal and cultural definitions of what being a man, or their particular identified gender, is.
2. My masculine things are BJJ, sewing, cooking (exploring Thai currently), smoking meats, woodworking, not belittling others, and lifting weights. Yours may or may not be different.
I'm pretty sure that when I'm on my deathbed, I won't wish for just one more zoom meeting, but I am sure I will wish for a few more minutes with my son.
Is this what social media amplifies? Some dude who makes a statement that is clearly atypical gets hyper focused on while internet “pundits” scream at each other about it?
It’s clearly an extreme statement, made with the perfect intent to stoke outrage, that gets amplified, then Fortune writes an article and it gets linked on HN.
Whatever happens to “wow that’s a dumb statement” then moving on?
I am some dude. Perhaps you are some dude. Joe Lonsdale and Joe Rogan (in the same Twitter discussion) are not mere dudes — they are opinion leaders. People respect the opinions of successful founders, and hence PG is quoted all the time. Joe Rogan makes insane money simply by discussing his opinions.
You characterize the statement about paternity leave as dumb and clearly atypical, but is it? Paternity leave still appears to be an unpopular idea in the US, or else why hasn't the US moved towards the EU direction?
IMO this tweet was calculated not just for outrage but also for rallying. Rallying is more important than outrage.
The person who made the statement isn't just some random person. He's someone who is in charge of a company that has employees and an HR department. It's a disqualifying statement as a leader.
2 - The headline is missing "in an important position." Joe's statement applies to the top leaders of a company/country, not everyone. He's saying people like the CEOs/SVPs of a company, or the presidents/cabinet members of a country, shouldn't take six months off without staying involved even part time. That's a reasonable take that I think most boards and top executives agree with.
It's not like you have to spend your entire life at work and can never see your child. It's just that top leaders at a company have commitments to the company that shouldn't really be dropped for six whole months. If you're in one of these positions, and you take time off (for any reason), it either needs to be a short vacation, or you need to stay involved at the same time (like a vacation where you're still checking in for important meetings).
The challenge there is that the rest of the org will look to leadership to take cues for what is normalized, what is rewarded, what do the decision-makers value, etc. And if you, as a leader, are not willing and able to take 6 months off for paternity leave, the rest of the organization will take home the message that it is not acceptable for them to take 6 months off. It's the same reason that good leaders avoid sending e-mails or visibly working after hours: if they do it, the message to the org will be that everyone has to do it, and then you burn out your people.
In a well-functioning organization, you (as a leader) should be developing leaders underneath you in all the time that you are not on paternity leave. That way, when you do have a family commitment, they can step into your position and the organization is just fine. This is handy for a lot of reasons other than paternity leave: it increases your bus number, it generates a deep leadership bench in case the organization wants to take on additional initiatives, and it reinforces the idea that leadership is a role and not a person, such that many potential leaders could step into the role and do it well.
Another way to look at this is anyone who can take that much leave is absolutely privilege compared to typical working class people. Back when I was working minimum wage or near minimum wage it was rare to even see women take more than a month off.
Many new fathers would only take one or two days. So at least with my working class background this is a couple of privileged people, from an extremely privileged class complaining about how much they should use their privilege.
The landlord doesn’t care all that much, while you can get three or four months of unpaid leave no working class person can afford to take all that much time.
What is possible is always changing. Nothing is static in the world and its always up to people with privledge to stir the pot cuz they arent as dependent on the landlord as the slaves.
It is also a privilege to have a roof over your head and running water. There are billions of people who don't have those things. I don't see how such ultra-woke comments add to the discussion.
Au contraire, a man who is able to take 6 months of paternity—in the US at least—has already won.
A man in an important position (as if any other would have the choice) who is able to but chooses not to for fear of being seen as a loser is a chump, though.
A lot of people believe this (gender essentialism/determinism, evo-psych), but it's still a rare opinion relatively speaking. Mildly interesting but not worth getting upset over (or a Fortune.com piece).
In this thread, I notice a lot of comments talking about how men who don't take six months off (or don't see the point) lack 'love', want to leave mom 'exhausted', not wanting a 'healthy family life', etc.
These are all misguided.
Indeed, I levy the exact same claim on all those comments.
To claim that men not seeing the point of taking six months off don't want a healthy family life is a symptom of an American / Western family life gone horribly wrong. Mom should have lots of family, friends, etc, who are able to help her with the female aspects of being a new mom, such as breastfeeding, post-birth care, etc. Try as I may, as a husband, I cannot fully give my wife what her mom, my mom, and her female friends can give her. I'm useless at practical breastfeeding advice (and frankly, most lactation consultants are too), don't know how to advise her on vaginal healing, etc. I can read all day long about these things, but I would never think of the stuff her practiced friends and family would tell her.
Because we have a strong family and community, mom doesn't need to rely on dad for child care help. Dad can instead do other things, which are also useful for the family (like making sure mom has enough food to eat). That many women are relying on their husbands for this sort of support just shows the problems with the isolation of the American family.
When I took paternity leave with my youngest daughter (four weeks, and will probably do less next time), I was still working with my eldest daughter. She would help me with various tasks around the house, various projects that I needed help with, etc. In fact, I think I was out of the house more during paternity leave than when I'm working (since we're all WFH during COVID anyway).
Instead of overly long paternity leave (and again, I am not against paternity leave in general, just the months long ones), we need flexible hours for new fathers (way more useful than full day leave) and a culture that embraces actual community (not the forced government community either, but actual human connection).
Yeah, the devil is in the details. I have a workmate that surprised me saying he's taking a year off paternity leave, getting a monthly paycheck from the state.
The catch ... his wife is working from home. So in fact she is doing all the hard work child care. He... essentially took a paid-off sabbatical B-)
If she's working from home, why do you think she's doing all the child care? You think he's just sitting around while she both works and cares for the child?
I'm very impressed if she was able to take care of an infant alone while working from home. Our family and friends assumed we would be doing that, but the reality was that the baby needed constant attention and so did work!
The rhetoric is harsh, but I can sympathize with him. I would rather my children see how hard I work (it never went unnoticed), and now that they are older I happily include them in on what I do. But those early years should be dedicated to learning how to be social and nice - things women are better at than men on average. Traditionally men have been the workers, women have been the caregivers. This model has worked for centuries.
I'm impressed because nothing you say makes any sense. A 6-month-old child won't understand that you are working, but will feel the mother being exhausted. Early education is not just about being social and nice, and the exclusion of males from early education gets more criticism these days. What has been "traditional" is meaningless today: many women earn more, don't want to have kids etc. Also, saying "this model worked for centuries" is meaningless - you can say the same about slavery, all kinds of discrimination etc. Moreover, we are talking about the freedom to rather than being forced to take a paternity leave. Having more options is always positive.
I have twin two year olds. Early on, I had to do a significant amount of work because there is two of them. But even with that work helping my wife, I still did not need any parental leave. Newborns are easy for a father... Just change the diaper, feed a bottle, and comfort them. Now that my kids are two years old, I need to spend more time with them teaching them things and I am sure that will grow. Maybe mothers should get leave right after birth and father's should get it as the kids get older to teach them more things?
I wish I spent more time with my dad growing up. He loved his work. I’m sure he believed in his mind he was working hard for his family. If I ever have children, I’ll make sure to be there for them.
arpyzo|4 years ago
When it comes to my son though, I've never once regretted the time and effort I dedicated to him.
Sounds like the real loser is Joe Lonsdale. I hope he'll come to understand what's truly import during the short time on this planet before it's too late.
llampx|4 years ago
Many of these people are very "do as I say, not as i do" types.
strikelaserclaw|4 years ago
mycentstoo|4 years ago
mam4|4 years ago
HWR_14|4 years ago
runjake|4 years ago
If you value masculinity, look for the "quiet professional" type role models. The ones doing masculine things and not posting brags, rants, and videos on YouTube or social media about it. And do[1] your own masculine things[2].
One positive role model I can refer people to is Pat McNamara on YouTube. He's got tons of "masculine cred" (retired Delta Force operator, killer workout regime and work ethic) but is in touch with his feelings, enjoys gardening and bird watching, and is humorously self-deprecating, which I respect tremendously.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=pat+mcnamara+ba...
1. If you want to do masculine things. You don't have to. There are a huge variety of people out there and a huge variety of personal and cultural definitions of what being a man, or their particular identified gender, is.
2. My masculine things are BJJ, sewing, cooking (exploring Thai currently), smoking meats, woodworking, not belittling others, and lifting weights. Yours may or may not be different.
gilbetron|4 years ago
JKCalhoun|4 years ago
It was that line of reasoning that had me switch off the TV two decades ago. (Now I just need to also dial down my internet attention.)
throwawaymanbot|4 years ago
[deleted]
refurb|4 years ago
Is this what social media amplifies? Some dude who makes a statement that is clearly atypical gets hyper focused on while internet “pundits” scream at each other about it?
It’s clearly an extreme statement, made with the perfect intent to stoke outrage, that gets amplified, then Fortune writes an article and it gets linked on HN.
Whatever happens to “wow that’s a dumb statement” then moving on?
threatofrain|4 years ago
You characterize the statement about paternity leave as dumb and clearly atypical, but is it? Paternity leave still appears to be an unpopular idea in the US, or else why hasn't the US moved towards the EU direction?
IMO this tweet was calculated not just for outrage but also for rallying. Rallying is more important than outrage.
MisterBastahrd|4 years ago
unknown|4 years ago
[deleted]
jusa92pl|4 years ago
1 - Joe immediately regretted using the word "loser" https://twitter.com/JTLonsdale/status/1453420638832635904
2 - The headline is missing "in an important position." Joe's statement applies to the top leaders of a company/country, not everyone. He's saying people like the CEOs/SVPs of a company, or the presidents/cabinet members of a country, shouldn't take six months off without staying involved even part time. That's a reasonable take that I think most boards and top executives agree with.
It's not like you have to spend your entire life at work and can never see your child. It's just that top leaders at a company have commitments to the company that shouldn't really be dropped for six whole months. If you're in one of these positions, and you take time off (for any reason), it either needs to be a short vacation, or you need to stay involved at the same time (like a vacation where you're still checking in for important meetings).
nostrademons|4 years ago
In a well-functioning organization, you (as a leader) should be developing leaders underneath you in all the time that you are not on paternity leave. That way, when you do have a family commitment, they can step into your position and the organization is just fine. This is handy for a lot of reasons other than paternity leave: it increases your bus number, it generates a deep leadership bench in case the organization wants to take on additional initiatives, and it reinforces the idea that leadership is a role and not a person, such that many potential leaders could step into the role and do it well.
celticninja|4 years ago
CtrlAltEngage|4 years ago
raxxorrax|4 years ago
beezle|4 years ago
magneticnorth|4 years ago
I think it's pretty clear what he thinks of men who aren't the family bread winners, too.
unknown|4 years ago
[deleted]
unknown|4 years ago
[deleted]
weq|4 years ago
999900000999|4 years ago
Many new fathers would only take one or two days. So at least with my working class background this is a couple of privileged people, from an extremely privileged class complaining about how much they should use their privilege.
The landlord doesn’t care all that much, while you can get three or four months of unpaid leave no working class person can afford to take all that much time.
goalieQ|4 years ago
llampx|4 years ago
threatofrain|4 years ago
meh2frdf|4 years ago
dragonwriter|4 years ago
A man in an important position (as if any other would have the choice) who is able to but chooses not to for fear of being seen as a loser is a chump, though.
unknown|4 years ago
[deleted]
phendrenad2|4 years ago
ameminator|4 years ago
iammisc|4 years ago
These are all misguided.
Indeed, I levy the exact same claim on all those comments.
To claim that men not seeing the point of taking six months off don't want a healthy family life is a symptom of an American / Western family life gone horribly wrong. Mom should have lots of family, friends, etc, who are able to help her with the female aspects of being a new mom, such as breastfeeding, post-birth care, etc. Try as I may, as a husband, I cannot fully give my wife what her mom, my mom, and her female friends can give her. I'm useless at practical breastfeeding advice (and frankly, most lactation consultants are too), don't know how to advise her on vaginal healing, etc. I can read all day long about these things, but I would never think of the stuff her practiced friends and family would tell her.
Because we have a strong family and community, mom doesn't need to rely on dad for child care help. Dad can instead do other things, which are also useful for the family (like making sure mom has enough food to eat). That many women are relying on their husbands for this sort of support just shows the problems with the isolation of the American family.
When I took paternity leave with my youngest daughter (four weeks, and will probably do less next time), I was still working with my eldest daughter. She would help me with various tasks around the house, various projects that I needed help with, etc. In fact, I think I was out of the house more during paternity leave than when I'm working (since we're all WFH during COVID anyway).
Instead of overly long paternity leave (and again, I am not against paternity leave in general, just the months long ones), we need flexible hours for new fathers (way more useful than full day leave) and a culture that embraces actual community (not the forced government community either, but actual human connection).
throwawaymanbot|4 years ago
[deleted]
Proven|4 years ago
[deleted]
theknocker|4 years ago
[deleted]
draw_down|4 years ago
[deleted]
jowdones|4 years ago
The catch ... his wife is working from home. So in fact she is doing all the hard work child care. He... essentially took a paid-off sabbatical B-)
AnimalMuppet|4 years ago
drewzero1|4 years ago
brodouevencode|4 years ago
JKCalhoun|4 years ago
I'm no history major but I am pretty sure woman have been as much the workers as men (think the gather component of hunter/gatherer).
hdjjhhvvhga|4 years ago
silexia|4 years ago
cvhashim|4 years ago