Corporate America: A Prison Break Guide

Key Themes

• Thoreau's "quiet desperation" frames corporate work as voluntary imprisonment
• Graeber's 5 BS jobs expose corporate dysfunction:
  • Flunkies (middle managers)
  • Goons (HR, enforcement)
  • Duct-tapers (perpetual problem fixers)
  • Box-tickers (DEI/compliance)
  • Taskmasters (productivity enforcers)

Soft Authoritarianism in Corporate Culture

• Location control (anti-remote work)
• Thought control (shifting ethical stances)
• Time control (9-5 structure)
• Value suppression (standardized pay bands)
• Ethics sacrificed for profit

Resistance Strategy

• Minimize meeting attendance
• Work remotely when possible
• Spend 20% of pay on valuable skill development
• Avoid management track
• Build uncorrelated income streams:
  • Consulting
  • Investments
  • Side businesses

The Shawshank Strategy

• Save 2+ years of living expenses (~$250k buffer)
• Develop marketable skills quietly
• Create multiple income streams
• Reduce expenses/debt
• Plan methodical escape

Core Message

Corporate America represents a form of wage slavery, but methodical resistance and skill-building can create paths to freedom and authentic living.

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