Asmodean,

I've got a pretty good job right now as far as pay goes, and the

people I work with are awesome.  However lately the goals we have to

meet have become very stupid and I feel like my job is constantly at

risk because of them.  I would be much happier at any one of many jobs

I could probably find, but the problem is that I'd have to take a

fairly drastic paycut to take them. This would make my life outside of

work not anywhere near as much fun.  Should I keep the current job and

deal with the stress in order to keep the good money, or find a new

job that pays alot less but I'd have less stress?

Thanks,

Working Hard

For simplicity's sake, I'm going to call you Bob.  Is that okay, Bob?  Glad to hear it.  Everybody, this is Bob.  Bob is not happy with his job.  Bob wants a new job.  But Bob wants to keep the pay from his old job.  Poor Bob.

Look, it's pretty simple, Bob.  You can give up a few of your more expensive habits (I'm assuming that certain mind-altering substances are probably amongst said habits), and get a new job.  Work your way to the top like a good little slave, and in fifty years you can retire by virtue of having died three years earlier of an aneurysm in your cubicle, and all any of your coworkers will have noticed is a faint lingering odor.   Conversely, you can stick with the current job and keep the afore-mentioned habits well-funded while waiting for the inevitable police sting that will reveal that you've snorted away all that well-earned money anyway.  A plausible third option would be to take out an insurance policy against your boss and have him murdered by well-dressed thugs in a Mafia-style execution, then collect, get his job, and graduate to better drugs.

Or you can sell it all, buy a guitar and a case, and sit on the corner of the street for dollar bills to support your growing addiction while you waste away to nothing.  I don't recommend the latter because you seem like you'd be tone-deaf anyway, and I'd be forced to balefire you for- I can't believe I'm about to say this- the betterment of mankind.  Like I said before, the choice is yours.  Give my regards to the candy man, would you, Bob?