Comment by benbristow | Hacker News Reader

Comment by benbristow | Hacker News Reader

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If I had a really nice detached home with a wife & children then working from home permanently would be the dream.

I don't. I live in a flat and live by myself. The only physical people I talk to are cashiers or delivery drivers.

If your life is further on than others or you have a nightmare capital commute then I can see WFH being the way forward. But personally I like to go to the office for social interactions and the banter that happens within. Just going to the shop for lunch with a colleague makes my day. That burger that you all decide to go for in the pub around the corner and have a cheeky pint alongside, even better!

This permanent WFH is already making me feel separated and even lonelier than normal.

I definitely see where you're coming from, but remember, the current situation isn't normal. I used to live by myself in an apartment working from home too. I still went out to lunch with friends and business associates. I could meet friends for drinks after work all over the area and didn't have to worry about my commute home. I'd work in co-working space, at coffee shops, on vacation, or anywhere else I wanted.

That being said, if I was in a new city with no friends or family, I would 100% want to have an office to go to.

I feel you. I took a job this year for a fraction of what I earn as self-employed, just because I wanted to go out and be among people. I was later laid off because of the virus, but it was nice to go to the office, talk to people face to face, have lunches together. Now, back to being self employed, I like it more, but I think I'll be looking for some coworking spaces.

Before this job I worked from home for 2 years. When I wanted human interaction, I could go to a restaurant, the gym, a hockey game, or a friends house. You can't do any of those things now.

Once things open backup, I think a lot of people find that WFH is a lot less lonely.

I don't think you will be doing those things 40 additional hours per week when you are purely WFH.

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