Nothing is as it seems. Well, sometimes somethings are just as they appear. But the first is a good mindset to have.
Never assume something, like a job is easy. There are so many layers and backdoor dramas to everyone's way to make a living.
Every job has details and responsibilities that outsiders will never know or understand and in some cases be able to accomplish.
People who do great work, make it look easy.
Redditor u/paikiachu wanted people to know about the careers that people take for granted by asking:
What job or profession seems easy but is actually very challenging?
On the outlook my jobs may seem simple, I'm an actor and a writer. So of course people assume, well that's a cakewalk; I promise you, it isn't. Learning lines and the life of a character is a trying task. Yes, there are far more difficult jobs in the world, but this one is mine. And it can be grueling. So be nice to me.
lion king zoo GIFPuppies and Kittens...
"Just about any position at a Veterinary clinic. I get so tired of hearing how fun it must be to play with kittens and puppies all day.Yes, there are puppies and kittens but we don't play with them. We may sometimes sneak cuddles if time permits on a bad day. The reality is that most of the time we are dealing with clients who are rude and unreasonable. Or even worse sometimes, clients who would move mountains to save their pet but nothing can be done."
"And the smell gets bad sometimes, obv. Once you smell Parvo you never forget it. And expressing anal glands can be quite nasty as well. But the hardest part is euthanizing a geriatric or injured pet in one exam room, holding it together, and then entering the next exam room for a new puppy check. Be kind to your veterinary professionals."
Daytime Issues
"Daycare teacher. Draining, difficult, sometimes heartbreaking. Worst experience I ever heard was a kid (3y) that was explosively violent. Hitting, pinching, occasional biting, screaming till other classrooms complained, hair pulling to the point that she ripped out CHUNKS. They would pick up other kids by the hair, even ripping out some of mine. I LITERALLY started going bald because of this kid. My anxiety went through the roof, panic attacks galore."
"Cuz see, when they were doing all of this, I'm also conducting class, toilet training, serving lunch out snacks, keeping other kids safe. Soo of course I'm also having to explain to parents when their kid has another bruise, more hair pulled out, another bite mark. At the end of the day, it was the owners fault because they refused to kick the kid out. I've had great kids, great parents, great bosses even."
Tired Fingers
"Massaging humans is like never-ending arm and leg day at the gym. I don't think a lot of people know that second-handed. Just think when you're asking for a massage, how do you last before 'your fingers are tired'. Hint: if you're using your fingers you're doing it wrong anyway."
Crushed
Schitts Creek Comedy GIF by CBCGiphy"Veterinary Technician. Back breaking, brutal and emotional crushing work. You don't get to pet puppies and kittens all day. Also the pay is crappy."
I can relate to those on so many levels. I could never massage people who I'm not intimate with, I barely massage people who I AM intimate with. So bless those people. And it sounds like I should bring gifts to my vet's office.
Trauma
Season 10 Hug GIF by FriendsGiphy"Social work especially when working with traumatized people. The amount of emotional pressure you have to deal with is insane. If you don't have excellent coping strategies and are not 100% professional this job will break you."
Putting down the sleep...
"I always thought being an anesthesiologist would be the easiest job in the OR. Cover the patients mouth with some sleepy gas and kick back with a magazine until the procedure is over. Turns out it's an additional 4-5 year residency with multiple gruelling exams and that's after completing your medical training."
Emotions High
"I thought nursing would be way easier than it turned out to be. I thought it would be technically difficult (actual physical skills) and emotionally difficult (in terms of trauma and seeing people suffering) but It's actually really draining; dramatic coworkers, demanding patients, bad bosses, angry families."
- lhuthien
Stand Up
"I don't if it really fits this post because it is already pretty obviously hard and dangerous, but, damn. Hardest job I ever had and I had some hard ones. 14 hours standing in place using both arms to grab trash flying by and throwing it into one of four various bins set up around you."
"Even though it's straightforward, it's mentally exhausting to think that quickly and constantly while having to execute physically. There's no rhyme or reason to what's coming down the chute so its not rhythmic like manufacturing or quality control. Truly difficult work."
- rvrdrppr
Bless the Chef
Henry Danger Wow GIF by NickelodeonGiphy"Cooking in my opinion, once considered it until I realized how pressuring it is... lol."
"Literally everyone I know who works kitchen staff is at least somewhat angry as a person lol, it seems like it must be very stressful."
So what have we learned? Be kind to your waiters first and foremost. Well be kind to everyone, but even more kind to any people in customer service. There is so much happening behind the scenes there. And don't assume about anyone's choice of job by degree of difficulty or lack.
Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
@tulipanet/Bluesky
@which–witch–ru/Bluesky
@phillip–rees/Bluesky
@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social