So, I just got fired.

[_jared]

A bit more context for anyone interested. 



For the last two years, I’ve worked at Indeed. It has been a good job, and I liked the work and my coworkers. The company laid off 15% of the workforce last year, and I thought we were through the worst of it. But on Monday, I was laid off with about 1, 000 other people. That’s a further 8% of the company. About half of my team was laid off.

My wife and I had bought our new house the previous Friday and moved in over the weekend. It’s not an ideal time to get laid off, but we will manage. For now, we’re thinking about this line from Epictetus: “Some things are in our control and others not.”

And to add just two more notes. I am looking for more stable work too — I won’t pursue YouTube to the detriment of my family. And for those asking about a book: stay tuned.

[clarkkegley]

Your vids are great, dude. No doubt you’ll blow up this year. Rooting for you 🙌

[TheEsotericaChannel]

Went full-time myself a couple years ago. Happy to brainstorm if you want. Best of luck!

[Lizard]

You're my first substack subscription ever (I'm mostly an art guy so patreon is my thing and honestly didn't even know substack was a similar platform despite hearing about it).

Students of humanities deserve to thrive. Stay strong, Jared.

[JohnFoley]

Thanks for all your great advice and insights!

[pamelahood]

A door closed, another now fully open. I appreciate your content & will see you over on substack, too. 👍

[curtisgmchale]

I lost a bunch of my contracts when my 3rd kid was born and my other 2 were under 5. It was a stressful year but we got through it. I enjoy your content keep at it.

[Ytacc]

You're one of the only reasons I use youtube. Love your recommendations and the things you talk about. I picked up books on Stoicism based on your recs and it really helped me deal with the stuff in my life. Just wanted to say thanks and I wish you the best.

[acollierastro]

Sorry to hear about this---I really enjoy your book reviews!

[mikesbookreviews]

Man, I'm sorry as hell to hear this.

[nobeld]

Go for it bro. God has a plan. You're about to do some of the best work of your life. I don't know you, but I can feel it.

[akepamusic]

So sorry to hear! Horrible in the moment but in my experience being laid off leads to better things. Really hoping things land in a better place in the end and excited to follow your journey!

[Vanhelwig]

Man, your recommendations have so much overlap with my taste that you’re basically my go-to review guy now. That has effectively saved me hours of time and at least as much monetary investment as the donation.

Thanks for the work that you do, and I’m genuinely sorry to hear that you’re facing the difficult uncertainty of being laid off. As a fellow academic turned engineer working in Austin’s tech scene, I can empathize with the position you’re in (although I was a cognitive science guy, not strictly philosophy). The uncertainty can be especially difficult to wrestle with as men who are fathers. Keep your head up and try not to mistakenly internalize factors outside of your control or assign them false senses of meaning.

Here’s my genuine hope that you can have all the forces of the universe align to generate a platform for your successful career (YouTube or otherwise). Cheers.

[edgarmartindelcampo]

Thank you for sharing, this has inspired me to speak about my own career crisis from 2013.

[Pursuingthebetterway]

Hey Jared, I've always particularly enjoyed your style of content. From the books lists, to journaling, to the philosophical videos that often go over my head.

I wanted to say that in the video "books that influenced my life" (or something like that), I was thrilled to find out you had the same faith background as me (Orthodox).

I'd be interested in watching some version of apologetics and or analyses of the Orthodox Faith (and Christianity in general) from you. I think you'd put out phenomenal content, and doing round tables with the likes of What Do You Meme, Apologetics Roadshow, Apostate Prophet (often streams with David Wood/Apologetics Roadshow) would I think lead to some very interesting conversations.

As someone that wishes they could write full time, I wish you all the best in this hopefully beneficial turn of events.

[s.davidcox]

Jared, this is such a terrible, stressful thing to go through. Your content is great. I'm rooting for you and your family.

[beanboi]

Hey, I just want to say that your channel has inspired me a lot as I pursue my degree in Philosophy. Love the videos!

[fratermoonguard]

It's not a setback, it's a set up! You're going to crush it.

[severine_aurelia]

I admire the leveheadedness with which you seem to be approaching this. When difficult news lands in my lap, I try to remember that it's only in those moments I truly have the opportunity to test my strength, resilience, and ability to maintain perspective in the face of challenge. You do not yet know how things will turn out, but if you remain determined to face what comes with integrity and intelligence, as I am sure you will, you'll be proud of how you conducted yourself and it'll make you a stronger person. I hope things fall into place for you, financially and professionally, as I think you add a lot of value to discussions of philosophy, books, etc. on YouTube and beyond.

[alecwalter]

I'm a full-time psychology and philosophy student. I got laid off from my part-time job last winter and have been struggling to keep up with the bills since. Your videos are really entertaining and can help keep me motivated. You got this!