A man from Bengaluru has gone viral for his honest take on corporate life, which has resonated with many. Bishisht Shome, who worked seven years across four jobs, shared on Instagram that career growth and better pay often still leave a sense of emotional emptiness.
‘Emptiness and corporate burnout’
“Seven years in corporate, four jobs, and I’m yet to figure out what actually makes me happy. No matter how much money you earn from corporate, you will always have this feeling of emptiness. Even after a 50% hike, the emptiness feeling will always come back. A higher salary will only let you afford better distractions: a bigger flat, nicer dinners, better trips. But none of this will answer the real question: Why am I even doing this? Why am I doing the same thing for 8 to 9 hours every day? Money doesn’t fix meaning. It just buys you more time to keep avoiding the same question again and again,” Shome said in the video.
In the caption, he wrote, “7 years. 4 jobs. Still figuring it out. Nobody talks about this. You can keep switching jobs, chasing 50% hikes, upgrading your lifestyle… and still feel empty on a Sunday night. The bigger flat, the better trips, the nicer dinners, none of it answers the real question: why am I even doing this? Money doesn’t fix meaning. It just buys you time to keep avoiding the question.”
Social media reactions
Many people working in corporate jobs said they understood what he meant. The video led to talks about burnout, career fulfilment and looking for purpose beyond money.
One user wrote, “Been there, done that. Sometimes things need to be fulfilled, inside out, not outside in. It seems lame in this modern world, but if you connect. You will know, no emptiness.”
Another person said, “Life is very long, around 50 years after education. So you have to keep yourself busy with one or the other thing to keep you out of such thoughts. See around, mingle with people, have strong bonds, and help others. People who don’t have money will have only one problem, but those who have many.”