Strong disagree! I can't believe all the advice here telling you to stay in a situation where you don't feel challenged. Clearly you wouldn't have written the post if you were content with the status quo.
Find a role you thrive in, doing work that musters your enthusiasm. Whether it's at Google or elsewhere. Yes, it means giving up the cushy freeride, but there's no substitute for the deep sense of pride and satisfaction from solving a tough problem and building something you're passionate about.
I suppose this depends on whether you prefer to live to work or work to live. When I was younger I lived to work. Now I work to live. I've taken up backpacking, woodworking, and put a greater emphasis on my family life. If anyone is on the fence here, I definitely recommend working to live. If you can avoid misery at work, you're a lucky person, so do that if you can. But at the end of your life the odds you'll be most proud of selling a few more units of some software is very small.
This person is in the early stage of their career. Building the skills, network, and reputation necessary to carry them through the rest of their career while they are young and energetic _is_ working to live, particularly at a FAANG. Nobody wants to become a 50 year old with the skills and experience of a 30-year old.
If someone with the skills of a 30-year old can eek out a good comfortable living without much effort, what's wrong with wanting that? Most 50-somethings I know are doing basically what they were doing at 30.
I couldn’t disagree more with this. A meaningful connection to your output is important, but most jobs are bullshit and won’t satisfy that need. Leaving a cushy job to pursue that is rarely a good idea. The grandparent post is right - get a hobby or find some way to volunteer and give back.
I agree with the first half of your reply and the overall sentiment that freeriding like this is just gonna leave you just further disappointed and dissatisfied in your life.
However, one thing i disagree with you and a lot of other similar replies on is that finding another more challenging job is the only way to solve it. Wouldn’t OP working on a side project or contributing to open source with all that free time he has solve the existential problems he is having just as well? Not even mentioning the fact that doing so sharpens his technical skills, adds projects to his resume, with the main difference (as opposed to working an intense job) being that he has way more freedom to choose what he wants to work on and how.
Employment is being paid to solve other people's business problems. Other people's business problems are rarely going to bring you passion and enthusiasm.
It's much more practical to find fulfilment outside of work.
But how many places do you feel challenged at? I've been unchallenged in my work for the majority of my career. The only time I remember mental challenge was in my first year. Now the challenge is unrealistic deadlines, or oh we've been outsourced again.
Finding a job that is challenging and mentally stimulating is very difficult. I know a number of people who echo this sentiment.
I find that if I focus on improving one aspect of my life (e.g. health/fitness, hobbies, time with family, etc) then other aspects tend to become more satisfying as well. I think this is due to a general sense of accomplishment and the motivation from a “win” to refocus on improving in other areas.
Find a role you thrive in, doing work that musters your enthusiasm. Whether it's at Google or elsewhere. Yes, it means giving up the cushy freeride, but there's no substitute for the deep sense of pride and satisfaction from solving a tough problem and building something you're passionate about.