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In this story, an anonymous man who left his high-flying corporate job sheds light on the “ugly side” of corporate culture and the dark side of human nature.
In this Facebook post by Humans of KL, a man shares how he is “embarrassed” to talk about his former life as a COO (Chief Operating Officer), citing unethical practices that he implemented during his tenure.
“When we wish to fire people who work in corporate jobs, instead of offering a severance package, we make life very difficult for them,” he shared.
“We humiliate them in meetings, we tell them they are not performing, we restructure the organization and reduce their seniority, and put junior people as their bosses.
“Even the strong cannot ‘tahan’ and they will leave themselves. This is what they taught me in corporate, and this is what I did. But you don’t realise it all eventually comes back to you.
“Sadly, the company is never short of its people to volunteer to do the dirty job of undermining their own colleagues, not realising that one day they may be the victim themselves.
“People get jealous of you, people backstab you and they would do anything to get rid of you. This is the ugly side of corporate culture and sadly the dark side of human nature too.”
The man quit his job after looking at his family’s photo album
When asked why he quit his corporate job, the man explained that he had a profound revelation one night after looking through an old photo album of his family.
“One late night I looked through an old photo album of my family – of my lovely wife and children and I realised the past 20 years passed by in a blur.
“I could barely recall my children growing up and that my wife has become older – it was like I just woke up from a coma and I lost my memory.
“I regretted this bitterly and it was at this moment I decided to make right of my life.
“I’m grateful I’m given a second chance in life. This is my second chance.”
A former COO who became a flea-market seller
Now, the man operates a modest chemical business of his own. During the weekends, he also trades at a flea-market to sell his unneeded items.
The man shares that despite quitting a high-paying job, he is able to save up more money now, as he has learned to manage his finances more diligently.
“I thought I could not live without Astro because I used to watch EPL (English Premier League football) every weekend. When I cancelled my subscription, I realized I didn’t miss it that much.”
“Once you declutter your life, you can focus on the things that really matter.”
“During my corporate work, I reported to the board and I had up to ten bosses. But now I just have one boss. My wife! This is my life now, it’s a lot simpler, but I’m happier.”
The story was first shared on Humans of Kuala Lumpur, and has since garnered over 100,000 likes and 75, 000 shares on Facebook.
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Disclaimer: In Real Life is a platform for everyday people to share their experiences and voices. All articles are personal stories and do not necessarily echo In Real Life’s sentiments.
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