36-year-old software engineer turns down $15k pay bump to continue coding, manager thinks they've lost their mind

Would you turn down a pay raise if it meant sacrificing your passion? Sometimes an advancement in your job means that you're going to miss out on something important. More money does not necessarily mean more happiness, and the minute you learn that, the better off you are. But in this world, we're constantly inundated with information about getting ahead, hustling, and making as much money as we possibly can. It seems like the answer to all of your problems, until you get it, and then realize that there's much more to it than that.

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I turned down a promotion and my manager thinks I've lost my mind. Was I wrong?

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Commenters gave their takes on the story.

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_{Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.}
We're often told to accept any promotion that comes our way because any promotion must be a good promotion. No matter what it might mean for your actual well-being and interests. Not everyone wants more responsibility, and not everyone has a price. But this can be hard to justify to people who don't get it. Everyone is allowed to have their own career and make their own decisions. You don't have to listen to what anyone is telling you. You can make decisions that don't make sense to anyone but you. You can quit your high-paying job to become a kayak instructor, and nobody can tell you that you're wrong. If you don't have people depending on you and your income, you're allowed to throw it all away if you so choose. Because life is about much more than a paycheck. And living in pursuit of an ever-higher one is no way to live.
That's the situation this worker found himself in when offered a promotion at his job. The way most people saw it was a way for him to advance his career and make more money. The way he saw it, he didn't want his day-to-day to change so radically. He would much rather continue what he was doing instead of foregoing what he liked about his job in the name of a bigger salary. But he was having a hard time convincing everyone else that he was doing the right thing. Keep reading for all the details of this workplace story and find out what commenters had to say about this decision.
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