WARNING: WTMI ahead
Wow...you hit a nail on the head there in my own personal life. "...afraid to lose their souls to the grind"- that's something I've been consciously fighting for years. You really CAN lose your soul (or humanity) to the grind... I've had jobs where they expected you not to even THINK of things non-work-related (for real, I am honestly NOT exaggerating) -no radio, no friendly conversing with coworkers, no humor, not even meal breaks- I had to completely stifle my real personality for entire days, 4-5 days a week (much of this was just BEFORE the recent recession!) Couple that with a constant battle against health problems and I was in real danger of becoming a modern-day "musselmanner".
I nearly succumbed to it so many times- it's not just work either, it's been a struggle to keep myself Human for many years. It's like treading water over a grey abyss...
Oddly enough, the "zombie" is more alive than I was during the worst times- read "The Zen Of Zombie" sometime- a Zombie constantly pursues its "hearts desire" (to eat brains) 24x7 and actually a zombie's 'spirit' is indomitable if you think about it; they are NEVER deterred or discouraged...
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