What I don't get...

[lelouch]

I've never wanted to be my own boss because I lack the motivation and I don't want all the responsibility. I've known people who worked for temp agencies and moved from job to job every couple of weeks or months, but that was never for me because there's no stability. When the IT job bubble burst in the early 2000s, the temp jobs dried up and these guys were out of work for months at a time. I plodded along in my company, getting yearly merit bonuses, transfers, and promotions.

I am the complete opposite. I would much rather be my own boss, and I am! I run my own website development business (unfortunately only on the side for now, hopefully later on I will be making enough out of it through update fees and large waves of clients through past referrals). I've made several thousand so far in very little time, and hopefully the trend will continue (if anyone here needs a website, just let me know! I'll give a special gotwoot discount )

The reason I like being my own boss is that I don't like the feeling of working under someone. I like the feeling of being completely in control. It just bothers me to know that at any moment my boss can come up to me and tell me to clean the coffee spill on his desk (I know I'm exaggerating lol, but you get my point). As the head of my web design business, I can take breaks when I want for however long I want (as long as I make sure to have the client's project done on time), and have the pleasure of feeling powerful when I tell other people what to do (of course in a nice and polite way). I don't mean to sound snobbish, as I definitely do NOT like to boss people around. I am just saying I like the feeling of being in charge. Is that wrong?

[Animeniax]

Nothing wrong with that, since you seem to love what you do. Like a musician or an artist, you want control over your product, including time-lines and final output. If I cared more about the field I am in, I'd want more control and to be the boss, but that's not the case for me. In the service industry, you're beholden to your client, and management often has to give in to their requests, so really everyone answers to someone, including you with your clients.

It's often said that small business owners work more hours than salary guys, but I guess you get to enjoy more of the success if it comes to fruition.

[Assertn]

I am the complete opposite. I would much rather be my own boss, and I am! I run my own website development business (unfortunately only on the side for now, hopefully later on I will be making enough out of it through update fees and large waves of clients through past referrals). I've made several thousand so far in very little time, and hopefully the trend will continue (if anyone here needs a website, just let me know! I'll give a special gotwoot discount )

The reason I like being my own boss is that I don't like the feeling of working under someone. I like the feeling of being completely in control. It just bothers me to know that at any moment my boss can come up to me and tell me to clean the coffee spill on his desk (I know I'm exaggerating lol, but you get my point). As the head of my web design business, I can take breaks when I want for however long I want (as long as I make sure to have the client's project done on time), and have the pleasure of feeling powerful when I tell other people what to do (of course in a nice and polite way). I don't mean to sound snobbish, as I definitely do NOT like to boss people around. I am just saying I like the feeling of being in charge. Is that wrong?

That's one reason I became a freelance flash developer.
The other is that I like change too much, and I can't see any better way to access change than to have complete freedom of choice. Also, I hate the idea of other people profiting from my hard work.