I'd like to ask to anyone who has worked as both, for himself and for the man, which one is more stressful? To the degree that this question can be answered, I realize it would depend a lot on the exact job and that it's not black and white.
I'd say that working for myself is more stressful. There are absolutely no excuses not to deliver quality work on time. Sometimes I find myself working through the night to meet a deadline, something I would never have done when I was regularly employed.
Nevertheless, there is a lot of satisfaction to selecting and organizing your own projects, and having freelanced for a year, I don't think I will be going back to salaried work.
In general, I found working for myself was more stressful. If you work for The Man, then when you screw up, it's generally The Man's problem. If you work for yourself and screw up, there's nobody to blame but yourself, and you're completely responsible for fixing it.
I'd have to agree. People always say that you can make your own hours (which is true for many), but I find myself always on the job, whether it's day or night.
