I work for the state of Massachusetts. It's embarrassing. It's not degrading. I see it around me, the glazed looks, the countdown timers to retirement, the pathetic work for exorbitant pay... It's sickening. It saps the life out of you. It makes you jealous of their lavish wages, but destroys your soul all the same to see them, the living dead, diminished to joyless 8 hour days, the struggle to complete remedial tasks. I hesitate to imagine they live outside those hours as I have seen so little joy. Am I respected? Sure, most everyone is amazed at what I do (just being honest), but it's sad as hell.