Humans are creatures with "choice and a free will".
You can choose to do a 9-5 , no one truly cares and you can as well prefer to work from home, I don't think anyone fully have a say in which you think is best for you.
So which is the best, a 9-5 job or a remote job?
The question is quite tricky as there are many conditions attached to our choices.
The environment, the personality, unforseen circumstances, income or expected income rate,bills and a lot of reasons that have the influence to affect our choice on which is best for us, a remote job or a 9-5. Let me share my thoughts on the things that probably will affect our decisions.
2 Major Factors that affects our Decision whether to do a 9-5 or work remotely
CIRCUMSTANCES
It's true I said we have a choice and a free will as humans to decide which is best for us but I also think that word "choice" is half baked. Do we really have choices in all cases?
Let's see an example.
A man who has a lot of expenses to settle is in need of a job that pays well. He owns a skill, probably he is a content writer just as I am. He checked online in search of jobs because he prefers to work from home.
But the jobs he could find are lowly priced. $10, $25, $100... He needs more than enough to cater for himself right?
Maybe he probably needs to upskill so as to get more profiting gigs but before then, bills still need to be paid.
Assuming during this process of searching for a much more profiting gig, he came across a newspaper firm where he has the chance to work as an editor to earn about $250 monthly.
You know caring less about the work.load or his desire for a remote job, there's a 90% chance he will go for that offer right? While he makes underground moves to get a better remote job.
Now can you see that Circumstances also have a play in the process of choosing a 9-5 or a remote job.
DESIRE
Another reason for people's choice can also be the desire of their heart.
To some, they love the four corners of the office, to another he just want a flexible schedule that isn't guided by anyone. He wants to set his own time.
It's normal for human wants to be separate but the end result of every desire is a level of "Comfort".
Everyone wants to be comfortable right?
So I assume if we want to categorize a better choice between a remote Job and a 9-5, it will be dependent on which one gives more comfort to the person involved.
Maybe you like Coca-Cola because when you take each sip, it reminds you of a refreshing feeling of explicit taste. And maybe if I take the same Coca-Cola, I'm disgusted and my taste bud is finding every easy means to never take it again.
> Can you see that our Comfort is quite different or is my analogy wrong?
Since our definition of Comfort may be quite different then probably what we call remote job may not be remote to everyone and what we call a 9-5 may not be a 9-5 to some others.
Am I confusing you, let me break it down for easy consumption.
The end result of every desire is a level of comfort right? And comfort is in different level.
You can like a movie and rate it 50% right? You can also like another and rate it 90%... It doesn't mean you didn't find pleasure in the two, just that one gave you more pleasure than the other.
So, relating to a 9-5 job... I'm reminded of a Real estate company in Nigeria, which is owned by one of my mentors. He is currently the acting C.E.O.
It's a 9-5 work for most persons , inclusive their creative designers.
Amongst the 9-5, there's a section for Morning workout for every staff, there's a tea time, there's a lecture and meeting time and there's a time for work. Weekends sometimes they engage in staff games and hangout. At least once a month.
To me this is a Work & Fun balance... This type of 9-5 will bring comfort, don't you think?
Now, what about a remote worker who got a gig worth $1000 and have to work 10hours daily in other to complete the work for the week.
Well, to some that's comfort ! Because the money is quite okay right?
Maybe you're yet to get what I'm drifting out, let me bring the cat out of the bag.
There's no true difference between a remote worker and a 9-5, we all are seeking comfort at the best level we can find.
An average Full stack developer might work beyond the durations of a 9-5, what about a Product manager who works more on finding the best presentable measures to presenting the product to the public.
Everyone is seeking for comfort ! It depends on what level we're getting the comfort.
To someone who doesn't like hanging out or doing morning workout, the 9-5 in the real estate I mentioned might be less comforting but to me, what other comfort can be compared to it.
To someone who doesn't like to be lonely, or to have to stare at a computer for 13hours might find the work of a full stack developer less comforting. He could consider doing it maybe for the funds but it still doesn't change the fact that comfort is not attained at the best way he wants it.
Which then is better? A remote job or a 9-5
There's no general answer to this because we all have different taste and definition of Comfort
What you like might not interest me, so I think the answer is plain, the best of the two is the one that gives you the most comfort .
Maybe you like to travel, maybe I don't.
Maybe you like your room better than the office, and maybe I prefer the noises and the discussion from the office than sitting alone.
> #### We all have different definition of Comfort and probably that's the only significant difference between a remote and a 9-5.
To some developers they are comfortable with 12hours daily while sitting in their room and they hate 8hours in an office. It all revolves around what gives us comfort.
I think the major difference between a remote work and a 9-5 is personal and it revolves around the level of comfort the condition brings to us.
There's no best, there's no least To me remote isn't all that remote and 9-5 isn't that 9-5 if we find comfort doing what needs to be done.
What then is the Balance ! Can we truly have a balance between the both?
Reading the post of 
"To me, I want to have both. I get to report to my office Monday - Wednesday as a content writer,. startup strategiest or a product manager and then freelance on Thursday- Saturday.
I get to enjoy the atmosphere of people and also get to enjoy the pleasure of my room.
According to
If you ask me, I want that too but I don't mind even if it's quite a long distance, I love to be in a car grooving to a trendy music as well.
Can you see how different our level of comfort is? Even when we still want same thing but the level of satisfaction diverse.
This is just my opinion anyways, you can share yours, I really want to learn maybe my comfort level will shift.