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It would be fair to say that you have some technical skill not afforded to the truly poor. Most English teaching positions in Japan require a college education

It would be fair to say that you have some technical skill not afforded to the truly poor. Most English teaching positions in Japan require a college education, which is the epitome of this study carried to an extreme. Anyone can learn to code or do Linux ops work, a skill that you have that keeps true poverty at bay. Most can go to school on grants if they are truly poor but there's a learning curve to being able to fill the paperwork out, a time and transportation cost to getting the paperwork done and to the right place. In these situations, you have chosen to live as poor, but the opportunity to not be poor is always there because you had an education, you had a skill, and those things gave you an opportunity to save up enough to work for free for a while. There are a lot of places in the world where people don't even know you could work on computers for a very high wage. And even when they do, they lack the know-how to find a geographically diverse community that can mentor them.

caf 11y ago
This is worth pointing out - education is human capital, an intangible form of wealth.
- jethro_tell 11y ago
  That was bought with tangible wealth and the mildly less tangible opportunity cost of having the time to do that instead of work.
  - logical42 11y ago
    Having actual tangible wealth is not necessary. One can opt to join the army and fund college via the GI Bill, for instance. And generally, opportunity cost tends not to be super high when you don't have skills or an education.
- oxide 11y ago
  thanks for sharing that nugget of wisdom, I don't think I've ever heard a perspective on education that was more inspiring. I'm going to stop making excuses and go back to school, I think.
  - logical42 11y ago
    I almost don't want to say this because I'd hate to discourage anyone from going back to school, but school isn't necessary or sufficient for having or gaining an education. Nowadays especially.
    - jethro_tell 11y ago
      Did you go to college? I tend to hear this most from people who went to college. I didn't, and I definitely have trouble getting my resume in front of Hiring managers because I get screened out in the linked in search. You can make it work but it's not easy and you'll get paid less then your peers for a long time. Less than the debt they acquired? not sure.

caf 11y ago

This is worth pointing out - education is human capital, an intangible form of wealth.

jethro_tell 11y ago
That was bought with tangible wealth and the mildly less tangible opportunity cost of having the time to do that instead of work.
- logical42 11y ago
  Having actual tangible wealth is not necessary. One can opt to join the army and fund college via the GI Bill, for instance. And generally, opportunity cost tends not to be super high when you don't have skills or an education.
oxide 11y ago
thanks for sharing that nugget of wisdom, I don't think I've ever heard a perspective on education that was more inspiring. I'm going to stop making excuses and go back to school, I think.
- logical42 11y ago
  I almost don't want to say this because I'd hate to discourage anyone from going back to school, but school isn't necessary or sufficient for having or gaining an education. Nowadays especially.
  - jethro_tell 11y ago
    Did you go to college? I tend to hear this most from people who went to college. I didn't, and I definitely have trouble getting my resume in front of Hiring managers because I get screened out in the linked in search. You can make it work but it's not easy and you'll get paid less then your peers for a long time. Less than the debt they acquired? not sure.