4 ms·
An unfortunate coincidence is that "institutionalize" in U.S. English, when said of a person (rather than a practice or procedure), mainly means "commit to a me
by schoen 4y ago
An unfortunate coincidence is that "institutionalize" in U.S. English, when said of a person (rather than a practice or procedure), mainly means "commit to a mental hospital" (or a nursing home), so phrasing it this way sounds (at first read) like a question about how to be admitted to a mental hospital.
I might suggest "connect to the job market" or "connect to the normal economy" or "have a normal career" or "have a legible career" (slight social science jargon). Sorry those are more long-winded phrasings than your original version!
- spaceman_2020 4y agoI'm aware of the other meaning. I spent my 20s believing that anyone who worked a normal job would have to be "insane" (and hence, "has been institutionalized"), and yet, here I am, wanting to do the same.
- AnimalMuppet 4y agoDo you want to do the same? Or do you just want the things you think would come from doing the same? What problem are you really trying to solve? Not enough friends? Not enough friends that you can relate to? Find a group of people who make their money the way you do. Find a group that plays ultimate frisbee. Join a gym. Join a ballroom dancing society. Join a church. Go to the same bar regularly. (Maybe not all of those - some combinations might not mix well.)
- mindcrime 4y agoAll I wanted was a Pepsi. Just one Pepsi. And she wouldn't give it to me.
- IndySun 4y agoI searched the half familiar sentence, and now I can't get it out of my head (although, it will go, within the hour) again. I take some comfort that now and again even a colossal of HN will make mischievous remarks.