An adopted relative of mine is a plumber -- he works hard, runs his own business, does useful things, and probably makes a lot more money than I do with my PhD.

An adopted relative of mine is a plumber -- he works hard, runs his own business, does useful things, and probably makes a lot more money than I do with my PhD. Ask him why he "deserves" to be a plumber and he'll give you a confused look: he deserves to be a plumber because he worked hard during his apprenticeship and learned how to fix drains well. Being a plumber is a pretty good life: given the choice between being a plumber with his own business and a mid-level Bachelor's-wielding drone in some random company, I'd choose plumber any day. Sure, a plumber has to deal with some pretty unpleasant substances, but then again so does a surgeon.