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"For years we Americans have been fed the convenient lie: study hard, work hard in your chosen field ... and you will be in control of your life and your desti

"For years we Americans have been fed the convenient lie: study hard, work hard in your chosen field ... and you will be in control of your life and your destiny." Surely a nice idea, and maybe I'm a cynic, but what rational adult actually believes this? Some fields are inherently more stable and well-paying than others. "Now, in this new gilded age, where profit takes precedence over people, and commerce takes precedence over art" When in the history of the United States has this not been the case?

solarmist 12y ago
I dunno growing up in the 80's I always heard 'Get a job do that work for 40 years (with only a couple of company changes) and retire'. 'Changing a job more often than every 5 years is job hopping and that's a bad thing.' 'Most people only have a couple of jobs over their working lives.' Basically all kinds of baby boomer propaganda that was considered 'conventional wisdom'. And I pretty much believed it until I actually started working in the private sector.
- bequanna 12y ago
  >And I pretty much believed it until I actually started working in the private sector. Indeed. There is usually a pretty large difference between what people are told about the world growing up and reality. In my experience, people who never figure this out externalize blame when things go wrong: Greedy corporation fired me, CEOs make X when I only make Y, someone should have made sure I had healthcare, landlord raised my rent, etc. Where in this article does she take ownership of her life and decisions?
michael_h 12y ago
The "in your chosen field" part was new to me. If your chosen field is buggy whip manufacturing, well...you're going to have to work hard at something else.
- bequanna 12y ago
  Exactly. She was in print media and television, two industries that are quite obviously dying. Yet, she shows little interest in adapting or retraining, she simply externalizes blame and resists change. Not really a recipe for success.
  - Aloha 12y ago
    Television isnt exactly dying, but a writer in that industry has always been a pretty volatile proposition.
- briandear 12y ago
  Exactly. It's actually hilarious to me how Harvard grads with Sociology or Women's Studies degrees wonder why they're unemployed and in debt. It's not my fault you majored in Medieval Poetry. Why should I subsidize someone's ill conceived choices? Regarding poetry, it's interesting how the world's greatest poets did not get an expensive MFA in poetry. Hemingway didn't even go to college. Studying liberal arts is important, but getting $100k student loans to major in something like Sociology? Really? Some folks are just plain old stupid. In what universe do the numbers work for a decision like that? If I was a VC and someone came to me to fund their schooling with that sort of 'plan,' I'd laugh them out of my office.

solarmist 12y ago

I dunno growing up in the 80's I always heard 'Get a job do that work for 40 years (with only a couple of company changes) and retire'. 'Changing a job more often than every 5 years is job hopping and that's a bad thing.' 'Most people only have a couple of jobs over their working lives.' Basically all kinds of baby boomer propaganda that was considered 'conventional wisdom'. And I pretty much believed it until I actually started working in the private sector.

bequanna 12y ago
>And I pretty much believed it until I actually started working in the private sector. Indeed. There is usually a pretty large difference between what people are told about the world growing up and reality. In my experience, people who never figure this out externalize blame when things go wrong: Greedy corporation fired me, CEOs make X when I only make Y, someone should have made sure I had healthcare, landlord raised my rent, etc. Where in this article does she take ownership of her life and decisions?

michael_h 12y ago

The "in your chosen field" part was new to me. If your chosen field is buggy whip manufacturing, well...you're going to have to work hard at something else.

bequanna 12y ago
Exactly. She was in print media and television, two industries that are quite obviously dying. Yet, she shows little interest in adapting or retraining, she simply externalizes blame and resists change. Not really a recipe for success.
- Aloha 12y ago
  Television isnt exactly dying, but a writer in that industry has always been a pretty volatile proposition.
briandear 12y ago
Exactly. It's actually hilarious to me how Harvard grads with Sociology or Women's Studies degrees wonder why they're unemployed and in debt. It's not my fault you majored in Medieval Poetry. Why should I subsidize someone's ill conceived choices? Regarding poetry, it's interesting how the world's greatest poets did not get an expensive MFA in poetry. Hemingway didn't even go to college. Studying liberal arts is important, but getting $100k student loans to major in something like Sociology? Really? Some folks are just plain old stupid. In what universe do the numbers work for a decision like that? If I was a VC and someone came to me to fund their schooling with that sort of 'plan,' I'd laugh them out of my office.