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- Mar 31, 2014
- 53
- 111
I recently had a chat to an old university bud, mentioning in passing that I had discontinued my degree.
Bud: How's the business degree going?
Myself: Nadda. Just left.
Bud: Why?
Myself: It had become a time sink for me, and being truly honest with myself, I saw no end benefit to it.
Bud: Jeez dude, what are you going to do now? I remember you had like a distinction average before you left. Could have had a degree and financial stability, man.
Myself: Your idea of financial security is paper thin. Your idea of a steady paycheck only exists within very narrow parameters.
Bud: The way I see it is that degrees are a form of economic signalling - that you can strive through years of bullshit in order to achieve a goal, and that's why firms will hire you. But I guess you're not keen on working for a company in accounting, I fail to see how stability is an illusion though, explain. Progressing in a reputable firm while reaching success by walking up the corporate ladder offer security.
Myself: Why not strive through years of bullshit on your own terms? I'm cakewalking this degree, it's a waste of my energy. I'm trying to start a business and it's scattering my focus. To what end does anyone have any security? There are a million things that could happen that render you unable to work - or worse - unable to enjoy the fruits of your labor. It happens everyday man, I've seen it myself.
Bud: True, it can, I remember some guy approached me, he told me his story in relation to working in an investment bank then he suffered epilepsy and lost it all.
Myself: Well, there ya go then. Stability does not exist, because what determines you getting to work tomorrow is out of your control and it depends what value you feel you can generate with your time.
If what you believe you can reap as a dividend of your time when you invest it in your own path is greater than that of what you get from the firm, then the choice is quite simple. If you under-value your time, stick with the firm.
When you work in a firm you're generating wealth for your bosses, and only money for yourself. There is a difference, if that makes sense.
Bud: Makes perfect sense man, that's how the corporate world works, but now I know what you mean by stability being an illusion. Shown me the bigger picture, cheers.
-------------------
Take aways from this conversation
The slowlane concept of financial stability is quite literally non-existent. The idea of a "steady paycheck" is contingent upon your physical stability, your mental stability, technological innovations not making your job redundant, economic stability, family stability, the stability of the firm you work for, and a plethora of other things (the planets aligning
).
How is that any stability at all? How is it stability when it is predicated on a system, that is by it's nature UNSTABLE? It's like having your financial security as the piece right at the top of a Jenga tower. Sure, I can pull out a few pieces here and there and you might be OK, but to think that a Jenga tower is the exemplar of stability is absurd!
To me, the only logical choice is the Fastlane. The Slowlane is tantamount to indentured servitude in most cases, and that should really be enough to rouse you to action.
Anyway, this is just my take. Hope you all get something outta this
Bud: How's the business degree going?
Myself: Nadda. Just left.
Bud: Why?
Myself: It had become a time sink for me, and being truly honest with myself, I saw no end benefit to it.
Bud: Jeez dude, what are you going to do now? I remember you had like a distinction average before you left. Could have had a degree and financial stability, man.
Myself: Your idea of financial security is paper thin. Your idea of a steady paycheck only exists within very narrow parameters.
Bud: The way I see it is that degrees are a form of economic signalling - that you can strive through years of bullshit in order to achieve a goal, and that's why firms will hire you. But I guess you're not keen on working for a company in accounting, I fail to see how stability is an illusion though, explain. Progressing in a reputable firm while reaching success by walking up the corporate ladder offer security.
Myself: Why not strive through years of bullshit on your own terms? I'm cakewalking this degree, it's a waste of my energy. I'm trying to start a business and it's scattering my focus. To what end does anyone have any security? There are a million things that could happen that render you unable to work - or worse - unable to enjoy the fruits of your labor. It happens everyday man, I've seen it myself.
Bud: True, it can, I remember some guy approached me, he told me his story in relation to working in an investment bank then he suffered epilepsy and lost it all.
Myself: Well, there ya go then. Stability does not exist, because what determines you getting to work tomorrow is out of your control and it depends what value you feel you can generate with your time.
If what you believe you can reap as a dividend of your time when you invest it in your own path is greater than that of what you get from the firm, then the choice is quite simple. If you under-value your time, stick with the firm.
When you work in a firm you're generating wealth for your bosses, and only money for yourself. There is a difference, if that makes sense.
Bud: Makes perfect sense man, that's how the corporate world works, but now I know what you mean by stability being an illusion. Shown me the bigger picture, cheers.
-------------------
Take aways from this conversation
The slowlane concept of financial stability is quite literally non-existent. The idea of a "steady paycheck" is contingent upon your physical stability, your mental stability, technological innovations not making your job redundant, economic stability, family stability, the stability of the firm you work for, and a plethora of other things (the planets aligning
).How is that any stability at all? How is it stability when it is predicated on a system, that is by it's nature UNSTABLE? It's like having your financial security as the piece right at the top of a Jenga tower. Sure, I can pull out a few pieces here and there and you might be OK, but to think that a Jenga tower is the exemplar of stability is absurd!
To me, the only logical choice is the Fastlane. The Slowlane is tantamount to indentured servitude in most cases, and that should really be enough to rouse you to action.
Anyway, this is just my take. Hope you all get something outta this
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