Don't seize the cheese

I’m about to tackle the stigmatization of jobs.

Ostensibly, a white woman pursuing two degrees at a Big Ten school might not have the most convincing bias for such an argument.

And ostensibly, an audience of her peers, who are actively pursuing a diploma in hopes of financial security, will not receive such an argument with more than a scoff as they chase internships and entry-level positions to bolster that Holy Grail of achievement — the résumé.

But consider your middle-aged coworkers at those entry-level positions.

Because their position isn’t “leading to anything,” it’s a condescending normality to assume their service is not a “real job,” and their life is petty.

It is tremendously self-important and belittling to presume anyone is miserable or extraneous based on their salary.

By definition, society perceives a person’s value based on how they demonstrate utility for its continuation — you’re worth your contributions. But your life isn’t stagnant if you don’t achieve greatness defined by that standard.

You exist every day. That’s what matters, not a future. Any second your future is liable to disappear. Despite that seemingly existential outlook, that doesn’t mean there’s no meaning or purpose in what you do.

A recent article in the New York Times showed that there’s a turn-around of young people desiring to be defined by something other than money. Reportedly, we’re looking for meaning. It found that this means being giver-oriented.

You can find ways to make people happy in whatever you do, even by being a positive person.

But you have to ensure that it’s making you happy. You can always find ways to justify your career to suit society, but you don’t need to.

Ultimately, the only person you have to satisfy is yourself. You’re allowed to be selfish.

If your finances are yanked for believing in that, you can work those purportedly less meaningful jobs if they are what propel you toward your goal. If you really want something, you find a way to make it work.

That might seem like a naïve, greedy way to live. But there’s no such thing as squandered potential or a waste of a mind if you fulfill your passion to the best of your ability.

The only real problem is fear of failure and societal perception. This is essential for college students to understand. Whatever degree you’re hunting, remember that at the end of the day, all that’s left is you. Don’t be in debt for something irrelevant to what you actually want.

Our current system imposes 18-year-olds with the immediacy of figuring out what they want to do forever. It’s unfair. It’s unrealistic. People go through different careers. But
it’s a fact of life, so make it count.

Don’t concern yourself with salary comparisons if it’s preventing you from your dream.

A garbage man can make more than a teacher. Neither is a servant or slave but a professional with skills the other doesn’t yet possess.

Anyone has the opportunity to make an enduring effect if they live according to their own definition of success.

­— ashhendri@indiana.edu