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You may see her job as monotonous but maybe she doesn't. Maybe she has a wonderful home life and wants a stress free type of job. I've been in both types of jobs and the one that paid the best and had the most responsibility caused me to rarely be able to take a vacation and eventually caused panic attacks and other physical problems.
Yes, I agree. I worked in a stressful job for 25 yrs. I wasted so much of my life stressing about work. So many nights I couldn't sleep fretting about things that can go or will go wrong. I made good money but it took a toll on me. I changed jobs and my stress went from a 8 to about a 3. I took a bit of a pay cut but in a couple more years I'll be back to where I was.
Job titles and money doesn't mean much to me anymore. I wasted too much of my mental health and sanity for that crap.
I'm in a different phase of life now and I have shifted my priorities around.
I'm sure this has been posted before but an acquaintance of mine got me thinking
She is 37. Dropped out of college, has no degree (not even associates) and works @ a food store. Now there is nothing wrong with this, she obviously earns enough to make a living, but for me, I don't understand why someone like this would not take measures to get themselves into a better job situation.
I have no idea if she is happy doing that job or not, I just know for myself, I am ambitious and I would do something like that as a temporary situation while either trying to go back to school or get a new job, but this woman has been in the same scenario since 20 years old.
This person doesn't seem to do want to do either. I get college isn't cheap, but with online colleges being the new thing now & the fact that she IS working, I don't see online college being so out of reach for her. They are very accommodating to working people and if she looked into financial assistance, maybe she would qualify .. or you take out a loan like a responsible adult.
Does anyone know anyone like this? If she is happy, it's not anyone's place to judge, but I don't really understand this mindset. Wouldn't you want to strive for the very best in life?
Hey, now wait a minute. I didn't finish college, either, but I retired from a responsible management position making more than $100k with an employer with whom I know you are familiar, given your location.
I realize that's not the entire gist of your post, but level of education or lack thereof is not always an indicator of success.
The only logical explanations I can think of off the top of my head are (& I'm sure I'm forgetting a few things):
- these types of people's parents weren't raised to have these important traits: Ambition, self-improvement, constantly-striving, etc.
- these people were raised simply that as long as you work & can afford a roof over your head, clothes, & food, that's good enough & that's all that life's all about
- they were probably raised by families who's belief was, "once you're 18, you're grown & out of the house...I did my job as a parent!" So as we know, at 18 is when most kids graduate from HS...but what about college?! They never had that instilled in them that there's a LOT more to life than just a HS education.
- disabilities - I agree that there could be some kind of disabilities
- maybe they just aren't the type to go to college...not everyone is
But that's just it...everyone is DIFFERENT. That's why there are low, middle, & upper (financial) classes. That's why some people have mediocre lives & extraordinary lives, etc.
The only logical explanations I can think of off the top of my head are (& I'm sure I'm forgetting a few things):
- these types of people's parents weren't raised to have these important traits: Ambition, self-improvement, constantly-striving, etc.
- these people were raised simply that as long as you work & can afford a roof over your head, clothes, & food, that's good enough & that's all that life's all about
- they were probably raised by families who's belief was, "once you're 18, you're grown & out of the house...I did my job as a parent!" So as we know, at 18 is when most kids graduate from HS...but what about college?! They never had that instilled in them that there's a LOT more to life than just a HS education.
- disabilities - I agree that there could be some kind of disabilities
- maybe they just aren't the type to go to college...not everyone is
But that's just it...everyone is DIFFERENT. That's why there are low, middle, & upper (financial) classes. That's why some people have mediocre lives & extraordinary lives, etc.
Reading some of your posts about family and kids - stereotypes are a great thing. Why not leave that person alone? What has she some to deserve your public wrath about her potential inadequacies per your perception.
Reading some of your posts about family and kids - stereotypes are a great thing. Why not leave that person alone? What has she some to deserve your public wrath about her potential inadequacies per your perception.
Ask the OP this. As far as I'm concerned, others choose to live whatever life they want to live. I never said it was up to me & I'm sure not spouting any "public wrath". The OP is the one who started this thread about an acquaintance. He asked people why they think people don't want to better themselves & I'm answering what I think, as the other posters here.
Yes, I agree. I worked in a stressful job for 25 yrs. I wasted so much of my life stressing about work. So many nights I couldn't sleep fretting about things that can go or will go wrong. I made good money but it took a toll on me. I changed jobs and my stress went from a 8 to about a 3. I took a bit of a pay cut but in a couple more years I'll be back to where I was.
Job titles and money doesn't mean much to me anymore. I wasted too much of my mental health and sanity for that crap.
I'm in a different phase of life now and I have shifted my priorities around.
Heh. My retail bookstore job was actually very stressful for me, despite the wonderful company. There were to many distractions for my ADD to allow me to focus on my projects and I overthought everything. I could not learn the cash register to save my life, and it was just TOO MUCH. I just wanted to talk about books with my coworkers and the customers. This is one of the reasons I think the minimum wage should be raised - honestly, there are dificult aspects to almost every job. A gig working a cash register is just terrible, in my view, but I edit pretty high-level articles and oversee the production of a very well-respected publication. I've been doing it so long, these days I don't even flinch. I have the utmost respect for retail workers and I let them know it.
I guess & different strokes for different folks, i realize that, but IDK I just don't understand if there are opportunities to grow your skillset & career, why wouldn't you?
Since I work in a government job, I probably make more money and have better benefits than your friend. But in most ways, I suspect I'm like her. I have good benefits but otherwise have a below average income. But I live simply and save/invest a good chunk of my salary.
I do have a BA in a liberal arts field, but my job doesn't require it. I'm basically a smart underachiever. Careers = Stress to me. I don't want a stressful career. I really don't like all the hoops you have to jump through to have a career. It seems very draining to me and always feels like it's never enough no matter what you do. I think most jobs and careers are superfluous in the grand scheme of things. My favorite example is of a friend who's a psychiatrist for the indigent. He spends over 80% of his time doing paperwork (That's what he tells me and he wasn't exaggerating. He actually told me 90%). And then we wonder why there's "not enough" money to treat the mentally ill. I could go on, but I think you get my drift (or not). And I don't think his job is an extreme example. So many jobs are bogged down by bureaucracy and politics and/or are selling people stuff they really don't need and/or isn't good for them (fast food, cigarettes, I could go on and on and on.)
Last edited by mysticaltyger; 05-20-2019 at 01:18 AM..
I think this is a common mistake, people assuming that not going after a 'respectable, well paying career' means someone is lazy, uninformed, etc. Another mistake is assuming that someone without a formal education must not be intelligent, not interested in growing and learning. The word 'educated' is not a synonym for intelligent.
Well there's certainly something to the stereotype, but as with all stereotypes, they're not always true.
Because I have a low stress job and more free time than most working people, I have been able to spend a lot more time really investigating how the world really works. Time that people involved in careers don't really have. Some people think my worldview is crazy, but it's one I've spent a lot of time looking into--a lot more than my critics have done. And when I point out the time I've spent doing that, people (at least online) call you a loser (sometimes not quite that blatantly).
The only logical explanations I can think of off the top of my head are (& I'm sure I'm forgetting a few things):
- these types of people's parents weren't raised to have these important traits: Ambition, self-improvement, constantly-striving, etc.
You do realize that for a lot of people those are not terribly important, and in fact many people find some of them off putting or undesirable, especially when taken too far?
(Discounting the 'self improvement' as many people enjoy that for it's own sake, not because of any ambition or striving for financial or material gain.)
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