A philosophical question here. Let's say that we have two people, A and B.

A: finishes High School at 18, studies fine arts and philosophy at college. Works as a cashier in a convinence store when he/she is 30-years-old.

B: Drops out of school at 16. Isolate him/herself until the age of 21. Gets a GED and finishes high school at 23. Starts medical school and starts working as a doctor when he/she is 30-years-old.

But which one is worse? A had a fun life and enjoyed his/her youth. But what has she really accomplished in life, working at a store when she is 30.
B might be a doctor at 30, but she still failed and missed out on her life/youth. Not too different from winning the special olympics.

What's worse, A or B?

B, since you dont earn much money as a doctor in germany.

But is money that important? Anyone can become a millionaire, in Germany you could open a Turkish Kebab stand. A woman doing porn/prostitution earns more mone than a doctor. The man selling drugs is a millionaire, but he is still a loser.

so whats the point in becoming a doctor then instead of a simple worker?

Intellectual merit and society's respect.

And having accomplished something.
Selling your ass =material wealth (money).
Becoming a doctor=Succeeding in life.

Society's standards means nothing. At least not to me. Loser is good, as long as you can do what you want. Money is the most important thing in life today, for this reason. Money gives freedom.

Personally I view society and its values from the perspective of one species of animals observing another. Cats and apes etc... I don't feel pressured by society's standards so degrees and careers are of no importance to me. Money is however.

Money and following one's own interests is best but I can't pick either of the two alternatives because they both involve work and being part of society in some way. That sucks to me. All I want to do is sit in front of the computer, read newspapers and follow my investments. Interact with the world from afar, as an observer.

you dont need to be a doc to be intelligent. and being a doc doesnt mean you have more accomplished than others. i think you have got very small horizons

being a doc doesnt pay out respect either. theres more hated docs than loved docs as far as i know. if they were that respected theyd probably earn more money for saving lifes. the only good thing about being a doctor may be helping ppl but i dont want to help ppl in the first place, so wasting my youth AND age would be horrible

+1

However, a lot of people think like that so he isn't alone. If he thinks he will become happy by "succeeding" in life according to his own personal values, then it's none of my business. I personally don't regret not choosing such a path in life though, becoming a doctor etc...

Yes, I agree. A success from whose perspective?
I consider myself intelligent, but I don't have the patience or attitude to become a doctor. I could probably do it if I wanted to, but I don't see why I should waste years at medical school only to end up working in some shitty hospital helping ungrateful people who don't give a fuck about me.

I don't have any pie-in-the-sky hopes or goals career-wise. As long as I have enough money to survive and indulge in my interests, I'll be happy.

thats exactly what i think. so the only reason that came to my mind was money and since german docs dont earn money its useless

sorry for the small horizons

Of course. Doctors are hard working students. Engineers are the smart ones. Common knowledge.

The best would be a combination of both. Like being a doctor wit your own private clinic. A plastic surgeon with his own clinic is rich and a doctor.

i dont understand, are you trying to tell me if im not a doctor than i cannot be intelligent or what?

A doctor:




A rich millionaire:

What about this guy? What does he look like? A doctor, a millionaire etc? It's not me btw, there's already a picture of me in the "post a pic of yourself" thread somewhere.

I'd rather be happy than 'successful', whatever that may mean. And no, i don't think you need to have lots of money or a flashy job title to be happy.

B. The A option sounds miserable.

A is definitely much worse than B. It's hard for me to see why anyone would think otherwise. Of course, it's not good for people isolate themselves or drop out of high school, but in the end, the person makes a great life for themselves & the rest of their future. I would certainly pick option B if it were my own life.

why would someone that studied philosophy or arts tend to a stressful job like doctor? in a simple job you have got simple working hours and earn enough money to live (normally). while you can use the rest of your time to attend to arts or stuff that makes you happy.

as B you would have fucked the best time of your life and do a stressful and gross/disgusting job afterwards while you have to be ready for emergencies all the time when trying to do hobby stuff. and you will rarely be able to do hollidays unless you want to disappoint/abbandon your patients.

thats why i would chose to be A. unluckily i already wasted most of my best time so it will never be that way. more like C: isolates until 28 and does a shitty job when 30

See, the ladies get it, women must be more mature.

haha that comes from you of all xD

Would you call yourself mature?


+


That is a very immature way of thinking.

i thought this is a philosophical question so why do you consider my opinion and reason as immature/wrong? i think you are not even able to reason your own questions - THAT is immature

They are not wrong. They are just the opinions of a younger man.

Part of being philosophical involves analyzing the unspoken assumptions at work in philsophical questions. In this particular philosophical question, the unspoken assumption is that where and how one works is of supreme importance in determing the happiness or successfulness of a life. This assumption is merely one of broader body of assumptions which together constitute a whole insidious ideology of happiness that pervades people's everyday thinking.

Let's look at A, for example, from a vantage point that does not reduce people to mere workers. Perhaps A is from an upper-middle class family in the suburbs who has lived a sheltered and privileged existence as she's pursued her degree in Philosophy and Fine Art. Finding herself at 30 working as a cashier at a convenience store might actually be a positive experience from an existential point of view: instead of succeeding in life and spending her time amid the winners, failing at life and finding oneself going under amid the losers might actually be a good thing for her. It might give her a better appreciation of how the other half lives and give her a broader perspective on life than that typical of most sheltered bourgeois philosophers or fine art critics.