Success Happy

Why are people with "successful" careers respected?

(I asked this elsewhere but this is what Yahoo suggests, may as well try it). When I was in high school, I studied hard because I want to get into university, have a good career, and transcend those goofball students in class. Now I realize I couldn't have been more wrong. I got a piece of paper, I mean Bachelor's degree, in computer science, despite having no passion in the field, and I feel totally unmotivated to even look for a job. I don't even see, fundamentally, why is it a good thing to have a career. Why are people with high-paying, successful careers better than others? OK they make a lot of money so they can exert power. But I don't feel being rich will make me any happier. You could say they're pursing their passion. But just how do people get their passion? It's a mystery I could never figure out. Maybe they had role models I never had, or life experiences I've never experienced. But just because I've never found my "calling", does that make me inferior? You could say they're doing something more meaningful, but is spending most of your life kissing up to your boss and making him more money, with coworkers that will only be acquaintances because you could be fired any second, meaningful? You could say it's hard work. But I've studied hard in university and got better than average marks because in theory I'm learning something that has intrinsic value (in practice often not). I don't see the intrinsic value of getting a job. The only value of having a career that I see is that people respect them. I can try getting one, but I feel I'll likely fail because I lack passion, and don't know how to get it. I feel so hopeless that I'm seriously thinking about leaving society as I know it, and becoming a redneck or something for the rest of my life. TheFlowerLady: I appreciate your critical but honest remarks. But I did pay for university myself, not my parents.

Public Comments

1. To make a career, you need to be hard-working, motivated, responsible, accurate, patient, polite. You must agree that all of these things are viewed as positive and respected. Moreover, as you age, you will want to settle down, i.e. have no money worries, but a nice large place to live, reliable car, then wife and kids. Rednecks spend half the time bickering over whether to buy beer for him, or new dress for her. Do not underestimate the "wife" business. At your age, girls still care about parties, and look for men who are cute or cool. By late 30's they start looking for "marriage material", which means both a career and the qualities that are required for it. You are probably both exhausted from classes, and stressed over lack of jobs. Take a deep breath, lower your expectations and start looking for a job.
2. Do you really want to throw away your god given gifts when you could do something to at least try to ameliorate the problems which beset mankind,simply because you happened to make a wrong career choice. Being creative for a person like you is the way to go.So go.
3. You need to have a motivation to impress I guess. My motivation is just like you say, to have power and to show it on people which is bad but it's the way I am. I don't want to fall behind and looked down on and that pushes me to have a great career and all that.
4. There is more to having a career then earning respect. It's also about having financial security. I think that's the biggest thing. Knowing where your next paycheck is coming from and how you will put food on the table. Most people don't do it for respect I don't think. It's to pay the bills and to have a decent roof over your head. You don't have to kiss your bosses ass just do a good job and there is pride in that. But if you are not willing to do that and want to reject society and the norms then you won't have a decent home or be able to put food on the table.
5. IMHO and experience, there are two types of people: The thinkers and the doers. Successful people are respected because they will put out the necesary (physical, emotional, mental) effort to achieve it--success--as opposed to those who 'think' about 'it' SHOULD theoretically be done. You have a degree which essentially IS just a piece of paper and does not guarantee success just because you possess it. There is no greater teacher than experience. All the book learning on the earth cannot make you EXPERIENCE something in reality. Not to degrade your degree which in a way indicates that you had enough gumption to stick it out to get it, BUT there are literally hundreds of thousands of people who have a bachelor's and who think that because of that piece of paper they are ENTITLED to bypass "paying their dues" and SHOULD be catapulted to the top. The KEY here is Humility and the ability to learn on your feet on the job NOT attitude and arrogance. In YOUR case, you say you lack passion--the entire point of going to college is THEORETICALLY to find your passion--what you love to do and how to be able to do it in real life. Perhaps you studied the wrong major. You have a degree, that's half the battle these days. The other half IS finding what you love or at the very least what gratifies you as a person. Do you like medicine and helping people? Surely you could find a job (entry level of course, we wouldn't want you killing someone because you didn't pay your dues!) in some facet of that. If you love nature/environment surely you can find a job in that; if you love animals you can find a job at that--PETA comes to mind. I don't mean to insult you but you are coming off as the typical whiny, my parents paid for my college, boo hoo, what do I do with my life now kind of loser. You sound lazy to me. There are a billion jobs out there that are full of passion but you must have the drive to find and succeed in them. You have the damned degree. Grow up and stop crying the blues. I worked my way up in entertainment without a degree because I loved music so much that just to work around it made me happy AND because I WAS WILLING to start at the very very bottom. You're whining and making excuses for yourself which sounds like Bachelor In Arts of in self pity.
6. Not everyone has a passion in life, what are you best at and what do you enjoy, quit worrying about everyone else and how they fit/or you fit in society, have confidence in yourself because you are doing something you are good at and you will be fine. Most people with passions dont really even pursue those goals because they think its out of reach in many cases. If you are good with computer science and nothing else comes to mind... go for it ... life isnt over yet...when your passion comes along. then you can change and go for it. enjoy the things that make you happy in life, work for the money.. for now.