Lol
Am sitting here reading this as I take a break from studying my philosophy major.
I tried not to post because I feel these kinds of arguments are kind of futile on the basis that they are so subjective... But I couldn't let it go. I have been there and done the white collar senior management thing and hated every minute of it. I feel extraordinarily lucky to have a chance to be studying something I am passionate about and I do plan to couple it with a more vocational and marketable Masters. But I guess I feel there is great value in liberal arts disciplines (and in the arts in general). I am curious Austin, about what you think could be dispensed with as not useful? I personally can live without fine arts and theatre, though I know many who couldn't. I couldn't live without music, quality film and television, books. Perhaps we could do without someone like my dad, who is a historian, in part taking oral histories of indigenous and ageing communities? Are their stories not worth recording for posterity? Would the world really be a better place if we were all ignorant of the mistakes already made? Of the things that had brought great benefit? An atheist, I would argue that the world would in many ways be better without theologians, but many would obviously disagree. Teachers, social workers, aid workers, legal aid? Poorly paid, but what would we do without them?
I can appreciate that it must be very rewarding to be successful in a role that you value and feel is important and useful. And my husband, extraordinarily smart, happily turns up to work motivated almost solely by money. But for me it was extraordinarily depressing to be successful in something I cared not a jot for. No doubt food needs to be put on the table, but for many gifted kids, I think multipotentiality and an awareness of the world make choosing a study path much more complicated than just choosing what is going to pay most.
