Friday, September 23, 2011
Money Means Everything... Or Does it?
The career fair this last week really got me thinking about how much money truly means and the good ol' fashioned American dream to "make it big". To some money is simply just a tool. For others it is the driving force behind daily and lifelong decisions. The repeated message at the career fair is "Graduate high school, go to college, and find a well paying job." The students of Salmon, Idaho are not the only students to receive this message and pressure. Students nationwide and internationally are fueled to achieve this goal since their birth. The career fair is not alone in it's campaign to give kids this idea of "direction". Students are encouraged to do so by teachers and parents as well. Do you agree that this should be the course of life for each student? Do you feel that following the pattern of high school, college, then job will make you happy? Where does happiness fit into the equation? Which side would you take on the debate between being poor and happy or rich and unhappy?
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Personally I believe that this course of life isn't for every student, but it is the prefered course for many. I think that this course of life is pushed on us because it is believed that if you don't follow this course, you may become less successful and in need of money; then one day realize that you need a better job to provide for yourself. By then it would be harder to get a successful job. I disagree with this belief because, from observation, I have realized that even if you don't follow this pathway, you can be just as successful in life. My aunt did not follow this pathway, she went to high school, then lived her life freely traveling, then at about 35 went to college. She is now very successful in her life. That is why I believe this pathway that is being drilled into our minds is not neccassary.
ReplyDeleteThis pathway is not neccassary for everyone's happiness because we all have different views of happiness. For some being happy is having to be care free of a successful job, and for others working and climbing a career ladder. I do believe that this pathway will make me happy, beacuse this pathway presents competition to succeed in a career of my choice. So for me happiness is right in the equation, since competition makes me happy.
If I were to debate a side, I would side with rich and unhappy. I chose this because being rich won't make you unhappy, it's the stress of continually earning money that creates unhappiness. But once you realize you are unhappy it will be easier to make a change in your life if you have money. If you were poor and happy, you can become unhappy if you are unable to pay the bills and are consistanly being nagged for money to pay off debts, you will not have the tools to easily get to happiness.
In conclusion, in peoples lives, happiness should be the answer to the equition, and money should just be a variable within the equition.
It says in the Bible that “Men are, that they might have joy” (2 Nephi 2:25). I believe that being happy in life and helping others to be happy is important. How you achieve that happiness is a different journey for everyone. Not everyone should go to college, not everyone should travel the world. In today’s society it is believed, by the majority, that it is necessary for an individual to attend college in order to have a good paying job and to be happy. There is an abundance of opportunities in the world and everyone should work on choosing a path that leads them to where they personally want to go instead of relying on a standard path. I’ve know quite a few people who are “poor and happy” my aunt for one. Her kids are amazing people and while it is harder because they have less money, they live an extremely happy life. You do not need to go to college in order to be happy although there are plenty of benefits for taking that route.
ReplyDeleteI loved Hollis’s statement that “happiness should be the answer to the equation, and money should just be a variable within the equation”. That perfectly sums up how I feel about this subject. The most important thing in life is happiness; money should not rule your life, although it is necessary to take it into consideration. It is fairly difficult to survive in the world today without worrying about finances, happily or unhappily.
Just an itsy-bitsy correction, Jami's quote is actually from the Book of Mormon not the Bible. I think the career fair is beneficial. Once. And only once. After that it just makes me want to become a homeless redneck, live off the government and quit high school all together. However, in all fairness I'm the kind of person to cringe away from whatever it is somebody tries to force me into doing or tells me what to do. I think schools should be promoting kids to not live off the government by any means. Except the obvious drug trafficking, kid knapping, black market business of any kind, etc. I think the "American" poor isn't so bad at all. We seem to have this mentality that if we don't have a lot of money we don't have money at all. I'm sure not every American thinks this way though. Somebody concerned about my future after high school once said to me, "We just don't want to see you end up selling perfume at Nordstrom." I found that wildly insulting to everybody who has a job. Like if you don't have a career you didn't do something right. If I had to choose between being rich and unhappy or poor and happy I would take poor and happy every single time. From my personal experience, I think money does baaaaaad things to a person. If a kid wants to have a job or career schools shouldn't try to pressure or sway them to make sure their dream fits the cookie-cutter idea of life.
ReplyDeleteI only have one exception to everything I just said. If somebody aspires to be something that pays the bare minimum and also wishes to have kids they better darn well make sure their kids are provided for and not by the government. Having kids is a privilege, not a right and if one chooses to have kids they need to be taken care of.