IgnoredOne
Well-known member
Is your job just a place for you to make money, or does it have greater significance for you?
For me, I was deeply and permanently inspired by an essay a few years ago written on how to impress oneself into the most prestigious universities. I'll briefly go over the contents of the essay, although it has little to do with what my personal inspiration from it was: It talked about two guys, both who were applying for Harvard: Bob and Steve.
Bob is a straight A student, a great football player, and logs some other activities, all rather exemplary.
Steve, on the other hand, has missed a few As, but has a letter of reference from the head of Geneva Branch of the United Nations and has been involved extensively in local politics.
In choosing for the 'exceptional' student, Steve becomes the obvious candidate. Bob, despite being an excellent pick, comes off as just an overachieving hometown boy - an good student and a good athlete, but not quite "Harvard material". It goes briefly into why of the human psychology: the reviewer vicariously imagines himself in the role of the applicant. Its not hard to for the reviewer to imagine himself as Bob - oh, if he only had studied harder or practiced a bit more on the field, he would be able to do everything Bob did.
On the other hand, the reviewer can't begin to imagine how he could have been Steve. And since he cannot vicariously imagine himself as the applicant, he can only conclude that the boy must be truly extraordinary.
But how would you, as a potential, become extraordinary? If the reviewer couldn't imagine how to go on an unbeaten path, how could the student? Therein lies the essential magic: you must achieve something that even you cannot imagine how you could start on. The simple solution, then, is to merely begin the process and be daring.
Steve, who was an actual student, actually just began to be involved more with a local chapter involved with international aid. Through dedicated and focused social networking, he ended up actually interning with the United Nations - something that he could never have begun to expect at the beginning. When other kids were working McDonalds or waitressing, he was looking for a job that ended up developing his future forever.
The essential takeaway of the article is that /everything/ you do, should hopefully contribute to your personal growth on some level - because after all, it does always teach us something. This is something that I've often considered and have fully integrated into my life; a job isn't just a way to make money, but it should always be a way to learn genuine skills as well.
Learning how to flip hamburgers isn't going to help develop one's skillsets much; learning to be a bank teller, on the other hand, starts to give one an understanding of the mechanics of money. The pay between the jobs may not be much different, but the value of one is substantially higher than the other.
For me, a job is an opportunity to learn. Classes are important, but ultimately, I see them as theory. Work is implementation and operation; true knowledge comes from comprehending not only the theory behind any concept, but also its actual design, implementation, operation, improvement and maintenance. And I am nothing if not an addict for knowledge.
For me, I was deeply and permanently inspired by an essay a few years ago written on how to impress oneself into the most prestigious universities. I'll briefly go over the contents of the essay, although it has little to do with what my personal inspiration from it was: It talked about two guys, both who were applying for Harvard: Bob and Steve.
Bob is a straight A student, a great football player, and logs some other activities, all rather exemplary.
Steve, on the other hand, has missed a few As, but has a letter of reference from the head of Geneva Branch of the United Nations and has been involved extensively in local politics.
In choosing for the 'exceptional' student, Steve becomes the obvious candidate. Bob, despite being an excellent pick, comes off as just an overachieving hometown boy - an good student and a good athlete, but not quite "Harvard material". It goes briefly into why of the human psychology: the reviewer vicariously imagines himself in the role of the applicant. Its not hard to for the reviewer to imagine himself as Bob - oh, if he only had studied harder or practiced a bit more on the field, he would be able to do everything Bob did.
On the other hand, the reviewer can't begin to imagine how he could have been Steve. And since he cannot vicariously imagine himself as the applicant, he can only conclude that the boy must be truly extraordinary.
But how would you, as a potential, become extraordinary? If the reviewer couldn't imagine how to go on an unbeaten path, how could the student? Therein lies the essential magic: you must achieve something that even you cannot imagine how you could start on. The simple solution, then, is to merely begin the process and be daring.
Steve, who was an actual student, actually just began to be involved more with a local chapter involved with international aid. Through dedicated and focused social networking, he ended up actually interning with the United Nations - something that he could never have begun to expect at the beginning. When other kids were working McDonalds or waitressing, he was looking for a job that ended up developing his future forever.
The essential takeaway of the article is that /everything/ you do, should hopefully contribute to your personal growth on some level - because after all, it does always teach us something. This is something that I've often considered and have fully integrated into my life; a job isn't just a way to make money, but it should always be a way to learn genuine skills as well.
Learning how to flip hamburgers isn't going to help develop one's skillsets much; learning to be a bank teller, on the other hand, starts to give one an understanding of the mechanics of money. The pay between the jobs may not be much different, but the value of one is substantially higher than the other.
For me, a job is an opportunity to learn. Classes are important, but ultimately, I see them as theory. Work is implementation and operation; true knowledge comes from comprehending not only the theory behind any concept, but also its actual design, implementation, operation, improvement and maintenance. And I am nothing if not an addict for knowledge.
Or, it will be. A job is having a grand project going on in your life. I don't know what the hell I'd do if that project didn't tittilate me. I can't just roam around all my life.
