simulated opportunity (golden handcuffs)
on elite education, prestigious jobs and privilege
I just made a visit up to Manhattan this past weekend, and quickly find myself ushered back into the contradictory world of long work hours coupled with late nights out consisting of $50 dinners, multiple cab rides, and bar hopping.
I was saddened to find so many people who disliked their high-paying, prestigious banking and consulting jobs, but could not find the momentum to leave. Why do so many intelligent and talented people feel trapped in their jobs? (It’s so easy to end up in these jobs—the process is on campus and they give you an offer fall of senior year. It takes courage to turn down a secured job offer in exchange for the unknown).*
Is it because you have already built your life around a lifestyle that requires your current salary? Is it because all your friends make a similar salary and in order to continue living the way that you do, you can’t really take a job that pays less? (Would you be able to attend all those $100 birthday dinners? Would you be able to continue paying $1500 in rent for your apartment?)
Or is it more a matter of security and prestige? A sense that this New York finance job is a good opportunity and it would be a waste to throw it away?
For those of us who hail from immigrant families, this question becomes very real, because our parents worked so hard in order to give us good opportunities in this country. And for those of us who attended costly Ivy League or private universities, our parents have provided even further for us financially. I’ve been perceived as spoiled, because I tossed out a good opportunity in the corporate world in order to take a lower paying position at a nonprofit organization. Apparently, I couldn’t tough out the long hours and tough environment of the corporate job, so I did the irresponsible thing and quit.**
Have I thrown away my privilege? Am I not spoiled and have I not appreciated the sacrifices my family has made on my behalf? I remember the frustration of being drilled by my aunt: “So why did you quit your higher paying job to take a lower paying job? Why couldn’t you have found a job in Philadelphia that paid as much as your previous one?”
I probably still have a long ways to go to truly understand, appreciate and be grateful for the sacrifices my parents have made for me, but I do not believe that I have tossed out my privilege. In fact, it is my privilege that has given the freedom to change jobs and pursue something that I love.
In the very thought-provoking article, The Disadvantages of an Elite Education, Deresiewicz writes***:
If one of the disadvantages of an elite education is the temptation it offers to mediocrity, another is the temptation it offers to security. When parents explain why they work so hard to give their children the best possible education, they invariably say it is because of the opportunities it opens up. But what of the opportunities it shuts down? An elite education gives you the chance to be rich—which is, after all, what we’re talking about—but it takes away the chance not to be. Yet the opportunity not to be rich is one of the greatest opportunities with which young Americans have been blessed. We live in a society that is itself so wealthy that it can afford to provide a decent living to whole classes of people who in other countries exist (or in earlier times existed) on the brink of poverty or, at least, of indignity. You can live comfortably in the United States as a schoolteacher, or a community organizer, or a civil rights lawyer, or an artist—that is, by any reasonable definition of comfort. You have to live in an ordinary house instead of an apartment in Manhattan or a mansion in L.A.; you have to drive a Honda instead of a BMW or a Hummer; you have to vacation in Florida instead of Barbados or Paris, but what are such losses when set against the opportunity to do work you believe in, work you’re suited for, work you love, every day of your life?
Yet it is precisely that opportunity that an elite education takes away. How can I be a schoolteacher—wouldn’t that be a waste of my expensive education? Wouldn’t I be squandering the opportunities my parents worked so hard to provide? What will my friends think? How will I face my classmates at our 20th reunion, when they’re all rich lawyers or important people in New York? And the question that lies behind all these: Isn’t it beneath me? So a whole universe of possibility closes, and you miss your true calling.
My parents sacrifices have afforded me a better life—one in which I have plenty and one in which I have the freedom to choose a satisfying job that will not leave me in poverty. They have brought me to a country where I don’t have to fight tooth and nail to survive. They have given me an education that puts so many resources and options at my disposal. It would have been a waste to end up trapped in a job that made me feel dead on the inside, and to end up living a life that I never wanted to live.
* Obviously, this is generalization. Some do love their jobs and stay in the field and maybe they are meant to be there, while others tough out the travel and hours in order to learn what they can and then leave after a few years to follow less traditional paths. And some have chosen to stay in the job for a few years in order to honor their parents, but then go on to do something closer to their heart. I don’t know whether these people are right or wrong, nor should I be the judge of their decisions. (I will say that I do have special respect for the latter group). I am merely speaking in defense of my own decision, and against the mentality of “Since I’ve been given this great privilege and opportunity, I guess God wants me to take it.” There is opportunity in turning down opportunity.
** There is distinction between choosing a more satisfying job vs. just being lazy and continuing to live off your parent’s income. One is responsible and the other is not.
*** In fact, I like this article so much, I think it should be required reading for anyone who has or is considering an Ivy League education.
**** For related writings on this topic, please click on “new york city” in the archive by topics section.
7 comments:
(I have been reading your blog for a while, but never comment. Hi there!)
What a great article that is. I do feel the same way - and am glad that I figured out what I want to do, even if I haven't managed to find a job yet :)
Hi,
Thanks for a great posting. I particularly like the point about being trapped into the "getting rich" thing. Funny how those things work, isn't it? Sort of a Screwtape Letters kind of thing.
In my case, I was a stubborn and idealistic (AKA foolish) person when I was young and I majored in English. I did it because I was captivated by literature and I had no conception that I would miss anything.
Strangely, it seems that I was right. I have restarted my career twice already and am on the verge of possibly a third restart. I found that I've been able to do anything that I wanted to do enough to really put myself into, much to my surprise.
So opportunity is there---though I suspect God had something to do with it as well. And you are right, this is an amazing privilege our society offers---if you are willing to jump the rails of the fast track.
I have thoughts on this article. They're over here. They may not be particularly coherent thoughts (and the formatting might be a bit off, so I hope you don't find it difficult to read), but they're thoughts!
Dianna ~ It's great to hear that you've figured out what you want to do! (I'm actually still figuring that one out for the long-term) best of luck finding a job :)
Fred ~ It's encouraging to hear from your experience, that it is indeed possible to change careers, do something entirely different, and not always follow the fast track.
Anne-Cara ~ I'll post my reply to your entry over at your blog :)
Hmm...haha, I definitely like I was the subject of a report!
Before I jump into my own observations I have a clarification from my own viewpoint - I am somewhat uncomfortable with the view that elevates vocations such as "a schoolteacher, or a community organizer, or a civil rights lawyer, or an artist" over any particular field. Each of these fields, including business, brings something to society, whether preparing the minds of children for adulthood or producing (or enabling the production of) a good for the general public. I don't think that you mean that, though, as you do say it's a generalization and there are other factors involved with choosing a particular career.
That said, although I'm currently working as a management consultant, I am created with neither the innate ability nor the affinity for financial services. So why am I in this field? - primarily to gain a breadth of experience that I can bring to a career that's closer to my heart.
However, some of the reasons you brought up are ones that do influence me. I don't think the financial angle is much of big one for me - I could honestly be totally happy making 2/3 of what I do, as I have realized I can be content with cheap, quality Asian food, taking "vacations" at home, and driving a compact US car. Prestige is a bigger one for me - there is a burden I place on myself to work or study at well-known, quality institutions because I (think I) have the background for it. Parental expectations factor in a bit, too, as they were the ones who risked a lot coming to a place and giving up their own family, friends and community.
However, from a Christian perspective, I believe that much of these factors boil down to 2 related factors - the fear of man and pride. The fear of man can handicap everything you do and becomes an idol. Essentially, the question you ask yourself, whether consciously or not, is, "will _____ approve or look down on me if I do _______?" And slowly, whatever gifts and interests God has given you atrophy from lack of attention, and we gradually become ineffective witnesses and have enfeebled (or nonexistent) ministries. I believe this is exacerbated by a lack of a connection with God. By listening and fearing others, our ability to discern God's voice also dissipates, as we try to anticipate others.
Closely linked with the fear of man is pride. We are not a people who are naturally obedient to God, nor are we instinctively humble. I think we recognize it as something good when we see it, but even as Christians we struggle with it more than we think. We want to see ourselves elevated, to experience success, and to see others love us - all on our own terms. Even if we know that a good, omnipotent, omnipresent, and all-loving God is present, I think it's a lifetime journey to learn how to serve God - to elevate Him, to share in His success (which He graciously allows us!), and to be loved by Him so that we can love others.
All this is to say that, I think that once we start loving God more, our own lives start to pale as we seek to glorify Him. His approval is the only one that lasts for an eternity and is not subject to the whims and fancies of a capricious world.
Now I'll get off of my soapbox pulpit...
Hi Norman,
No worries about the soapbox. It’s good to hear your thoughts. To clarify, I was not referencing you when I posed the question “Why do so many intelligent and talented people feel trapped in their jobs?” (I always felt like you had a much stronger sense of calling to your job at a management consulting firm than others). I was specifically thinking of a conversation I had later with an investment banker who dislikes his job, was somewhat suspect that his job was actually doing damage to the world, rather than making it better, but didn’t think that he could quit. His attitude reminded me of many people who have ended up in New York consulting/finance jobs without a particularly clear idea why they are there or who have just done it because on-campus recruiting was there and it was easy to do. That’s basically what happened to me, though I made up plenty of good rationalizations as to why I should take the job.
Thanks for your clarification about not elevating certain vocations over others. I have to be particular wary of not doing that because of my own personal experience with the business field. While I do believe that good can be done in business (and much can be done by people acting with integrity and kindness in their jobs), I also believe that business working environments and culture can frequently make it a lot more difficult to honour God. (e.g. I am thinking about the managers of Wal-Mart stores who, probably stressed by cost-cutting goals needed to be met, denied their workers overtime pay all the while still pressuring them to still work that overtime. It takes a lot of courage to be able to respond with integrity is such a situation and probably risk losing your job as well). That does not mean that Christians should avoid working in business lest they sin, but that they should go in prepared and have a good support system in place. But I suppose in other fields you may be more susceptible to other sins. And in both places, we are susceptible to what you were outlining – pride and fear of man.
Hi leighcia,
i stumbled upon your blog by accident while trying to start up my own. I thought you had a real neat looking page.
Wld you be able to show me how you are able to set up your right column with archives by topics? I don't think the templates allows anything besides archiving by dates.
I would really appreciate any input that you can spare. Thanking you in advance!
Bobz
Post a Comment