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Abandoning the Work I Hated

opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com

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Re: Abandoning the Work I Hated

#41

Post by geebee »

616c wrote: post #25

I have a kid. And that is the only reason I do not abandon my pointless work. Anyone like this do it, and survive? I would love to see more motivational stories. Those who transitioned to professional clown work appreciated!

This is a huge issue. One you have kids, it becomes far more difficult to walk away from your income, even for a transitional period. Another complicating factor is health care.

I'm always interested in these stories, kids or none, but I think it changes the equation dramatically. Like you, I'd really like to read more stories about people who did this with the additional obligation of supporting children.

Re: Abandoning the Work I Hated

#42

Post by eevilspock »

geebee wrote: post #41
616c wrote: post #25

I have a kid. And that is the only reason I do not abandon my pointless work. Anyone like this do it, and survive? I would love to see more motivational stories. Those who transitioned to professional clown work appreciated!

This is a huge issue. One you have kids, it becomes far more difficult to walk away from your income, even for a transitional period. Another complicating factor is health care. I'm always interested in these stories, kids or none, but I think it changes the equation dramatically. Like you, I'd really like to read more stories about people who did this with the additional obligation of supporting children.

Perhaps having a kid should motivate you more. Can I myself in the mirror in the morning? But also, can I look my kid in the eye and tell her to do the right thing, while not doing so myself? And what are you teaching your child by financing better education or better healthcare for her through a job that may be increasing inequality for other children, thereby reducing the quality of life, education and healthcare for them?

I'm not saying those are the choices you are making. But on the other hand, a lot of people are but cognitive dossonance prevents them from seeing that.

Lookup "The Banality of Systemic Evil" and "Matthew Effect" for more thoughts.

Re: Abandoning the Work I Hated

#44

Post by aries1980 »

eevilspock wrote: post #42
geebee wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a huge issue. One you have kids, it becomes far more difficult to walk away from your income, even for a transitional period. Another complicating factor is health care. I'm always interested in these stories, kids or none, but I think it changes the equation dramatically. Like you, I'd really like to read more stories about people who did this with the additional obligation of supporting children.

Perhaps having a kid should motivate you more. Can I myself in the mirror in the morning? But also, can I look my kid in the eye and tell her to do the right thing, while not doing so myself? And what are you teaching your child by financing better education or better healthcare for her through a job that may be increasing inequality for other children, thereby reducing the quality of life, education and healthcare f…

Achieving yourself and seeking fun in work comes after you put food on the table and provide safe home to your dependant. The question for many is not whether providing better teaching, better healthcare, but to provide teaching or healthcare at all if you loose or give up your job.

Re: Abandoning the Work I Hated

#45

Post by angdis »

dghf wrote: post #26
angdis wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is perfectly fine to judge. Having been a juror in criminal cases involving repeat offenders and lived in cities with crime problems, I can tell you that actual criminals being found "not guilty" or guilty and given probation (nothing) is MORE common than justice being served. The system is comically far from perfect.

Can you tell us how you know that some people found not guilty really were guilty? Was it a case of the jury thinking that the accused was more likely guilty than not, but there was still reasonable doubt? Or did the accused admit to an act which many laypeople would consider a crime, but then got acquitted on a technicality? Or were you privy to information and insight denied to your fellow jurors?

Obviously, I used emotional hyperbolic language and I admit it. There's no way I (or any observer after the fact) can definitively tell if any one person is guilty or not, let alone make a factual statement about many people.

HOWEVER, having lived in cities and neighborhoods with crime problems (eg Baltimore,Philly), I am aghast at how dysfunctional the criminal justice system is. If you look at public court case records of offenders, you'll see a peculiar pattern. Robbery, Burglary and violent crime offenders are RARELY limited to ONE case. Usually, there are several or even more offenses. The outcome of these cases is almost never a clear-cut "guilty" followed by prison time. Instead they're a convoluted series of pleas, followed by a drastically reduced sentence or PBJ (probation before judgement). A PBJ is effectively nothing to a repeat offender, because many continue to be charged with crimes WHILE ON PROBATION, and there are virtually NO additional consequences for those violations of probation.

The kinds of problems I am talking about are described in detail by Paige Croyder (http://pagecroyder.blogspot.com/). If you're interested how criminal justice "works" in Baltimore, she's the best resource.

The angst felt by the laywer who quit to become a clown, is not a surprise. Anyone who has a conscious will have a difficult time with being a lawyer in a criminal case (this goes for both sides).

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