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Quitting your job to pursue your passion is a privilege

janellequibuyen.com

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Re: Quitting your job to pursue your passion is a privilege

#81

Post by googletazer »

fao_ wrote: post #36
aub3bhat wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My favorite new ridiculous word is "silent technical privilege"[1] , according to which we now must apologize for having interests in technical subjects since childhood, rather than socializing and getting drunk like rest of the "unfortunate" kids. [1] http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2014/01/...

It isn't, and never has been, about apologising. It is about recognising that you had a step-up based on being part of a particular demographic, and then either acknowledging that other people won't necessarily have had those step-ups, helping to level the playing field by giving extra help to those who don't have that step-up, or both. So, basically equalising things a wee bit.

I tried to recognize and acknowledge that I have a step up having earned an engineering degree and even gave some pointers on how to complete one with all the time constraings involved (sleeping on benches in university overnight in order to save time was one). Do you think anyone was interested?

Re: Quitting your job to pursue your passion is a privilege

#82

Post by sparkie »

batrat wrote: post #32

In order to win the lottery you have to buy a ticket. Not everybody wins, but that man can make a difference (or not ) in this world. We all have a shot at the BIG prize.

The author acknowledges this and isn't arguing about whether the lottery exists, but what the stakes are. For the working class, they stake their livelihood. It means that failing to win the lottery might mean starting a career from scratch, that is, if they enough to still have roof and food.

Re: Quitting your job to pursue your passion is a privilege

#83

Post by rmtew »

FreedomToCreate wrote: post #25
ravenstine wrote: post #13

Life is full of trade-offs, and sometimes the choices you make don't work out. The author sounds pissed off because they took a risk that didn't work out, so he's telling everyone that it's objectively "bullshit" to make himself feel better about his lack of success like it's someone else's fault. The fact is that both the haves and the have-nots take these kind of risks all the time, and few succeed. But some do and…

I don't think you understood the point of the OP's article. This article is calling out the motivation and entrepreneurship gurus who push the idea of entrepreneurship like its some kind of way to unbind yourself and become truly free to people who don't fully understand what it means.

The article was about some woman who was unhappy and quit her job, and had some resources to fall back on.

I am sure lots of points can be projected onto it, but the long and the short is she didn't do a very good job at saying anything very clearly.

Re: Quitting your job to pursue your passion is a privilege

#84

Post by stoichiometry »

dang wrote: post #44

We've attempted to reword the baity title to express the spirit of the article. If someone suggests a better (i.e. more accurate and neutral) title, we can change it again.

How about:

  Quitting your job to pursue your 
  passion is horse apples

Re: Quitting your job to pursue your passion is a privilege

#85

Post by zxcvvcxz »

I don't understand the extremist views of blog posts like this. Do you really need to think in such simplistic "truisms" and catch phrases?

> Quitting your job to pursue your passion is bullshit.

Not at all true. I know plenty of working class people who have saved money at their day jobs, researched a small business opportunity, and chosen to pursue it. A decent portion of them are succeeding beyond their wildest expectations. All are glad to have had the experience and put their money where their mouth (dream) is. You only live once after all. Not starting a business you wanted to is not a stone you want to leave unturned, for a lot of people.

But there's some key points here. They saved money. They planned. They came up with contingencies.

> This messaging is only beneficial for privileged people and very dangerous for working class people.

Right, throw away that ambition and continue to be my employee until the end of time. This is the kind of thing I would write as a modern day "Lord of the Manor".

Once again, be intelligent. Have an idea of your worth. Use the internet to do research, learn about small businesses, and financial planning.

Of course there's a big difference between a working class person and the kid who grew up in the valley with parents working at GoogleSoftBook who gets shuttled into Stanford and isn't in a rush to pay loans or move out after graduation, preferring instead to make mobile apps with his frat. That doesn't seem to be what's being discussed though. It's just some vague attack at those who go out on their own. I'm surprised this sort of post is getting upvoted on HN. Are we a forum of spectators envious at those who chose to try that which we did not?

As a final thought, people complaining about other people's privilege would be doing themselves a much bigger favor if they got off their ass and worked to maximize their own potential. Don't try to bring me down, work on bringing yourself up. I'd be happy to help.

Re: Quitting your job to pursue your passion is a privilege

#86

Post by fucking_tragedy »

blackrose wrote: post #40

Was looking for something insightful, but I guess I haven't heard (and bought into) the same stories as the author. I quit my job half a year ago to do the "entrepreneurial lifestyle", but I'm not going around telling everyone to quit their job and be as ostensibly great and care-free as I am. Of course I'm thankful for my situation, and realize I'm luckier than many Americans, and lucky to live in a prosperous count…

As someone who did the same, most people do not have the privilege of having an income where they can just quit working and live off of savings before retirement. If they have a college education or home, they most likely have loans that need to be paid and that ties them to a job.

> Am I not supposed to do that at all?

No one is suggesting that. We're just particularly lucky to be in this position in the first place is all.

The privilege argument seems to come out when people like us lose that perspective and expect others to do the same or are shocked when others won't. I don't see this applying to you at all because

> I'm not going around telling everyone to quit their job and be as ostensibly great and care-free as I am.

Re: Quitting your job to pursue your passion is a privilege

#87

Post by sharkjacobs »

ravenstine wrote: post #13

Life is full of trade-offs, and sometimes the choices you make don't work out. The author sounds pissed off because they took a risk that didn't work out, so he's telling everyone that it's objectively "bullshit" to make himself feel better about his lack of success like it's someone else's fault. The fact is that both the haves and the have-nots take these kind of risks all the time, and few succeed. But some do and…

> The author sounds pissed off because they took a risk that didn't work out

You didn't read the article, did you. He didn't take a risk, and it worked out just fine for him.

Re: Quitting your job to pursue your passion is a privilege

#88

Post by internaut »

spinPhysician wrote: post #12

Ten years ago, the rhetorical buzzwords of that period had gotten really, really tedious. Words like: - Patriot - Freedom - Terrorism - Never Forget - If we don't do X, they win Ten years later, and I'm glad those words are a joke by now. But only to face new words: - Privilege - Trigger - Victim Blaming - Social Justice - Perpetuating false narratives Buzzwords only have currency with people who want others to stop…

Amen. It just kills me. All politic factions are guilty of it.

Re: Quitting your job to pursue your passion is a privilege

#89

Post by [deleted] »

gxs wrote: post #30
paulcole wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"You can live at home with your parents and try out ideas" You say this like it's a privilege that everyone has. Not everyone has this option.

Omfg give it a rest already. Yes, some people are more privileged than others. But if you're going to hang out on an internet forum full of professional programmers only to lament how privileged everyone is youre going to have a bad time. In the context of this forum and this discussion, nothing about what the parent said screams privilege. Living with your parents after college is privilege now? Where the hell does…

[deleted]

Re: Quitting your job to pursue your passion is a privilege

#90

Post by jm_l »

rmtew wrote: post #83
FreedomToCreate wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think you understood the point of the OP's article. This article is calling out the motivation and entrepreneurship gurus who push the idea of entrepreneurship like its some kind of way to unbind yourself and become truly free to people who don't fully understand what it means.

The article was about some woman who was unhappy and quit her job, and had some resources to fall back on. I am sure lots of points can be projected onto it, but the long and the short is she didn't do a very good job at saying anything very clearly.

Her clearest point to me was when she wrote:

"I don’t want anyone who works a 9-to-5 to feel like a fool for staying at a stable job, or feel wrong if they actually enjoy it."

The whole romanticized narrative of quitting your job to pursue your passion is certainly something I've encountered, and I appreciate her point of view on that narrative.

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