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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

#101

Post by thesimpsons1022 »

TeMPOraL wrote: post #74
thesimpsons1022 wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

geeze you're touchy. rush limbaugh got you too worked up today? All he is saying is that not everyone can go home and live with their parents when they fail. Not sure where guilt plays into this other than in your own mind/narrative.

But why point it out? It's one of the least "privilegy" privilege I could imagine. Living with parents is the default , something "privileged" people try to escape. It's more economically sensible, so in this way poor people are more "privileged" by being more likely to live with their parents. Yes, you could point out various groups like people who've lost their parents, or people with abusive parents, etc. but at t…

Think about it this way, many people graduate college with 50k+ in debt, they can't just graduate and live with their parents to "try out ideas". They need to get jobs and pay off loans. They may have kids or wives to support and they can't just take time off for their career growth. Furthermore, a lot of their parents can't afford to house them. Only a select few white suburban kids can safely go live with daddy and have food and everything provided for them while they code up their node.js app for a year. And if that doesn't work out their daddy can get them a job through his connections.

Now obviously living with parents while holding a full time job is sensible.

edit: Another way is to think about this. Who can take the risk to take a few years off to pursue something? The rich white person with connections, no debt, and food/shelter provided for them? Or the poor person with massive debt, poor parents, and a small shared apartment?

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

#102

Post by blackrose »

fucking_tragedy wrote: post #86
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…

I definitely know most people don't make enough to do that, but people like you or me work and plan for doing something like that. Even the author did -- but she's not really proposing any solutions for the un-"privileged" or even proving her "... is bullshit" thesis well. I guess that's the issue.

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

#103

Post by soham »

zxcvvcxz wrote: post #96
soham wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Amen. I'm one of those. I understand the intent of this article. It's however unfortunate that the author has not come across enough success stories. Here is mine, which is arguably very small, but came out of exactly the same situation of an employee branching out: * I saved, I was clear about not only what I like to do, but also what I'm good at. * I couldn't get to it in my 20s, but I did get to it in my 30s. * Ye…

Congratulations on your success thus far, I think you've started a great business that serves a real need. Hope it's people like you writing more blog posts in the future. Off-topic: a while back I toyed with the idea of making an interview coding practice smartphone app, so people could practice anywhere or on the go. You guys look into any mobile products? Feel free to run wild with the idea if you like it =)

Thanks! :-)

There already are a few mobile apps for this e.g. coderust, Job Bytes etc. In fact, there are many excellent resources out there viz. books and websites. Existence and availability of material is not a problem and will never be in this connected world.

Problem is, that people don't get a chance to go thru that material properly. It needs a lot of dedication and a strong support system, which many people don't have. And hence, they squander a chance to work for best companies of their times, or even reach their true potential. That is what the course provides.

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

#104

Post by soham »

soham wrote: post #94
zxcvvcxz wrote: post #85

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 ex…

Amen. I'm one of those. I understand the intent of this article. It's however unfortunate that the author has not come across enough success stories. Here is mine, which is arguably very small, but came out of exactly the same situation of an employee branching out: * I saved, I was clear about not only what I like to do, but also what I'm good at. * I couldn't get to it in my 20s, but I did get to it in my 30s. * Ye…

Folks, I have no idea why this post was downvoted. I have some karma to lose, but it'd be very helpful if the downvoters showed the courtesy to explain their action. I'd love to improve the post.

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

#105

Post by TeMPOraL »

thesimpsons1022 wrote: post #101
TeMPOraL wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But why point it out? It's one of the least "privilegy" privilege I could imagine. Living with parents is the default , something "privileged" people try to escape. It's more economically sensible, so in this way poor people are more "privileged" by being more likely to live with their parents. Yes, you could point out various groups like people who've lost their parents, or people with abusive parents, etc. but at t…

Think about it this way, many people graduate college with 50k+ in debt, they can't just graduate and live with their parents to "try out ideas". They need to get jobs and pay off loans. They may have kids or wives to support and they can't just take time off for their career growth. Furthermore, a lot of their parents can't afford to house them. Only a select few white suburban kids can safely go live with daddy and…

That's a fair point, though it is pretty US-specific. In the rest of the world, people don't end college with massive debt. IT industry seems to be a big equalizer there - you don't need massive capital to start something, and with the current job situation, the little effort it takes to learn to code (compared to alternatives) can let you jump up the social ladder pretty quickly.

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

#106

Post by godembodied »

fao_ wrote: post #100
godembodied wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From my system of morality... Why do you follow that system of morality and not another one? For example, people adopt and use Gauss's law, because they think it's objectively true. Is that the case with your moral system? Is that moral system objectively true or is it a matter of your opinion? ...idea that we all have a right to life, dignity, and knowledge. The question is whether this is actually true or not. Theo…

Is that moral system objectively true or is it a matter of your opinion? ... Theory of evolution is an idea ... Given relative morality (That everyone's moral views of the world differ in ways subtle to extreme), I don't think that morality is objectively debatable, since your view of the world is coloured by your system of morality. We can debate whether the theory of evolution is true because we have something othe…

Great and a very thoughtful answer. You gave a good explanation about morality and its relevance. Plus at the end you've admitted that this and probably many other of your attitudes & preferences are heavily influenced not by critical examination of all alternatives, but by what you've been most exposed to - kinda like religious affiliation.

Thank you for the answer.

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

#108

Post by dwaltrip »

exolymph wrote: post #49
dwaltrip wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No he is saying it is disingenuous & dangerous to pretend everyone can just as easily quit everything and become your own boss, with the same risks. For someone who is "less privileged" (or however you are supposed to describe it), the consequences can be more severe if failure happens. While the rich, ivy league grad whose endeavor flops can go home to pops and rebuild his resume, hit up his network, and get a great…

*she

I apologize.

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

#109

Post by Throwaway585250 »

It would be a real shame if the next Larry Page or Bill Gates decided to live in a barrel instead of founding a company because of this sentiment. A happy home and middle-class parents aren't a bad thing. In fact, they're so good that everyone should have them. You should apply your advantages strategically in order to affect change[0] in the world, and while doing so may not be courageous, squandering the effort spent on raising you is a waste of time and resources that helps nobody.

I live with a gardener who makes just above minimum wage[1] who is planning to start his own business. For him not to do so would be a gigantic waste of his skills, as he's far and away the most competent employee of his current boss. He's courageous because he's going to take a carefully managed risk in order to fully use his skills, even though his life is reasonably comfortable as is, and by doing so will fractionally lower the cost of living for all the residents of the apartment blocks he plans to service[2].

When people say "pursue your passion", what they really mean is "you are too good for your current job, and staying there is a waste of your good fortune". It's a goad to prod the elite into working and climbing long after they've passed the point where they can live for the rest of their lives on savings and investments, and to push the comfy middle class to go through the extremely uncomfortable process of starting a business.

Having the audacity and wealth to single-handedly eradicate polio is also a privilege, but Gates is currently trying to do it, because society taught him that he'd be a good person if he did good things. Turning around and denouncing entrepreneurs as privileged will make for fewer entrepreneurs, even if it's true, in the same way as calling Gates a privileged do-gooder sufficiently loudly might stop his charitable work in Africa.

[0] hopefully positive change, and hopefully change that uplifts others

[1] minimum wage here is quite a bit higher than in the US

[2] by raising supply; I'm not an economist, correct me if I'm wrong here

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

#110

Post by keerthiko »

Throwaway585250 wrote: post #109

It would be a real shame if the next Larry Page or Bill Gates decided to live in a barrel instead of founding a company because of this sentiment. A happy home and middle-class parents aren't a bad thing. In fact, they're so good that everyone should have them. You should apply your advantages strategically in order to affect change[0] in the world, and while doing so may not be courageous, squandering the effort spe…

Despite the headline, I don't think the article is deriding quitting your job for your passion. It is primarily about pointing out that it is from a place of privilege usually that one takes the "leaps of faith" that are culturally revered and respected, and is trying to recognize that.

I (and I would imagine the author) am all for people quitting their jobs for passion, and being able to do so thanks to their privilege. But I do think it's very important for them to recognize those privileges, not wax too poetic about the bravery and challenges involved (be strong and hustle non-stop) as if people in other jobs don't have to do that, and not tout the act as something anyone and everyone can/should do to lead a "fulfilling life."

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