the biggest disappointment is the absolute contempt with which the society treats high end knowledge work. Math, theoretical physics, theoretical computer science, these are the highest form of art and sophistication created with human brain, but people who love these subjects have to forgive financial independence, endure poverty, have less than 1% job prospect in academia, social snubbing & ridicule, for what, inner joy? Screw that.
These days, my main advice is the same as what Scott Galloway gives to avoid long term disappointment. Follow the bucks, once you have enough of it, you can then think of satisfying your inner curiosity.
> Some students talk about turning to a different career later on, after they’ve made enough money. “Nowadays, English concentrators often say they’re going into finance or management consulting for a couple of years before writing their novel,” said James Wood, a Harvard professor of the practice of literary criticism.
> Mr. Desai said all of this logic goes, “‘Make the bag so you can do good in the world, make the bag so you can go into retirement, make the bag so you can then go do what you really want to do.’”
> But this “really underestimates how important work is to people’s lives,” he said. “What it gets wrong is, you spend 15 years at the hedge fund, you’re going to be a different person. You don’t just go work and make a lot of money, you go work and you become a different person.”
These days, my main advice is the same as what Scott Galloway gives to avoid long term disappointment. Follow the bucks, once you have enough of it, you can then think of satisfying your inner curiosity.