Lost One
Is the American Dream Total Bullsh*t?
We don't have to catch Divergent at
the nearest theater to experience the dehumanization of a dystopian society.
News Flash: We're living in one, disguised as "The American Dream".
The pressure of having to fit within society's parameters damages our ability
to explore what makes us feel alive inside. Our wanderlust is then deprogrammed
and replaced by the installation of corporate America.
Since primary school, we've been under scrutiny, being forced to start streamlining our career path towards an end goal. This isn't per se a negative thing for those whose first word is doctor or lawyer. For the rest of us, right brain thinkers, it's typically difficult to pick one option out of endless possibilities. Labels, such as indecisive and unprepared are then placed on us where creative wanderer should be. Positions that require "self starters" automatically rule out individuals who have not declared a set career path, only because they haven't succumbed to what society has continuously enforced, be good at one thing, pick a career path that pertains to it, and only follow that. Does anyone not realize how ridiculous that sounds? The world is so vast, with possibilities beyond our imagination; we should be contributing to its development in all ways possible.
As a recent college graduate of Business Management, I must admit, I only went into the field because I wasn't completely sure what I wanted to be when I grew up. That question itself, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” is absolutely ridiculous. Who we are can't possibly be defined in one statement. Who we are is made up of what makes us happy, the music we listen to, the art that catches our eye, the causes that pull on our heart strings, and the way we respond to tragedy. An aspect as simple as what an employer pays us to do is just a mere puzzle piece to our existence.
A psychological revolution is well overdue. I'm not implying that it's okay to be an indecisive bum forever, but we have to make the decision to submerge ourselves in as many endeavors as humanly possible. We should contribute parts of ourselves to the world that others aren't able to. As J. R. R. Tolkien once wisely stated "Not all who wander are lost". Who said explorer wasn't a real job title anyway?
Since primary school, we've been under scrutiny, being forced to start streamlining our career path towards an end goal. This isn't per se a negative thing for those whose first word is doctor or lawyer. For the rest of us, right brain thinkers, it's typically difficult to pick one option out of endless possibilities. Labels, such as indecisive and unprepared are then placed on us where creative wanderer should be. Positions that require "self starters" automatically rule out individuals who have not declared a set career path, only because they haven't succumbed to what society has continuously enforced, be good at one thing, pick a career path that pertains to it, and only follow that. Does anyone not realize how ridiculous that sounds? The world is so vast, with possibilities beyond our imagination; we should be contributing to its development in all ways possible.
As a recent college graduate of Business Management, I must admit, I only went into the field because I wasn't completely sure what I wanted to be when I grew up. That question itself, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” is absolutely ridiculous. Who we are can't possibly be defined in one statement. Who we are is made up of what makes us happy, the music we listen to, the art that catches our eye, the causes that pull on our heart strings, and the way we respond to tragedy. An aspect as simple as what an employer pays us to do is just a mere puzzle piece to our existence.
A psychological revolution is well overdue. I'm not implying that it's okay to be an indecisive bum forever, but we have to make the decision to submerge ourselves in as many endeavors as humanly possible. We should contribute parts of ourselves to the world that others aren't able to. As J. R. R. Tolkien once wisely stated "Not all who wander are lost". Who said explorer wasn't a real job title anyway?