As someone who is currently still in education for their degree looking at the current (and likely future) economic and societal outlook, it seems like employment in fields that cause/perpetuate negative issues in the world (Big Tech/Military-Industrial Complex, industries contributing to climate change, predatory sales/financial firms) continue to maintain strong employment availability and salaries as time goes on.
However, fields that have a neutral or beneficial impact on society and the world (Medical care, Food service, public infrastructure, humanitarian aid work, environmental research), either don’t have enough available positions that people are able to transition into, have worsening working conditions due to poor management or limited resources, or just don’t pay a living wage to most who work there.
I’ve read about the broken window fallacy, and I understand how focusing on personal gain without considering the impacts on the wider picture doesn’t make for a better world. But can someone feel justified contributing to the “broken windows” of the world knowing that they weren’t presented functional alternative pathways, and try to contribute towards the solution in other ways?
I never said they stopped trying. You can keep trying and keep failing. There’s a point in time where something becomes essentially impossible to succeed at with your current resources (including time).
Take the class example you were giving, where your nephew didn’t get a perfect grade and gave up/adopted a bad attitude that made his academic progress falter.
Isolate this time period to one packed class. Some students are going to sleep through class and still get an A. Others are going to try and study every night, yet still get a back grade. Others will be like your nephew, sure. This is the reality of life. That doesn’t mean they should give up for the next class, but surely you see what I’m saying, right? Once the class ends, there’s no opportunity to go back in time and get a better grade.
and what you don’t get, is that some people stop trying entirely and basically just fail automatically, and then blame other people for this, because they refuse to take responsibility for themselves.
sorry, have you never known people like this? I haven’t known person after person after person like this. They are everywhere.
I’m not referring to those people, though. You are. I agree that they exist and that they chose the wrong path.
I’m referring to the people that try and still fail, as per my original post. Can you acknowledge them?