There are people out there who are restless. They can't focus on one thing. No, I'm not talking about those with attention deficit disorders. I'm talking about those with too many different interest disorders. People who can't choose one career path because once they find out how something works, they feel the need to move on. Let me explain:
I've changed degrees more often than what would be considered "normal". Every time I did so, I was criticized and made fun of by my friends and family. "You have to stick to something, man" or "you have to find your passion" they kept saying. In this society, starting something and not finishing it is frowned upon. Those who work hard and persevere are role models - real achievers.
I believe that once someone deems that they have learned enough about a topic, they should be free to move on to the next one without fear of being judged. From our early childhood, we are so indoctrinated to believe that projects must be finished that we often feel guilty for not finishing them. I remember feeling that way when I was learning German. After 3 years, my interest for the language started to fade. The joy of novelty slowly faded away. Yet I couldn't let it go and move on to the next language. How could I? I wasn't 100% fluent! To be able to move on, I had to compromise with myself. Yes, I would learn Swedish, but I would go back to German often enough during the week. This wasn't done to preserve my knowledge of German, this was done so that I could extinguish the crippling sense of guilt I had for starting another language. This endured until I realized that I was imposing society's standards of "done" on myself. Truth is, I was done with German. I had learned enough and I was fully satisfied with how much I knew.
Now this doesn't really apply to everyone. There are people out there (the vast majority) that are so goal driven that they will become specialists at what they do. We live in a world of specialists. If you don't believe me just look at what people think of liberal arts students. Those who aren't specialists (let's call them investigators) have to adapt to this specialist world. They are often forced to pick a career path that seldom lets them seek out novelty. Because of that, they starve for novelty and jump at any arising opportunity.
To find out if you're an investigator answer the following question true or false.
1. Your favorite classes are electives.
2. You love making your new schedule.
3. You're often called a "walking encyclopedia".
4. You're constantly on the lookout for opportunities to change your life.
5. If you don't know something, you're not fine with that.
6. You can take a class from almost any field of study and find it interesting.
If most of your answers are true, congratulations! You're one of us.
Embrace change. You need change to not be miserable. Take that (those) extra electives even if they don't fit in your program. Be a tourist in that unpopular destination. Learn the basics of 30 languages. Change degrees 20 times if you want to. Don't limit yourself! If anyone tells you to not to worry because they are somehow sure you'll eventually find your life passion, smile and confidently tell them "I hope never do" because finding one would be the end of you.
I've changed degrees more often than what would be considered "normal". Every time I did so, I was criticized and made fun of by my friends and family. "You have to stick to something, man" or "you have to find your passion" they kept saying. In this society, starting something and not finishing it is frowned upon. Those who work hard and persevere are role models - real achievers.
I believe that once someone deems that they have learned enough about a topic, they should be free to move on to the next one without fear of being judged. From our early childhood, we are so indoctrinated to believe that projects must be finished that we often feel guilty for not finishing them. I remember feeling that way when I was learning German. After 3 years, my interest for the language started to fade. The joy of novelty slowly faded away. Yet I couldn't let it go and move on to the next language. How could I? I wasn't 100% fluent! To be able to move on, I had to compromise with myself. Yes, I would learn Swedish, but I would go back to German often enough during the week. This wasn't done to preserve my knowledge of German, this was done so that I could extinguish the crippling sense of guilt I had for starting another language. This endured until I realized that I was imposing society's standards of "done" on myself. Truth is, I was done with German. I had learned enough and I was fully satisfied with how much I knew.
Now this doesn't really apply to everyone. There are people out there (the vast majority) that are so goal driven that they will become specialists at what they do. We live in a world of specialists. If you don't believe me just look at what people think of liberal arts students. Those who aren't specialists (let's call them investigators) have to adapt to this specialist world. They are often forced to pick a career path that seldom lets them seek out novelty. Because of that, they starve for novelty and jump at any arising opportunity.
To find out if you're an investigator answer the following question true or false.
1. Your favorite classes are electives.
2. You love making your new schedule.
3. You're often called a "walking encyclopedia".
4. You're constantly on the lookout for opportunities to change your life.
5. If you don't know something, you're not fine with that.
6. You can take a class from almost any field of study and find it interesting.
If most of your answers are true, congratulations! You're one of us.
Embrace change. You need change to not be miserable. Take that (those) extra electives even if they don't fit in your program. Be a tourist in that unpopular destination. Learn the basics of 30 languages. Change degrees 20 times if you want to. Don't limit yourself! If anyone tells you to not to worry because they are somehow sure you'll eventually find your life passion, smile and confidently tell them "I hope never do" because finding one would be the end of you.
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