Why? Did it not work out?
For most of my adult life, I have heard some variation of the “Why? Did it not work out?” statement whenever someone spoke about something that they were either doing or wanted to do which was not strictly aligned to their college/university degree. Needless to say, this statement irks me to no end.
We have developed this strange societal notion that a decision made by our 16/18 year old self must continue to define the next 45/50 years of our existence on this planet with no opportunity to reassess the life choices made by a (comparatively) immature person while ignoring the accumulated knowledge and wisdom gained by our older self. Any attempt to listen to more mature versions of ourselves must be suppressed as the people who ought to support us the most may instead ridicule us by asking, “Why? Did it not work out?”
I think most people who ask this question may be voicing their own insecurities as they may be terrified of trying new things or exploring new career paths or even learning new skills. In a generation who live for likes and clicks and short form content, putting in focussed time and effort, consistently over an extended period of time to master new skills may be a terrifying thought. Projecting their insecurities on to someone who is willing to take the risk is probably their way of consoling themselves and it is also a fundamental trait of a poor manager.
More than two decades ago, a very dear friend of mine wrote something in a different context for someone else however, I believe it remains relevant even in this context. “And at this point, even god wonders why you stand there with your wings spread open, free from morals and prejudice, free from all that bounds you to your so-called life, and simply refuse to fly.”
We have developed this strange societal notion that a decision made by our 16/18 year old self must continue to define the next 45/50 years of our existence on this planet with no opportunity to reassess the life choices made by a (comparatively) immature person while ignoring the accumulated knowledge and wisdom gained by our older self. Any attempt to listen to more mature versions of ourselves must be suppressed as the people who ought to support us the most may instead ridicule us by asking, “Why? Did it not work out?”
I think most people who ask this question may be voicing their own insecurities as they may be terrified of trying new things or exploring new career paths or even learning new skills. In a generation who live for likes and clicks and short form content, putting in focussed time and effort, consistently over an extended period of time to master new skills may be a terrifying thought. Projecting their insecurities on to someone who is willing to take the risk is probably their way of consoling themselves and it is also a fundamental trait of a poor manager.
More than two decades ago, a very dear friend of mine wrote something in a different context for someone else however, I believe it remains relevant even in this context. “And at this point, even god wonders why you stand there with your wings spread open, free from morals and prejudice, free from all that bounds you to your so-called life, and simply refuse to fly.”
Read my (other) friend's blog to see the post that triggered this post: A career plot twist!
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