Ask HN: Is Education Envied?

4 pointsmyridium6y ago3 comments

This is not the sort of question I can usually ask people because it exposes a vulnerability. So I thought I would pose it to the anonymous crowd here.

I have a fairly high level of education (in a natural science) myself, and I never feel that anyone is envious. But if they were, that may explain some of the interactions I've had in the last few years.

Please understand that I ask this question from a warm place. For those who have not completed high school; Bachelor's; Honours/Master's; PhD and beyond: do you feel envious of those who have? And for those who started life without an education and later achieved it, what have you noticed (if anything) in the way your friends have treated you?

I hope this question is suitable for the forum and starts some productive conversation which will help people better understand opposing perspectives.

3 comments

3 comments · 2 top-level

readme6y ago· 1 in thread

I'm still working on my bachelors with eventual plans to go on to grad school, but I don't envy anyone really. I looked up the definition of envy, just to be sure. If I came close to envying anyone, it'd be people who are born into significant wealth, but I don't even really envy them.

I guess I just figure if there's something I really want then I will do what it takes to get it.

myridiumOP6y ago

> if there's something I really want then I will do what it takes to get it.

Ominous...

0xFACEFEED6y ago

Can only speak for tech.

Nope, not envious.

Early in my career I felt fear. PhD/etc are thrown around as status symbols and I felt inferior to my colleagues with an honours/master/PhD. I also knew there was no way I could overcome this difference without investing years and money (that I didn't have) into that education.

Later in my career I felt distrust. I realized just how little a strong academic background contributed to solving real business problems. What I mean is there was little correlation, not that academics weren't good contributors in general. I witnessed inferior contributors with a stronger academic background being chosen over superior contributors with a weak academic background.