> a solid, practical job.
ffs
Edit to be a bit less flippant: As a holder of a “solid, practical job” for over a decade I definitely feel there should be more to life and don’t fault those who aspired for more than just practicality at the age of 17/18.
Let's be aware of our bias toward our own knowledge and work.
Knowledge of humanities and social sciences is not a luxury; it addresses almost all the critical issues in society - freedom, peace, war, prosperity, politics, economics, human nature through which it all happens, communication, conflict, power, democracy, capitalism, communism, etc. etc. All things more important than whatever most of us do.
I reject the argument that taking 4 years of courses on "communication, conflict, power, democracy, capitalism, communism, etc" is "more important" than "whatever most of us do", and I reject it for a bunch of reasons, not just the obvious one that taking a class on power is not the same thing is engaging with power.
Are their decisions good ones? No, not really. But at 18 I can’t really fault someone for not understanding the decades long implications of interest payments and job market dynamics.
Funny thing I’ve noticed. 18 year olds are either fully developed adults with full complete knowledge of their choices and the nuances around them, or complete idiots who wouldn’t be trusted to to make big decisions depending on what issues you’re discussing.
Yalies know this is just something upper class people say but don’t mean. Half the kids in this audience are now in banking, tech, or management consulting. Because of course they are—doing that was in their 10 year plan that they sketched out at 15. It’s the proles that are duped by the message and get themselves into trouble.
I agree, I just have no interest in subsidizing it.
