What do I do with my life?

TWRule

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Dec 3, 2010
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Drathnoxis said:
You know that question that everybody always asks from the moment you start kindergarten? The one that always seems so far away until you realize that you've already graduated? The question I'm talking about is of course: what do you want to be when you grow up? Well, a while ago I realized my answer to the question. Nothing. I don't want to do anything.

I really don't want to get a job, I had a job when I was 15 and I realized that working really, really sucks. I don't want to go back to school. Even though I did well in school with a 90 average I still didn't like school, and also I can't think of anything that interests me enough to spend 4 years and tens of thousands of dollars learning(and then that leads me back to the situation where I have to get a job). The only thing I've ever had a real interest in is video games, but I don't really want to get into the industry either. Really I have no aspirations in life at all. I don't care about having a lot of money, or fame, or power. I don't even want to be in a relationship or get married.

Basically I'm perfectly content to be exactly where I am. But the problem is I can't just leech off of my parents forever. I know everybody expects me to become a functioning member of society, nobody is too pushy about it but the knowledge of their expectation that I do *something* is starting weigh on me. I just don't know what to do; on the one hand I would like to do nothing, but on the other hand I'm starting to feel like a useless burden and I think I'm noticing my self esteem dropping.

So Escapist, how did you answer the title question for yourself and what should I personally do with my life?
I went through a very similar experience (except my parents kicked me out at 16 so I hardly had time to get comfortable).

I wasn't satisfied with where I was (or I could only be satisfied when I could distract myself from worrying about it - like through playing video games...), but that wasn't because I ever felt like I was somehow obliged to 'be a productive member of society', more so it was because my life felt empty and meaningless, and I hated feeling indolent in general.

I took a long break from school, struggled to find some career path I could tolerate, did some traveling...but basically what I needed was to take the time to sit down and really earnestly reflect on my life and what I wanted out of it (separate from any question of career).

Long story short, I decided that I wanted to open and take part in a dialogue about exactly *this* problem - the problem of what we should all be doing with our lives. To this end I went back to school to study philosophy, and while there I met some amazing people who encouraged me further along that path - and I'm now a grad student on my way to becoming a professor (which by the way, is something I never would have imagined myself doing back when I first entered college - I wanted school to be over with a.s.a.p., not live there).

So it turns out I don't really have an answer yet because I am still looking - in fact, ironically, I'm potentially making a career out of looking. But I have taken at least one step toward finding an answer; I'm putting myself in a position (both in grad school and in my future job as a professor) to really engage people on questions like this (which really leads down the deepest of rabbit holes you can imagine), and in the meantime I'll be working a job that I might actually enjoy - or at least will be infinitely more tolerable than about any other option I can think of (only because I can use it to further a great purpose/desire for my life).

So my advice to you is to take the time you have now to seriously reflect, and seriously (and critically) engage those you trust about this question, including why they made the choices they did of what to do, etc., so that you can figure out what you really want in a broader sense than career-wise (the career should be chosen in light of what you find, not before). Until you have a sort of epiphany that gives you a new sense of direction and the motivation to go with it, I recommend you *not* go back to school - you will need that motivation to get through it. If you can get by without working for now, and your family isn't breathing down your neck about getting a job, then take advantage of that, but really use the time rather than wasting it away on games (this coming from someone who tended to do just that).

You might be surprised how much your desires can change, or that you had ones you didn't realize you did; it's totally possible to go from being someone who cares about nothing in particular to someone who has strong, clear convictions, and feels motivated toward noble goals for good reasons.

Ultimately, no one can hand you a ready-made answer - at least, not one that you'll be satisfied with - you need to work it out through your own will, and with the committed help of people you trust. Look back on your life thus far, and then to your future, with a confident attitude, and harness a genuine will to self-improvement, and you'll be on your way. It may not be easy (I almost gave up on life before I had the epiphany which set me in a new direction), but it's worth seriously applying yourself to.

P.S. Unless you have a personal relationship with a career counselor, I would not bother going to one, or wasting your time with 'career interest' tests. I was entertaining the thought of working with nature at the time, so those told me I should have been a vet. Yeah, not exactly how it worked out, and I'm glad it didn't, thanks.
 

Elementary - Dear Watson

RIP Eleuthera, I will miss you
Nov 9, 2010
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I would genuinely advise you to join the military.

I would also point out that you don't have to be a soldier either... there are loads and loads of jobs that allow you to use your intellect, or to learn a skill or trade, and still get taught life lessons. You will emerge a better trained, better motivated individual. You will meet loads of people who become lifelong friends. You will obtain a sense of belonging, and from that, personal pride. And ultimately, after just a few years of training, learning, getting paid lots and having fun you get the chance to assimilate those skills and that lifestyle into civvy street, and you will enjoy life more because of it.


Also... there are lots of gamers in the forces. We are out there and we do love our games. And due to our accommodation settings, especially for the enlisted guys, there is a lot of scope for split screening and link playing!
 

michael87cn

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Jan 12, 2011
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Shit, this post is actually making me late for work, but I wanted to reply.

I felt the same way when I was 16 years old (year of my first job). I felt the same loathing for work for a long time... until about 22 or so? But after I went through some terrible hardships, I realized that I would rather have money than be poor. I had used to desire freedom above money, like ten-fold. I had no desire to make money to buy 'things'. I just wanted to be free and able to do what I wanted with my time. However, reality set in for me and I wasn't able to keep being a freeloader forever.

Eventually you get over it and hopefully find a job that you like, or "can stand". Its a job that you hate that makes it so miserable, really. Keep looking until you get somewhat accepted somewhere and you'll find you can be content at least.

It's weird how I am almost 27 now, I've been working for just about 11 years straight. Time flies I guess.

Edit: also, don't join the military. Your life is not worth money; and if you really have strength of character you can gain it in different ways than being abused and robbed of your entire human freedoms.
 

Angie7F

WiseGurl
Nov 11, 2011
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Any stupid job will probably make you feel better than you do now.
Also being out there with people can do some amazing stuff.
I was able to be hooked up with interesting jobs through poeple in the least expected places
 

IndomitableSam

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Sep 6, 2011
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I'm 30 and I don't know what I want to do with my life. But I realized I kind of had to do something in order to, you know, actually survive. So I went back to school doing something I could see myself doing for the next 30 years (sorry, but hardly anyone gets to do something they love... you'll have to find something you can stand doing) and graduated and got a job. Loved it, then the job changed, and didn't love it. Left. Was unemployed. GOt crappy jobs, did them for a while got a good job. Still find it boring and mind-numbing as fuck, but it pays the bills and while it's hard as shit to roll out of bed in the morning and go to work, I actually do it. I don't hate it, but it's not inspiring or entertaining or anything... it's just work. Work is work, and all the connotations that come with it. Hard, boring, repeditive, numbing, frustrating... all that. But sometimes you get time at work to visit this site, go out for lunch with friends, meet new and interesting people, learn something new... Sometimes it's good, but it's still work.

... And then I come home at the end of the day and do what I want to do. Play games, read, write, go out with friends. And I do the stuff I don't want to do, but every adult has to. Cook, clean, do laundry, pay bills, run errands, etc. Then I go to bed, wake up, and go to work again. Until the weekend, when I do what I want again. And I enjoy myself. And I also count down the hours until my next vacation as well. (I've found taking a Friday off every few weeks instead of big chunks of time is better for me - that way you've got your year filled with long weekends, not two weeks off in July and then the prospect of work every day for the next 10 months.)

... It's called reality. Find you some. There is hope out there, but, I'm sorry, it's in those hours between that thing you do in order to survive in the real world.

What I'm saying is: Go to school or get a job, do something productive, and in your spare time, do what you love. Maybe, just maybe, you'll get good enough at what you love for you to be able to make a living out of it... but you won't right away. Sorry. Life doesn't work that way.