Skip School, or Skip Career?

In Don't Go to Grad School, Penelope Trunk argues for skipping grad school because it will not help your career:

"This is why millionaires have stopped leaving their money to their kids—it undermines their transition to adulthood. But instead of making the transition, you are still in school, pretending things are fine. The problem is that what you do in school is not what you will do in a career. So if you love school, you’ll probably hate the career it’s preparing you for, since your career is not going to school."

I've got four honors students planning their "transition to adulthood" right now, so seeing them exposed to this advice gets my attention. I agree that schools offer terrible career preparation, but I'm not so sure they waste the time of people who enjoy and can afford them. I am also skeptical of Penelope's advice not to seek a career doing what you love. I think Penelope's understanding of adulthood is growing old-fashioned (it reminds me of slavery).

I used to think my kids have to get a good job, because I will die before they do, and therefore I can not feed them forever. That logic breaks down as labor efficiency goes up: Technological advances (not just robots) will allow a single human to accomplish the labor of two, or three, or four, or one hundred humans. Eventually, that means 99% of us won't need to work, and, let's face it, at least 1% of us are workaholics who will happily support the rest.

College admission officers tell my kids that tuition is balanced by higher life-long earnings, but those calculations are based on historic availability of jobs.  I expect higher-paying jobs to continue to be awarded to applicants with higher education, but I also expect increased efficiency to make those jobs more scarce. I can understand risking debt for a chance to avoid a bad job, but there is a third option: Don't get a career at all. The day is coming when work will be optional, and my kids are welcome to bide their time living with me in the meanwhile.

You can argue that our next golden age is not so close at hand. You have a lot of control over whether it is or not--you participate in deciding how much we invest in automation, and how much of a market we create for unnecessary labor (e.g. labor devoted to fighting--think lawyers, advertisers, security officers, etc.). I think about half of the American labor market is devoted to unnecessary labor right now. If enough young people boycott the labor market, however, you may be more inclined to accelerate automation, and to reserve labor for necessary tasks. We could get very efficient very fast, if we wanted to.

Anticipation of a golden age puts pressure on employers to pay for education. Even Penelope Trunk would not object to education paid for by employers. If employers instead expect job applicants to get educated before they apply, then they will find more and more talented young people disqualifying themselves by following Penelope's advice. Industry can function with less, but missed opportunities are wasteful, and an economy run by the less-talented would be a market failure.

Reserving the final jobs for the elite matters, because the people with the last jobs will make important decisions: How will they ration resources among the other 99%? Will they penalize the fools who took on college debts they were not fit to pay? Will they penalize people in careers that disappeared early? Will they penalize people who hoarded careers expected to disappear late? Or will they penalize people who lived with their parents, and hoarded no jobs at all?

Penelope Trunk seems to think there are rules to career planning, but social change is so accelerated that those rules are no more reliable than those of love and war. If skipping school is a viable option, I'd say skipping career is a viable option too. I want my kids to be happy, and there's no time like the present. If you like school, go to school. If you like a career, work. If you don't like either, find something you do like to do. I've got good kids--if they do what they love, the world will be better off.

Six Facts With Which to Humble Oneself

Is humility a gift? If so, how could one give it? I am convinced that we need humility like we need food and shelter.

When conflict is an essential element of a collaboration, it can be resolved only through humility. For example, eagles and mice are collaborators in an ecosystem, but the ecosystem requires that eagles kill mice. If the conflict between eagles and mice were resolved through victory by either (i.e. through an end to the killing or an end to the escaping), their ecosystem would be destroyed, and both species would lose, so a different kind of resolution is required, one that accepts lack of both victory and defeat. That kind of resolution is humility.

Human humility stems from awareness of humbling facts. In a way, humbling facts empower us, since we need humility in order to participate in something larger. However, they are not obsolesced by awareness of alternative possibilities; any valid reason to be humble is sufficient. Thus, the same facts arise over and over again in both modern and ancient texts.

Different people are humbled by different facts, so I am offering here a balanced set of six humbling facts, one blog post for each:

1. Unaided individuals are inadequate in both power and virtue.
2. Pure reason is inadequate because our language is inadequate and because we fail to recognize our errors.
3. We need reformers; inherited norms change across generations.
4. Individual pursuit of measurable extremes (like pleasure, power, security, and prestige) backfires by escalating desire/competition.
5. Proper rules include some which cannot be disambiguated, thus forcing empathy/exploration.
6. Role-models are social gadflies, challenging social barriers and norms of empathy.

I gave these facts to my family and friends for Christmas (they did appreciate them), but I was really just passing along a gift I had received myself. I hope posting them online will help you to pass them along to your loved ones as well.

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The First of Six Facts With Which to Humble Oneself

The Fact: Unaided individuals are inadequate in both power and virtue.

How It Works: The first fact may be the least threatening, since few of us expect to refuse aid, to reject every idea or piece of information that comes from someone else. However, this fact is strategic because it offers the kind of humility required to take seriously the other five facts, as well as any other institution

We can easily be offended by the fact that individuals need to trust something larger, such as a system of laws, and that may explain the wide range of ways this  fact is expressed (e.g. implying adequacy of a particular institution, spiritual or secular, as though this fact did not extend to individual institutions as well).

Diverse Citations:
You will say to yourself, "My strength and the might of my hand has accumulated this wealth for me." But you must remember the Lord your God, for it is He that gives you strength to make wealth. Devarim 8:17-18

There is no righteous man on earth who does good and sins not. Kohelet 7:20

Youths shall become tired and weary, and young men shall stumble... Yeshayahu 40:30-31

Hard man's heart is to restrain, and wavering. Bhagavad Gita 6.35

Of many thousand mortals, perchance one strives for Truth. Bhagavad Gita 7.3

He who discards scriptural injunctions and acts according to his own whims attains neither perfection, nor happiness, nor the supreme destination. Bhagavad Gita 16.23

Where the greatest virtue resides, only the teachings may reveal. Laozi 21

It is futile trying to possess the universe and act on shaping it in the direction of one’s ambition. The instruments of the universe cannot be shaped. Act upon it and you will fail, grasp onto it and it will slip. Laozi 29

"These sons belong to me, and this wealth belongs to me," with such thoughts a fool is tormented. He himself does not belong to himself; how much less sons and wealth? Dhammapada 62

As a cowherd with his staff drives his cows into the stable, so do Age and Death drive the life of men. Dhammapada 135

There is no such thing as perfect enlightenment to obtain. If a perfectly enlightened Buddha were to say to himself, 'I am enlightened' he would be admitting there is an individual person, a separate self and personality, and would therefore not be a perfectly enlightened Buddha.  Vajracchedika Prajnaparamita Sutra, Ch. 9

The Master said, "A sage I will never get to meet; if I manage to meet a gentleman, I suppose I would be content. An excellent person I will never get to meet; if I manage to meet someone with constancy, I suppose I would be content...I think even constancy will be hard to find. Lun Yu 7:26

The Master said, "If you are respectful but lack ritual you will become exasperating; if you are careful but lack ritual you will become timid; if you are courageous but lack ritual you will become unruly; and if you are upright but lack ritual you will become inflexible." Lun Yu 8:2

Life and death are governed by fate, wealth and honor are determined by Heaven. Lun Yu 12:5

“What’s all this waste for?” they questioned. “This perfume could have been sold at a high price, and the money given to the poor!” … Jesus rebuked them, “You’ll always have the poor.” Matthew 26:1

He told them a story to illustrate the point. “There was a rich man whose land was very productive,” he began. “The man thought to himself, ‘what shall I do, because I’ve nowhere to store my produce?’ He decided, 'this is what I’ll do—I’ll pull down my barns and build bigger ones, and I’ll be able to store all my produce and possessions. Then I’ll tell myself, ‘Self, you have enough for many years, so take it easy, eat, drink, and have fun!’ But God told him, ‘Foolish man! Tonight your life is required to be returned—and who will get everything you’ve stored up?’” Luke 12:16-21

Inwardly I love God’s law, but I see a different law at work in my body, fighting against the principles I have decided on in my mind and defeating me, so I become a prisoner of the law of sin inside me. What a hopeless man I am! Who will rescue me from this dead body of mine?  Romans 7:22-24

Man was created weak in flesh. Quran 4:28

Man is given to hasty deeds. Quran 17:11

Walk not on the earth with insolence: for thou canst not rend the earth asunder, nor reach the mountains in height. Quran 17:37

“If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants” Newton, I. (1959).  In Turnbull, H.W. (ED.). The correspondence of Isaac Newton, volume 1, (p. 416). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

For scientific evidence that the butterfly effect constrains individual power, see Lorenz, E.N. (1963). Deterministic Nonperiodic Flow. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences 20 (2), 130–141

For scientific evidence that individual virtue is constrained, see Slovic, P. (2007). If I look at the mass I will never act: Psychic numbing and genocide, Judgment and Decision Making, 2 (2), 79–95

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The Second of Six Facts With Which to Humble Oneself

The Fact: Pure reason is inadequate because our language is inadequate and because we fail to recognize our errors.

How It Works: By creating a tension against facts, this fact ensures that facts serve to humble, rather than merely to discriminate. It shakes confidence in attempts at new reasoning, attempts to predict outcomes. Scientific proof of this fact, that science and mathematics will never yield what they are made to yield (i.e. Truth with a capital "T"), is perhaps the most impressive--after all, how could one prove that proof is impossible? Mr. Godel's amazing proof is well worth investigating! Such proof establishes institutions as beyond mere tools, thus, granting the supposed tool-makers the kind of humility required to keep the influence of reason in balance.

Diverse Citations:
With their lips they honor Me, but their heart they draw far away from Me, and their fear of Me has become a command of people, which has been taught. Therefore, I will continue to perform obscurity to this people, obscurity upon obscurity, and the wisdom of his wise men shall be lost, and the understanding of his geniuses shall be hidden. Yeshayahu 29:13-14

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways," says the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts. Yeshayahu 55:7-9

The heart is deceitful above all things, and when it is sick, who will recognize it? Yirmiyahu 17:9

Foolish ones, even though they strive, discern not, having hearts unkindled, ill-informed! Bhagavad Gita 15.1

The Way cannot be named by common rules. Laozi 14

When the rituals of morality become customary, devotion and faith become skin deep and turmoil begins to stir; when priority is given to the scholars, the Teachings become glorified and are used to fool the crowd. Laozi 38

Mastery of Teaching is not about enlightening the people with it, but about humbling the people with it. Laozi 65

For worldly people, none can understand, none can follow. Laozi 70

This world is dark, only a few can see here; only a few go to heaven, like birds escaped from a net. Dhammapada 174

All that has a form is illusive and unreal. Vajracchedika Prajnaparamita Sutra, Ch. 5

As to speaking truth, no truth can be spoken. Vajracchedika Prajnaparamita Sutra, Ch. 21

The Master said, "If you try to guide the common people with regulations...they will become evasive and will have no sense of shame." Lun Yu 2:3

The Master said, "I should just give up! I have yet to meet someone who is able to perceive his own faults and then take himself to task inwardly." Lun Yu 5:27

Jesus replied “...whoever doesn’t have understanding, whatever they have will be taken away from them. That’s why I speak to them in illustrations, because seeing, they do not see; and hearing, they do not hear, nor do they understand. To them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled: ‘Even though you hear, you won’t comprehend, and even though you see, you won’t understand'. They have a hard-hearted attitude, they don’t want to listen, and they’ve closed their eyes." Matthew 13:12-15

Desiring to be teachers of the law…they understand neither what they say, nor whereof they confidently affirm. 1 Tim 1:7

Become partakers of the divine nature...adding on your part all diligence, in your faith supply virtue; and in your virtue knowledge; and in your knowledge self-control; and in your self-control patience; and in your patience godliness; and in your godliness brotherly kindness; and in your brotherly kindness love...For he that lacks these things is blind. 2 Peter 1:4-9

As to those who reject Faith, it is the same to them whether thou warn them or do not warn them; they will not believe. God hath set a seal on their hearts and on their hearing, and on their eyes is a veil. Quran 2:6-7

Of a surety, they are the ones who make mischief, but they realize it not. Quran 2:12

Until He separates what is evil from what is good, God will not disclose to you the secrets of the unseen. But He chooses of His messengers whom He pleases. Quran 3:179

For proof of the inadequacy of language, see Wittgenstein, L. (1953/2001). Philosophical Investigations. Blackwell Publishing.

For proof of the inadequacy of logic, see Charlesworth, A. (1980). A Proof of Godel's Theorem in Terms of Computer Programs. Mathematics Magazine, 54 (3), 109–121

For scientific evidence of human fallibility, see Pizarro, D.A., Laney, C., Morris, E.K., & Loftus, E.F. (2006) Ripple effects in memory: Judgments of moral blame can distort memory for events. Memory & Cognition, 34, 550-555.

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The Third of Six Facts With Which to Humble Oneself

The Fact: We need reformers; Inherited norms change across generations.

How It Works: Like the second fact, this fact creates a tension against facts, or at least against inheriting them. In addition, it shakes confidence in relational norms, such as ways of loving. Because we do not live in a stable perfect world, perfectionists dare not attempt purification, silencing reformers and abolishing disagreement. Being in flux, knowing that progress is not yet finished, provides perfectionists with the kind of humility required to balance established wisdom against innovation.

Diverse Citations:
I will set up a prophet for them from among their brothers like you, and I will put My words into his mouth, and he will speak to them all that I command him. Devarim 18:18

For this is the covenant that I will form with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will place My law in their midst and I will inscribe it upon their hearts, and I will be their God and they shall be My people. Yirmiyahu 31:32

And it shall come to pass afterwards that I will pour out My spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and daughters shall prophesy; your elders shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. And even upon the slaves and the maidservants in those days will I pour out My spirit. Yoel 3:1-2

So let the enlightened toil...set to bring the world deliverance. Bhagavad Gita 3.25

I rise, from age to age...succoring the good (or the way), thrusting the evil back, and setting Virtue on her seat again. Bhagavad Gita 4.7-8

The purity of Yog is to pass beyond recorded traditions...such a one ranks above ascetics, higher than the wise, beyond achievers of vast deeds! Bhagavad Gita 6.44-46

When the land has fallen utterly benighted, barren and decrepit, then can there arise the greatest of faithful ministers. Laozi 18

A Buddha is not easily found, he is not born everywhere. Wherever such a sage is born, that race prospers. Dhammapada 193

Three leaders have already lived: Kakusandha, Konagamana, and also Buddha Kassapa. The Buddha Supreme, now am I, but after me Mettayya comes. Buddhavamsa 27:18-19

The Master said, "The Zhou gazes down upon the two dynasties that preceded it. How brilliant in culture it is! I follow the Zhou." Lun Yu 3:14

Confucius said, "Those who are born understanding it are the best; those who come to understand it through learning are second..." Lun Yu 16:9

You’ve heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemies,” but I tell you, Love your enemies. Matthew 5:43-44

There is much more to tell you [said Jesus], but you couldn’t bear it yet. But when the Spirit of truth comes, he will lead you to understand the truth. John 16:12-13

And he gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of ministering, unto the building up of the body of Christ: till we all attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a full-grown man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: that we may be no longer children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine… Ephesians 4:11-14

For each period is a Book revealed. Quran 13:38

This Qur'an is...a confirmation of revelations that went before it, and a fuller explanation of the Book. Quran 10:37

For scientific evidence of the impact of innovation, see Steil, B., Victor, D. G., & Nelson, R. R. (2002). Technological Innovation and Economics Performance. A Council of Foreign Relations Book. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, and Peilei, F. (2011). Innovation capacity and economic development: China and India, Economic Change and Restructuring, 44 (1), 49-73

For scientific evidence that norms change, see Pinker, S. (2011). The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined. USA:Viking Adult.

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The Fourth of Six Facts With Which to Humble Oneself

The Fact: Individual pursuit of measurable extremes (like pleasure, power, security, and prestige) backfires by escalating desire/competition.

How It Works: This is a paradox for people who aim for consequences. Any such aim is selfish--for example, trying to collect money for charity is a grab at control over how money gets distributed. I certainly don't want to knock the idea of seeking more accurate predictions and using them to guide one's behavior--this is a practical necessity--but the more you study prediction, the more you realize that competition and hedonic adaption are the predicable consequences.

This is the least well established of the six humbling facts in this set. Its scientific proof is obscure, and religions downplay it so much that Pascal's wager, the argument that one ought to be religious for selfish reasons, is taken seriously. Furthermore, one can envision "end" situations in which one might expect the backfire to occur too far into the long-term to hurt the actor, unless there is an afterlife or legacy. On the other hand, faith in an afterlife or legacy seems unique to homo-sapiens, so I wonder how much the relative success of homo-sapiens is due to acceptance of this particular fact, to mustering the humility required to balance consequentialist vs. non-consequentialist approaches.

Diverse Citations:
The eyes of man will not be sated. Mishlei 27:20

Whoever loves silver will not be sated with silver, and he who loves a multitude without increase—this too is vanity. Kohelet 5:9

If one ponders on objects of the sense, there springs attraction; from attraction grows desire, desire flames to fierce passion, passion breeds recklessness; then the memory — all betrayed — lets noble purpose go, and saps the mind, till purpose, mind and man are all undone. Bhagavad Gita 2.62-63

Surrendered to desires insatiable...they trust this lie which leads to death: Finding in Pleasure all the good which is, and crying "Here it finishes!" Bhagavad Gita 16.11

If everybody knows what beauty is, then beauty is not beauty anymore; if everybody knows what doing work well is, then doing work well is not doing work well anymore. Laozi 2

Not to quest for wealth will bring that the populace won't be fighting. Laozi 3

To pursue beautiful colors makes people's eyes blind, to pursue appealing music makes people's ears deaf, to pursue delicious flavors makes people's mouth numb, to indulge in hunting makes people's heart wild. Laozi 12

Victory breeds hatred, for the conquered is unhappy. He who has given up both victory and defeat, he, the contented, is happy. Dhammapada 201

If a man is tossed about by doubts, full of strong passions, and yearning only for what is delightful, his thirst will grow more and more, and he will indeed make his fetters strong. Dhammapada 349

Ji Kangzi was concerned about the prevalence of robbers in Lu and asked Confucius about how to deal with this problem. Confucius said, "If you could just get rid of your own excessive desires, the people would not steal even if you rewarded them for it." Lun Yu 12:18

If your Majesty say, "What is to be done to profit my kingdom?" the great officers will say, "What is to be done to profit our families?" and the inferior officers and the common people will say, "What is to be done to profit our persons?" Superiors and inferiors will try to snatch this profit the one from the other, and the kingdom will be endangered. Mengzi 1A:1

Then the lord recalled the man, said to him, “You evil servant! I forgave you all your debt because you asked me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant too, just as I had for you?" His lord became angry and handed him over to the prison guards until he repaid all the debt. Matthew 18:32-34

Beware. You might destroy one another if you bite and devour each other. I say: if you are walking by the Spirit there is no way you will fulfill the desires of the flesh. Galations 5:15-17

But they that are minded to be rich fall into a temptation and a snare and many foolish and hurtful lusts, such as drown men in destruction and perdition. 1 Timothy 6:9

Those saved from the covetousness of their own souls, they are the ones that achieve prosperity. Quran 59:9

The seventh Imam, Musa ibn Ja'far a, said: "The likeness of this world is as the water of the sea. However much water a thirsty person drinks from it, his thirst increases so much so that the water kills him." Bihar-uI-Anwar, vol. 78, p. 311

For scientific evidence of hedonic adaption, see Lykken, D., & Tellegen, A. (1996). Happiness is a stochastic phenomenon. Psychological Science, 7, 186-189, and Diener, E., & Fujita, F. (2005). Life Satisfaction Set Point: Stability and Change. Journal of Psychology and Social Psychology, 88 (1), 158-164

For scientific evidence that greed corrupts societies, see Fehr, E., & Gachter, S. (2002) Altruistic punishment in humans, Science, 415, 137-140, and Wilson, D.S., & Wilson, E.O. (2008). Evolution "for the good of the group." American Scientist, 96(5), 380-389

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The Fifth of Six Facts With Which to Humble Oneself

The Fact: Proper rules include some which cannot be disambiguated, thus forcing empathy/exploration.

How It Works: This is a paradox for people who attempt to overcome personal imperfection by obeying time-tested principles (which surely reflect wisdom greater than that of the average individual). Mocking "legalists" doesn't undermine them--mockers are obviously foolish--but legalists are undermined by their own principles when their principles direct them towards activities in which their personal imperfections cannot be avoided: invention, interpretation, empathy. Such principles grant legalists the kind of humility required to keep legalism in balance.

Diverse Citations:
Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Vayikra 19:18

He has told you, O man, what is good, and what the Lord demands of you: to do justice, to love loving-kindness, and to walk discreetly with your God. Michah 6:8

Specious, but wrongful deem the speech of those ill-taught ones who extol the letter of scripture, saying, "This is all we have, or need" Bhagavad Gita 2.42-43

Be thou yogi...and of such, truest and best is he who worships Me with inmost soul, stayed on My Mystery!  Bhagavad Gita 6.46-47

Give Me thy heart! Adore Me! Serve Me! Cling in faith and love and reverence to Me! And let go those rites and writ duties! Fly to Me alone! Make Me thy single refuge! Bhagavad Gita 18.65-66

The sage acts on the principle of does not insist on uniformity. Laozi 2

Learn to be unlearned; liberate the people of their past; assist all things in returning to their essence; and not dare act.  Laozi 64

Look upon the world as a bubble, look upon it as a mirage. Dhammapada 170

Let a man overcome anger by love, let him overcome evil by good; let him overcome the greedy by liberality, the liar by truth! Dhammapada 223

When the Buddha explains these things using such concepts and ideas, people should remember the unreality of all such concepts and ideas. They should recall that in teaching spiritual truths the Buddha always uses these concepts and ideas in the way that a raft is used to cross a river. Once the river has been crossed over, the raft is of no more use, and should be discarded.  Vajracchedika Prajnaparamita Sutra, Chapter 6

Fan Chi asked about Goodness. The Master replied, "Care for others." He then asked about wisdom. The Master replied, "Know others." Lun Yu 12.22

Do not impose upon others what you yourself do not desire. Lun Yu 15:24

Whatever you want people to do to you, do to them too--this sums up the law and the prophets. Matthew 7:12

And if I were to have prophecy and to have perceived all the mysteries and all knowledge, and if I were to have all faith so as to even shift mountains, but had not love—I am nothing. Even were I to donate all my goods, and if I had surrendered my body, that I might elevate myself, but had not love—I have gained nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:2-3

Let there be no compulsion in religion. Quran 2:256

Give freely of that which ye love. Quran 3:92

The Holy Prophet said: "He whose two days of life are the same, making no spiritual progress, is at loss." Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 71, p. 173

On the mandate for exploration in science, see Kulkarni, D., & Simon, H. (1988). The processes of scientific discovery: The strategy of experimentation, Cognitive Science, 12, 139-175, and Dunbar, K., & Fugelsang, J. (2005). Causal thinking in science: How scientists and students interpret the unexpected. In Gorman, M.E, Tweney, R.D, Gooding, D., & Kincannon, A. (Eds.), Scientific and Technical Thinking (pp. 57-79). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

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