Reading for the Week
Aug 27th, 2008 by Nut
I don’t do this very often, but today I looked in my “idea inbox” and noticed I had a lot of links to articles I wanted to highlight. So I’m going to list them all and give you an idea of why I enjoyed them so much:
- Back to School: The Case for Majoring in English (@WiseBread): A brave title for a post, no doubt. All the rage right now is to talk about how majoring in something practical that will get you a specific job is the “responsible”/right thing to do, so I admire the moxie here. Textbooks as one of the main reasons, though? Please, that’s like picking a wife based on her nice hair. The point I always make when this topic is brought up (and I got a Masters in Writing, mind you) is this: you can always read and write and get together with people outside of work/class if you really love literature. I think it’s easier to “major in English” outside the university than it is to “major in” things like Finance, Economics or Business. So the way I see it, if you can only major in one, major in the one that will open doors for you and then do what you love on the side. An English degree, unfortunately, doesn’t have the prestige to open the big doors out there that a business/econ/finance degree has.
- A Well-Rounded Education Doesn’t Have to Start With College (Yahoo! Finance): His basic point here is that taking a year off before going to college is a good idea. I won’t argue with him on that one, but he has some rules that I thought were good. For one, you have to pay for it yourself (I went to Paris on my parents’ dime) and it shouldn’t just be a means to an end. He brings up a very good point that I’ve been thinking about myself (and is brought up in a scene from Knocked Up when the husband talks about going to India) lately: there are some things you just can’t do when you’re older. Like go hiking for three months or dedicate yourself to writing a book without a care in the world. The mortgage and the kids await you so get cracking now.
- Is a Positive Attitude Enough? (@The Simple Dollar): This one reminds me of that book/DVD called The Secret. I’m all about thinking positive, but if you don’t do something about it, don’t expect to get anywhere in life. In short, the answer is a resounding “No.”
- The Psychology of Happiness: 13 Steps to a Better Life (@Get Rich Slowly): My recommendation? Go down these 13 bullets and see what you can work on. And trust me, if you work on them, you will be happier. I’m working on #1, #4 and #13 right now although I must say I think I have #10 wrapped up pretty well. It may may make me a little boring, but if I can apply routine to my writing I’ll be all set!
- Millionaires in the Making (@CNN via Yahoo! Finance): This is an extreme case of Frugalitis. These people, and I give them props for it, have done a fantastic job of corralling their spending and investing their money into the future. Great job. But in my opinion it’s a little much. What’s the urgency to retire so soon in life? So you don’t have to do a job you hate? Why do the job in the first place then? Why not get a job you like that pays less and be happy the whole time instead of just until you retire? Maybe I’m jealous, but these people don’t seem to be enjoying life at all — they seem to just be saving up for some future that won’t be nearly as sweet as they think. See the first article — you won’t be able to do certain things in the future no matter how much money you have.
Hope you enjoy it! I’m off to write for the day.
Open an ING account and get a $25 bonus!
