Do you plan on/do you live a conventional life?

[Piobaire]

Originally Posted by Suave

what is reallly the american dream?

To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of the women.

 

[ektaylor]

Originally Posted by Piobaire

To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of the women.

If you have time for women.

 

[Don Carlos]

Originally Posted by Piobaire

To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of the women.

"That is good!"

 

[BossTweed]

Originally Posted by fwiffo

Why is everyone slagging on the insurance profession?

+1. I'm in reinsurance.

 

[DocHolliday]

Every cheap hood strikes a bargain with the world and ends up making payments on a sofa or a girl.

 

[Radagast]

..

 

[Suave]

of course a proper education and job are keys to living a decent "conventional life", but you can honestly do whatever you want and bullshit for a while, if you have the means to..

 

[fwiffo]

Originally Posted by Piobaire

Just spent a few days with a really great guy that is a high level insurance guy. He bought me some great wine, great Scotch, and is a likable and funny guy. He plans to take me golfing soon.

Toss in some beer, cocktails and your secretary coming in to say "Come now, let's put on your jacket and go home" as you stroll in drunk and snooze under your desk in your office at 6am in the morning, and yeah that's pretty much the profession. It's like Mad Men except the style of dress went downhill but the boozing, receptions and golfing didn't.

Except for life insurance...where a computer does all the work.

However, I'm sure that's not the conventional lifestyle the OP was talking about. That would be the 1950s.

 

[Brosef]

Originally Posted by Radagast

My life today is very conventional. In my late 20s, I've been with the same company since getting my bachelor's degree. I spend my days in a cubicle without much stress not working too many hours. I make a nice salary with good benefits and solid pension. I go home to a 2 bedroom condo in the city I was born in. My free time is spent golfing, working out and reading. I've been seeing a woman for awhile, pretty, sweet, from a good family. I can see a future in which I marry her, move to a house, start a family a couple years down the line. Otherwise, maybe go back to school to study law.

My family and friends think I'm doing great in life. I suppose I am. I'm not at all happy though. I never planned to live a conventional life. I always figured I'd come upon some passion in life and enthusiastically dedicate myself to it. It hasn't happened yet. I look around at the guys at work who are 20 years older than me, at my friends who are married and have kids, and I find myself asking "What the hell is the point of this all?"
This is exactly what I'm scared of :/

Originally Posted by Suave

of course a proper education and job are keys to living a decent "conventional life", but you can honestly do whatever you want and bullshit for a while, if you have the means to..
I'm 20, of course I don't have the means to right now. My parents do, not me. And they sure won't give me money to **** around when they expect so much from me.

 

[tagutcow]

Originally Posted by Radagast

My life today is very conventional. In my late 20s, I've been with the same company since getting my bachelor's degree. I spend my days in a cubicle without much stress not working too many hours. I make a nice salary with good benefits and solid pension. I go home to a 2 bedroom condo in the city I was born in. My free time is spent golfing, working out and reading. I've been seeing a woman for awhile, pretty, sweet, from a good family. I can see a future in which I marry her, move to a house, start a family a couple years down the line. Otherwise, maybe go back to school to study law.

My family and friends think I'm doing great in life. I suppose I am. I'm not at all happy though. I never planned to live a conventional life. I always figured I'd come upon some passion in life and enthusiastically dedicate myself to it. It hasn't happened yet. I look around at the guys at work who are 20 years older than me, at my friends who are married and have kids, and I find myself asking "What the hell is the point of this all?"

At what point did you realize that your life is a Kinks song?

 

[Radagast]

..

 

[MrG]

Originally Posted by Radagast

My life today is very conventional. In my late 20s, I've been with the same company since getting my bachelor's degree. I spend my days in a cubicle without much stress not working too many hours. I make a nice salary with good benefits and solid pension. I go home to a 2 bedroom condo in the city I was born in. My free time is spent golfing, working out and reading. I've been seeing a woman for awhile, pretty, sweet, from a good family. I can see a future in which I marry her, move to a house, start a family a couple years down the line. Otherwise, maybe go back to school to study law.

My family and friends think I'm doing great in life. I suppose I am. I'm not at all happy though. I never planned to live a conventional life. I always figured I'd come upon some passion in life and enthusiastically dedicate myself to it. It hasn't happened yet. I look around at the guys at work who are 20 years older than me, at my friends who are married and have kids, and I find myself asking "What the hell is the point of this all?"

There is no point, aside from trying to enjoy life as much as you can while you're living it. Most of us are never going to do anything that matters outside of our little sphere of influence, and there's nothing wrong with that. However, looking for a "point" outside of being happy, and making those with whom you choose to spend your time (i.e. wife, kids, etc) happy, is almost certain to be met with disappointment and despair.

 

[kakemono]

Originally Posted by ConcernedParent

Honestly, the occasional female that enters my life is the only thing that's probably keeping me together. I don't enjoy studying so hard and don't really know why I do it- I don't know what will really make me happy in the long run and I just go down this path because I've been told all my life that it will.

Ditto.
I was always told I had the skill set to be en engineer.
I slaved at getting my engineering degree then slaved at working long weeks and staying in a hotel 250 days a year while studying for my PE. Now I just slave because, well, I don't know why...
I'm not happy though.


I'll figure something out I guess. At least slaving away makes it hard to spend the money I make - which I use to take random vacations to wherever I want... though those are all free from reward programs from traveling. It isn't a rewarding life so far.

 

[nootje]

normailty is not something my character seems to be able to tolerate. So i'll just accept the high's and lows that come with living a life outside of the more normal paths, and at times look with envy on those who never strayed.

 

[darkdream]

This thread makes my academic/career plan sound depressing. I plan to soon start my Ph.D in mathematics with a specialization in computer science and something related to finance at a top 20 university and become a hedge fund quant and eventually a hedge fund manager. Heard hedge quants work 6am-10pm or even longer days 6 days a week.