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Do You Care About Your "Value Add" to Society?
 

BlackHat's picture
HF
 
Points)
 on 5/23/12 at 10:15pm
Raj

I've been bombarded lately by people asking me if I feel fulfilled with my job in finance, or how it helps the general public... trying to compare what I "give back" to what a doctor provides to society. When my answer is "well, nothing really," they want to ask how I can live with myself. Personally I couldn't give less of a fuck, I'm just doing something I like and getting paid money (which I also like) to do it. Who cares about anything else?

Thoughts from the general monkey population? Anyone find a need to justify their career's "value add" to society?

I hate victims who respect their executioners Follow BH & Co. on Twitter: @DumbLuckCapital twitter.com/DumbLuckCapital
Tags:
illiniPride's picture

With my job, no. With my

IB
(King Kong, 1,099
 
Points)
 on 5/23/12 at 8:18pm

With my job, no. With my life, yes

Leadership can be defined in two words: "Follow Me"

holla_back's picture

The only people I know who

O
(King Kong, 1,084
 
Points)
 on 5/23/12 at 8:30pm

The only people I know who brag about "adding value" are full of shit. Most people are just as insignificant as you are; at least you're able to pay the rent easily.

EDIT: You've got plenty of time before you should start really losing sleep over adding value to society. You'll figure it out eventually, but at least for now you'll make some pretty good money.

streetwannabe's picture

I don't think many people

(King Kong, 1,316
 
Points)
 on 5/23/12 at 8:24pm

I don't think many people choose their field based solely on their "value adding" qualities. Teachers are teachers (other job) because it's what they are good at or want to do, not because of some lifetime community service project that they want to fulfill in society. Also, IP makes a valid point.

"History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme."

Human's picture

BlackHat: Personally I

PE
(King Kong, 1,891
 
Points)
 on 5/23/12 at 8:33pm
BlackHat:

Personally I couldn't give less of a fuck, I'm just doing something I like and getting paid money (which I also like) to do it. Who cares about anything else?

The best quote ever: "What Other People Think of Me is None of My Business"
http://www.mindrecipes.com/2011/what-other-people-...

No matter what you do in life, there will always been people complaining that you are not doing enough. The more you try to please other, the more you will need to do justify yourself. It is an endless vicious cycle. At the end of the day, you are only accountable to yourself. You are the only one who really know what make you happy.

The only people I know who keep talking about adding value are self-righteous pricks who don't add any value to themselves as well as to others. Here is something that you can send to your self-righteous friends:

"Don't try and make yourself useful in the world. Look at the natural order of things. What is the use of a tree? It has many uses, but it isn't TRYING to be useful. It's just doing what it wants and in the process of doing that it does its job in the natural order of things. The only way you are ever going to do an ounce of good in the world is to do what you want.

Look around you at the people who try hard to be useful. Are they really doing good things for people? Or, do they make everyone around them miserable with their self-righteousness and incessant busy-bodying? Everyone hates them for being insincere and treating others with inferiority.

The people who really do others some good are those who do what they like and don't care if they are being useful. These people are usually interesting and fun to be around. They inspire other people to figure out what it is that they want to do by example, thus causing more people to be interested in life and interesting to be around. These people have the most profoundly positive impact on us and thus make our lives richer in the most meaningful way."

-based on an article from http://users.aristotle.net/~diogenes

"I am the hero of the story. I don't need to be saved."

BlackHat's picture

Human, I love your post. And

HF
 
Points)
 on 5/23/12 at 8:42pm

Human, I love your post.
And Illini, totally in agreement.

My friends piling on the debt in medical school right now love to ask me how I can live with myself knowing my job doesn't help people. Instead of arguing that it does I've just resorted to saying I don't give a shit, because that's the truth anyway. As a person though, I like to think I do plenty to make the people around me lead better and happier lives.

I hate victims who respect their executioners

Follow BH & Co. on Twitter: @DumbLuckCapital
twitter.com/DumbLuckCapital

Nouveau Richie's picture

I truly am of the mind that

IB
(Neanderthal, 2,777
 
Points)
 on 5/23/12 at 8:59pm

I truly am of the mind that society is best served when the base level of accountability is the individual. The corollary to such accountability implies that each person must make a life pursuing his own goals, with his own ability, to his own happiness (and the happiness of those whose happiness makes him happy (#Inception)).

I don't indiscriminately care about the "greater good" because doing so would be to spit in the face of the few I truly care about; to love everyone is to devalue your ability to love those who deserve it. I'm going to pursue what I'm passionate about to the best of my ability - if it happens to contribute to society, I'm happy to do it, but it's only a coincidence. I'm trying to make a life for me and my inner circle, everyone else can fuck off.

tl;dr: I don't care about contributing to society because it places society above those I truly care about (myself + few people I love).

BlackHat:

When my answer is "well, nothing really," they want to ask how I can live with myself. Personally I couldn't give less of a fuck, I'm just doing something I like and getting paid money (which I also like) to do it. Who cares about anything else?

+1 SB good sir.

Fredbird's picture

"Companies make money, banks

(Baboon, 129
 
Points)
 on 5/23/12 at 9:07pm

"Companies make money, banks make money, investors.... well, two out of three ain't bad", or what was it?

But in all seriousness, people I know/encounter either have business degrees themselves or I can go with one of two possibilities: Either tell them something about market efficiency, capital allocation and how that benefits the economy, or I just tell them I don't care, but I like what I'm doing and generate a lot of tax revenues.

streetwannabe's picture

Fredbird: "Companies make

(King Kong, 1,316
 
Points)
 on 5/23/12 at 9:10pm
Fredbird:

"Companies make money, banks make money, investors.... well, two out of three ain't bad", or what was it?

But in all seriousness, people I know/encounter either have business degrees themselves or I can go with one of two possibilities: Either tell them something about market efficiency, capital allocation and how that benefits the economy, or I just tell them I don't care, but I like what I'm doing and generate a lot of tax revenues.

Haha, that's the best excuse. I help create liquidity!

"History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme."

BTbanker's picture

Junior analysts may not add

IB
 
Points)
 on 5/23/12 at 9:28pm

Junior analysts may not add too much value to society, but like others said, who gives a shit? But you do learn a lot, position yourself for better opportunities, and give yourself flexibility – which is more than 99% of other undergraduate and MBA students can say. Now, senior investment bankers and portfolio managers are a different story.

"A man generally has two reasons for doing anything. One that sounds good, and the real one." - J.P. Morgan

RichardPennybags's picture

No.

ST
 
Points)
 on 5/23/12 at 9:30pm

No.

"Every man should lose a battle in his youth, so he does not lose a war when he is old"

illiniPride's picture

Damn, WSO is waxing

IB
(King Kong, 1,099
 
Points)
 on 5/23/12 at 9:56pm

Damn, WSO is waxing philosophic today. Me likey.

Leadership can be defined in two words: "Follow Me"

mhurricane's picture

No. Even if I was a genius, I

 
Points)
 on 5/23/12 at 9:58pm

No. Even if I was a genius, I would not feel obligated to pursue medicine. I would pursue the most lucrative career possible.

The difference between successful people and others is largely a habit - a controlled habit of doing every task better, faster and more efficiently.

blueslord2910's picture

Every person has his/her own

 
Points)
 on 5/23/12 at 10:45pm

Every person has his/her own career which is part of the whole society. Doctors can't do research with fund and where does the fund come from? Just a function of life and do what you love in my opinion.

808's picture

Our society has this thing

CF
(Gorilla, 611
 
Points)
 on 5/23/12 at 10:52pm

Our society has this thing called "money" that we use to quickly and accurately measure how much of a contribution an individual is making to society. More money earned means they contributed more. Unfortunately, it's easy for the simple-minded to think that since a doctor's work has a much more direct and tangible benefit than someone who helps bring efficiency to the capital markets, the doctor's work is a greater contribution. It's not - if Doctor A didn't exist to do my surgery, all I'd have to do is go to Doctor B. That's why doctor's aren't paid millions.

From a more macro-societal viewpoint, finance is a much more important profession than medicine. If tomorrow the whole world forgot that there ever was a medical profession, we as a society would be fine. Yes, life would be more uncomfortable, and people would die sooner, but after all, society got along fine for thousands of years without even knowing the benefits of modern medicine - it wasn't until a few hundred years ago that doctors started doing more good than harm anyway. The point is, society would go on.

Now try to remove finance from the societal equation. Extreme inefficiency in the capital markets would result, which means that capital would no longer have a way to flow from one person to the next. A lucky few would have all that remained of the hugely diminished capital pool, and the remaining 7 billion of us would quickly start starving, which would immediately lead to rampant crime, poverty, disease, and war. Think about the poorest, war-torn sub-Saharan countries. Famine (affecting 67% of the population in the Congo), leading to rampant crime, poverty, disease, and war, just like I said. Why? Inefficiency in the countries capital market. Period. Adding a million doctors to the mix would do nothing. Adding an efficient capital market is the difference between the Congo and the U.S. After efficient markets follows the rule of law and a stable government, and the rest of society - the less essential parts like medicine - will fall into place.

There's a reason we get paid the most: we add the most value.

http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/group/big-4-accounting
http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/group/entrepreneur

rynofrowan's picture

RichardPennybags: No. hit the

ST
(Baboon, 171
 
Points)
 on 5/23/12 at 11:06pm
RichardPennybags:

No.

hit the road, pennybags

Moving tonnes of product. Making fat stacks.

charmander's picture

Try: "I reduce the bid-ask

IB
 
Points)
 on 5/23/12 at 11:25pm
bossman's picture

In a long term i'd like to be

O
(Gorilla, 746
 
Points)
 on 5/23/12 at 11:29pm

Do what you want not what you can!

Relentless101's picture

Jealousy is a bitch. It just

O
(Baboon, 116
 
Points)
 on 5/23/12 at 11:44pm
sayandarula's picture

dude... people pay you,

O
(King Kong, 1,812
 
Points)
 on 5/23/12 at 11:49pm

Money Never Sleeps? More like Money Never SUCKS amirite?!?!?!?

jaelbelle's picture

Eventually, you can donate

O
(Chimp, 1
 
Points)
 on 5/23/12 at 11:54pm
Relentless101's picture

jaelbelle: Eventually, you

O
(Baboon, 116
 
Points)
 on 5/24/12 at 12:03am
SirTradesaLot's picture

A) only jobs that 'help'

O
 
Points)
 on 5/24/12 at 12:22am

Turbo leverage for capital explosion -- BD Capital

My WSO Blog

West Coast rainmaker's picture

I really don't care about

ER
(Neanderthal, 2,071
 
Points)
 on 5/24/12 at 12:28am
bud_fox1933's picture

Relentless101: jaelbelle: E

CO
(Monkey, 61
 
Points)
 on 5/24/12 at 12:49am

"I never said that you are not good at what you do...it's just that what you do is not worth doing!"

WSOusername's picture

808: Our society has this

 
Points)
 on 5/24/12 at 1:01am

GBS

etherlord's picture

GoldmanBallSachs: 808: Our

CF
 
Points)
 on 5/24/12 at 2:35am
ST Monkey's picture

yeah, my "value add" and most

ST
(Orangutan, 312
 
Points)
 on 5/24/12 at 3:51am
In The Flesh's picture

Never, not in the slightest.

HF
(Neanderthal, 2,792
 
Points)
 on 5/24/12 at 8:04am

Head of Metal Website: www.headofmetal.com

https://twitter.com/headofmetal2012

Boreed's picture

I as a student add more value

PE
 
Points)
 on 5/24/12 at 8:20am

WSO User Guidelines
WSO Interview Guides

krazyhorse's picture

"When my answer is "well,

(Chimp, 6
 
Points)
 on 5/24/12 at 9:39am
808's picture

etherlord: GoldmanBallSachs

CF
(Gorilla, 611
 
Points)
 on 5/24/12 at 10:03am

http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/group/big-4-accounting
http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/group/entrepreneur

suchislife's picture

GoldmanBallSachs: 808: Our

PE
 
Points)
 on 5/24/12 at 10:30am
WSOusername's picture

@808. Hopefully my message

 
Points)
 on 5/24/12 at 11:18am

GBS

illiniPride's picture

GoldmanBallSachs: @808.

IB
(King Kong, 1,099
 
Points)
 on 5/24/12 at 11:20am

Leadership can be defined in two words: "Follow Me"

808's picture

GoldmanBallSachs: @808.

CF
(Gorilla, 611
 
Points)
 on 5/24/12 at 11:47am

http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/group/big-4-accounting
http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/group/entrepreneur

illiniPride's picture

@808 I get your argument and

IB
(King Kong, 1,099
 
Points)
 on 5/24/12 at 12:04pm

Leadership can be defined in two words: "Follow Me"

etherlord's picture

808: As for the other

CF
 
Points)
 on 5/24/12 at 12:10pm
etherlord's picture

Another example if you

CF
 
Points)
 on 5/24/12 at 12:27pm
808's picture

illiniPride: @808 I get your

CF
(Gorilla, 611
 
Points)
 on 5/24/12 at 12:34pm

http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/group/big-4-accounting
http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/group/entrepreneur

Human's picture

etherlord: Another example if

PE
(King Kong, 1,891
 
Points)
 on 5/24/12 at 12:39pm

"I am the hero of the story. I don't need to be saved."

etherlord's picture

Don't like losing in the

CF
 
Points)
 on 5/24/12 at 12:41pm
Cola Coca's picture

808: Classic utilitarianism -

O
(Orangutan, 321
 
Points)
 on 5/24/12 at 12:46pm
Human's picture

etherlord: Jimmy is

PE
(King Kong, 1,891
 
Points)
 on 5/24/12 at 12:50pm

"I am the hero of the story. I don't need to be saved."

808's picture

@ etherlord - Like I said, we

CF
(Gorilla, 611
 
Points)
 on 5/24/12 at 1:13pm

http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/group/big-4-accounting
http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/group/entrepreneur

808's picture

Cola Coca: 808: Classic

CF
(Gorilla, 611
 
Points)
 on 5/24/12 at 1:19pm

http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/group/big-4-accounting
http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/group/entrepreneur

etherlord's picture

808: Volunteer work, for

CF
 
Points)
 on 5/24/12 at 2:11pm
Cola Coca's picture

808: Cola

O
(Orangutan, 321
 
Points)
 on 5/24/12 at 2:15pm
heister's picture

Some one once asked me if I

HF
(Neanderthal, 2,465
 
Points)
 on 5/24/12 at 2:28pm

Follow the shit your fellow monkeys say @shitWSOsays

CornerOffice21's picture

This is funny because my

IB
(Monkey, 36
 
Points)
 on 5/24/12 at 3:33pm

"The penalty of success is to be bored by the people who used to snub you."
-- Lady Nancy Astor

Impartial.Spectator's picture

I personally do care, because

 
Points)
 on 5/24/12 at 3:44pm

"Your imagination is your preview of life's coming attractions."
--Albert Einstein

http://davincisdelta.wordpress.com/

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