Existentialism on WSO
There is a continuous stream of posts on WSO asking questions such as "what's the meaning of life?" And "I want to escape society and live in the wilderness". I tend to relate with some of these posts. It seems that since finance is so competitive, so much of a student's time must be dedicated to making sure their GPA is 3.7+, recruiting for internships the day they set foot on campus, networking, interview prep, clubs, etc. This creates a scenario where many students turn into finance hardos. It blows me away that there are posts such as “just got my SA offer; what do I do now?” Which tells us their entire life = recruiting for a finance internship. Is there any cure for them? Or are all students coming up now destined to be depressed, as a consequence of success?
Nah, not students on a broken road towards depression. It's just like the Joker says in The Dark Knight Rises, "I'm just like a dog chasing cars. I wouldn't know what to do if I caught one!" I'm guessing that's where a lot of those kinds of posts come from.
Life is pretty simple. Do good works for others. That’s it.
Have you guys heard of WOOF'ing? Check it out. You trade labor for housing in different countries. It might be of interest to some of the younger people on this forum.It
It's reasonable to do if you want to take a GAP year and do some manual labor in a another country in exchange for a roof over your head while you contemplate your future goals.
It’s called Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) - it’s not just labor, it’s organic farming.
I’ve worked on a farm before (not a WWOOF farm). It’s hard work, but rewarding.
Yes, have noticed this and am not surprised at all.
Noticed something else about these posts. 90% are about the meaning of life with an entirely secular viewpoint and with no mention of a religious life. Today, you basically have an entire generation of kids that has been told religion is for idiots, rednecks, evil homophobes, and redstate Republicans. Instead, the true meaning of life is recycling your plastic bags and fighting for social justice initiatives.
If you remove a cornerstone foundation of meaning for thousands of years and replace it with nothing or political bullshit, you end with a lot of people wondering about the meaning of life.
However, talking with kids on WSO and other places. I actually have a lot of hope for Gen Z in their search for meaning. You start a conversation and realize that a lot of them have never really been exposed to religion, or their objections are the most basic stuff out there: why is there pain in the world, hell exists so God doesn't love us, or church is about hating gay people, right?
I think that as this generation begins to search for meaning, they will begin to find what much of the modern world has been trying to conceal from them. They're smart kids I believe in them. There is nothing wrong with recent grads. What is wrong is the concerted effort to minimalize and ridicule religious belief in society in turn creating this lack of meaning for so many.
I have seen a lot of younger Millennials and Gen Z push back against the traditional corporate BS which IMO is great. Post-pandemic it's mostly been online discourse on places like Linkedin, career websites for white collar jobs (accounting, consulting, etc.) or other sites so maybe not wholly representative, but basically 'boomer' comments of:
- if you want to climb the ladder you need to show up at the office as often as possible
- it's worth taking the time to network and meet with partners, senior leadership, etc.
- join x (country club, golf scramble, etc.) because it's great for networking and meeting higher ups
followed by Gen Z responses of
- I dont really care about any of that
- I dont want to climb the ladder. Ive seen the life of my partner it's miserable
- would rather spend my time doing Y
etc. etc.
I truly think there has been a paradigm shift, partly brought on by the pandemic/WFH revolution.
Good comments but I would add that this isn't necessarily the route to meaning and happiness. It's part of the answer. Great to realize that making partner isn't the meaning of life, but not great, if you're just playing video games at home instead and have not discovered another meaning other than a more leisurely schedule.
I think you can end up really depressed following either path actually even though one may seem easier or better at first.
The MS here is further making your point. Truly sad and the reason for a lot of the unhappiness going around (COVID, “mental health,” etc.)
You're exactly right. And think about this for a second....
I'm suggesting that people just think about or consider bringing God into their life who taught us to love and take care of each other and to be more humble and kind.
What about that general viewpoint deserves MS??? Yet you mention religion to some people, and it immediately illicits anger. Just the strangest thing. It goes to show the level of brainwashing that has taken place in our society.
However, can't say it hasn't happened before. Jesus came to Earth preaching love for your fellow man and they literally nailed him to a cross....some things never change I suppose.
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Great points. I was very astounded by your thinking here. Maybe someday I’ll get to this level. I’m glad you found this way. It seems epic. Cheers 🍻
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