What impact does pressure have on choosing a career?
From a young age, we hear that question that sounds innocent - but really isn’t: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” They say it with a smile, as if it’s just small talk, but the echo of that question settles deep, as if we’re supposed to have an answer from the very start. By 16, we’re asked to pick a subject area. By 18, we have to choose a degree. As if it were easy. As if we were supposed to know what we want to do for the rest of our lives when we’re still trying to figure out who we are. School gives us content, formulas, and dates to memorize. But it doesn’t teach us how to ask the real questions: What do I truly enjoy? What kind of environment makes me feel good? What kind of impact do I want to have in the world? What’s my type of intelligence? Instead, many of our decisions end up being driven by fear: Fear of not finding a job, fear of disappointing our parents or fear of making the wrong choice. And the truth is, that’s how it becomes e asy ...
