Thinking Out LoudI started university with a Bachelor of Laws but I’m ending with a Bachelor of Arts. The age-old question Arts students dread is on my mind: Will I even get a job?
On my jam-packed train, people are already replying to emails as they juggle their laptop and coffee in hand. I’m struck by John Steinbeck’s words in his novel East of Eden: “I guess a man’s importance in the world can be measured by the quality and number of his glories”. Everything around me tells me that everyone is on the make, that glory is found in prominent accomplishments or the highest paying jobs. You know, the ones I probably will have a harder time qualifying for.
I didn’t veer away from Law unconscious of its prestige, career opportunities, and the hard work I endured to get into the degree in the first place. But there’s something to writer David Brooks’ comparison between “resume virtues” – the skills necessary in the marketplace – and “eulogy virtues” – the things we want to be remembered for. The accomplishments which are truly inspiring at the end of one’s life are not excellent time management or productivity but a radiant empathy and selfless humility. Glory is bigger than a brilliant resume.
There is goodness and glory in achievements, but their gleam can make us overlook what they require of us. Are those costs worth it? The words of Jesus persist in my mind: “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” It’s not as though success corrodes us from within. But maybe success makes the soul easier to forget.