Stuff I Don't Understand:
Being "Forced" To Make Lots of Money Edition
With Thoughts On Women Who Want Guys Who Make Lots Of Money

Well, there's this.

Here's the thing. Nobody's forcing this guy to make lots of money, nor to be in the career he's in. I know: I whine about teaching. It's not like I have much room to talk. But I realize that it's a choice I made, and that I could do other things. (In fact, much of my whining is a way of saying: I am currently thinking about doing something else.) But anyway: nobody's forcing you to try to make scads of money, dude. If you think there's any amount of money worth working 80 hours a week for at a job you don't seem to like, then you are a crazy person.

And as for women: if you're dating women who care how much money you make, then you're not dating women worth dating. I mean, it's reasonable for someone--male or female--to not want to get involved with a bum. But the tone of this letter suggests that the women in question are making being absurdly wealthy a necessary condition for dating someone. And, uh, not only are such women not the only women in the world...but if you're pursuing such women for anything other than very casual sex (something the author in question seems to rule out), then you're doing something very, very stupid.

I have little sympathy for guys like this because odds are they are guys with little going for them other than their earning potential. We are largely responsible for the people we become. And if you become someone who is interested largely in money and women who are interested in guys who have money, then it's little wonder that you're miserable. That's a miserable kind of life to lead, and miserable kind of person to be. In fact, the phrase "get a life" comes to mind. Get some interests. Learn something. Then get friends who know things and who are interested in interesting things. Then what will happen is that you will meet interesting women who are interested in interesting things. And such women are, interestingly, interested in guys who are interested in interesting things. And some of them will be interested in you. Then you will not only have opportunities to go out with non-gold-digging women, you will be a non-gold-digging guy as well--that is, a guy interested in something other than money and the women it attracts. Which means there will be a decent chance of you living a meaningful life and being a good person. Which is its own reward, in addition to the happy consequence it has, girl-wise.

I cannot believe I have to explain this stuff to some people.