• betamark@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    7
    ·
    1 year ago

    I didn’t have what it took to be successful in college despite everyone constantly telling me I was smart enough. Now I’m a forklift driver at a plastic factory. Should I feel badly that I don’t contribute more to society? I kinda feel like I should after reading your comment.

    • ViridianNott@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      edit-2
      1 year ago

      Not at all! I think it’s enough for everyone to contribute according to their abilities. You’re making a living using your skills instead of mooching off of others, and that’s more than a lot of people can say.

      I also believe that the vast majority of work benefits human society in some way or another, even if it’s sometimes harder to see. As long as there isn’t a scalable alternative to plastic, people need it to meet their daily needs and standards, and you contribute to that directly.