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It's a nice sentiment but it doesn't really hold ground as soon as you dig a little into it.
Let's put it this way. The architect's home will still be standing when the next earthquake hits. His won't. And if the roof collapsed on his wife, she'll be crying for a doctor, not for plant balms. Fortunately there are people who work hard and "make things complicated". We'd still have a life expectancy of 30-odd years if it weren't for them. Also, I'd always heard that rice was one of the most labor and time intensive crops there is. His account of it, working 15 minutes a day for 2 months a year, doesn't make sense to me.
I do agree though that there is an insane amount of pressure put on people to "succeed" in life and the way success is defined is rather uniform. It takes some guts to walk away from that and define success in your own terms. And I'd assume there are some on this forum who have done this very thing, leaving what was probably a more lucrative path either to make or play a guitar. Alain de Botton gave a Ted talk on this pressure to succeed. He pointed out that the "American dream" was a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it gives incredible hope to people that they can "make it", and make it big. And indeed they can. On the other hand, it also implies that if you don't succeed, then it's all on you. In other words, if the poor aren't rich, it's their fault...Which is crazy, given the amount of chance that comes into play when considering whether a person will be rich or poor. And I'd also be the kind that would enjoy the tranquil life in the countryside. But I'd be a fool to look down on the whole of society just because I'd rather live on its fringe. I will very much need them one day. If one day I need it, I really really don't want to have to rely on a doctor who trained only 15 minutes a day for 2 months a year.
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