Blog #6

 

We live in a society that greatly values human capital. Human capital is the skills or knowledge of an individual and how they are used to contribute to one’s society. I consider this the key aspect of how an individual’s self-worth is measured at a social scale. This means that one’s abilities are worth only as much as their role in society. Human capital is engraved in individuals from an early age. Not only from the type of school they are enrolled, but from how much better they can do things in comparison to other people. This is something that I have experienced countless of times. Not too long ago, I decided to pursue teaching as a profession. When I told others of my career choice, I did not get the supportive reaction I expected. Instead, everyone was quick to point out that although it may be a rewarding career, there is not much room for growth and that nothing but bratty kids and a mediocre salary awaits me. Some of the people I thought would be most supportive mentioned that my skills and knowledge would do better doing something else. They claimed that if making a difference was important to me, I should consider another job to make an actual impact in the world. This made me feel upset because I felt like I was selling myself short, and felt worthless in the grand social scale. Nonetheless, I know that even though I am not embarking on a life journey to make a huge difference in the world, I am embarking on a journey that is good enough for me.