Mike Monteiro argues that late stage capitalism has destroyed the liberal arts, and bemoans the downstream impact that’s having on the life decisions young people are making.
Am I telling you not to go to college? No. Yes. Maybe? I am telling you that decisions are no longer as cheap as they used to be—and should be, honestly. We need 20 year olds to have the freedom to try things, the freedom to explore, the freedom to end up having careers that they couldn’t have imagined at 20. Life requires a certain amount of curiosity and exploration. Life is an open world game. It rewards you for exploring. And capitalism cannot fucking stand that. It wants you on rails. Capitalism wants you to earn the living that life has already granted you.
I’m the parent of two twenty-somethings, with plenty of advantages in the world, and I know they are feeling this pressure, this conflict.