A Degree In Loyalty
It's been said that the lower the level of a person's education, the more loyal that person will be toward their employer. A neurosurgeon with a PhD from Columbia is less likely to stay employed at the same place than a bricklayer with a 10th-grade education. At some level, this rings quite true. Many extremely smart, extraordinarily ambitious people are unsettled by the thought of staying put in one job for prolonged periods of time. This is not meant to be seen as a judgement toward those souls that opt to stay put. Loyalty, after all, is a valued virtue. I guess my question is this, what is it about higher levels of education that creates such disquiet?
Let's say this, some of the most intelligent and thoughtful people I know are exceedingly loyal. Is that a choice or upbringing? Is loyalty a parallel trait found alongside the propensity for hard work and preference of quinoa over couscous? Can you judge the level of loyalty you'll receive as an employer if the education line on the resume ends abruptly at "some college"? Does the benefit of a multiple degree holder's intellect outweigh the probability of that person moving on to greener pastures in 18 months?
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I consider myself loyal to a point. I know that I will give more that most would expect and I also know that I will get bored quite easily. This is my curse. I am loyal until I am not. This has served me quite well. I've worked hard on projects and have been compensated and lauded and made many folks very happy and have done all of this faithfully. Then I have left.
I'm great at leaving
Is there a virtue in the desire for advancement? Is loyalty enough of an offset for pride? Or is all of that just an excuse for selfishness?
There was a young man who moved from place to place like he was looking for something. He would land in a spot, stick around for a while, get enough experience to satisfy a curiosity, then move along to the next place. One could almost say that he was looking for something the way he would flit from location to location.
Wherever he chose to work, all around him called him an extremely dedicated worker. He would arrive mostly on time, work late frequently, and would toil to an almost obsessive degree to accomplish requisite tasks.
When his job was done, this young man gathered his belongings, said his goodbyes and ventured to his next destination. He repeated this cycle from the day he dropped out of high school until he met a lovely young lady with whom he shared an interest in trains. She'd been joyfully engaged in the same series of tasks since 18 days after she returned home from two years studying at a respected European University. She was clearly well-traveled and had collected a wall full of degrees but loved nothing more than returning home. Now she loved nothing more than arriving at the same spot, greeting the same people, eating similar meals (she needed some variety, after all) and performing well at her job. Well, maybe eventually one thing (person) more.
Had he earned a bachelor's degree in loyalty through his wanderings? Was he now ready to commit himself to a singular place? Had she earned a doctorate in dedication by establishing her "most important place" so readily? Is there still room for ambition within this picture of contrasts?
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The upside of upward mobility is the promise of infinite advancement in life. Wanna make more money? Move around on your own terms. Having fewer degrees associated with your name doesn't mean that you have fewer options. Loyalty is only an anchor when you allow it to be. Strive to be loyal to yourself and to your needs. Don't become beholden to the needs of others for that will allow them to define your worth. Perhaps that's the force behind the idea that those with higher degrees are less loyal to their employers. Maybe one thing you're supposed to take away from school is learning how to value yourself.
Perhaps that's knowledge that others obtain without the needing to pass through the hallowed marble halls of institutions of higher learning.
If others are allowed to define your worth, you feel obliged to stay in place because there's no other way to establish your value. You need external affirmation and your loyalty is bought and paid for. However, if you define your own worth, you refuse to tolerate situations where others attempt to reset your value. Your loyalty becomes something that must be hard-earned.
Let's say this, some of the most intelligent and thoughtful people I know are exceedingly loyal. Is that a choice or upbringing? Is loyalty a parallel trait found alongside the propensity for hard work and preference of quinoa over couscous? Can you judge the level of loyalty you'll receive as an employer if the education line on the resume ends abruptly at "some college"? Does the benefit of a multiple degree holder's intellect outweigh the probability of that person moving on to greener pastures in 18 months?
*
I consider myself loyal to a point. I know that I will give more that most would expect and I also know that I will get bored quite easily. This is my curse. I am loyal until I am not. This has served me quite well. I've worked hard on projects and have been compensated and lauded and made many folks very happy and have done all of this faithfully. Then I have left.
I'm great at leaving
Is there a virtue in the desire for advancement? Is loyalty enough of an offset for pride? Or is all of that just an excuse for selfishness?
There was a young man who moved from place to place like he was looking for something. He would land in a spot, stick around for a while, get enough experience to satisfy a curiosity, then move along to the next place. One could almost say that he was looking for something the way he would flit from location to location.
Wherever he chose to work, all around him called him an extremely dedicated worker. He would arrive mostly on time, work late frequently, and would toil to an almost obsessive degree to accomplish requisite tasks.
When his job was done, this young man gathered his belongings, said his goodbyes and ventured to his next destination. He repeated this cycle from the day he dropped out of high school until he met a lovely young lady with whom he shared an interest in trains. She'd been joyfully engaged in the same series of tasks since 18 days after she returned home from two years studying at a respected European University. She was clearly well-traveled and had collected a wall full of degrees but loved nothing more than returning home. Now she loved nothing more than arriving at the same spot, greeting the same people, eating similar meals (she needed some variety, after all) and performing well at her job. Well, maybe eventually one thing (person) more.
Had he earned a bachelor's degree in loyalty through his wanderings? Was he now ready to commit himself to a singular place? Had she earned a doctorate in dedication by establishing her "most important place" so readily? Is there still room for ambition within this picture of contrasts?
*
The upside of upward mobility is the promise of infinite advancement in life. Wanna make more money? Move around on your own terms. Having fewer degrees associated with your name doesn't mean that you have fewer options. Loyalty is only an anchor when you allow it to be. Strive to be loyal to yourself and to your needs. Don't become beholden to the needs of others for that will allow them to define your worth. Perhaps that's the force behind the idea that those with higher degrees are less loyal to their employers. Maybe one thing you're supposed to take away from school is learning how to value yourself.
Perhaps that's knowledge that others obtain without the needing to pass through the hallowed marble halls of institutions of higher learning.
If others are allowed to define your worth, you feel obliged to stay in place because there's no other way to establish your value. You need external affirmation and your loyalty is bought and paid for. However, if you define your own worth, you refuse to tolerate situations where others attempt to reset your value. Your loyalty becomes something that must be hard-earned.