Sinecures again

We do live in a land of rent-seekers. One of the common traits I have seen, even amongst some good friends, is to seek out sinecures, well-paid jobs that virtually can’t be lost. Tenured academia is one example and any management role in government.

Initially this might seem like a good idea; you can secure your income for ever and get on with your private life without any fear of loss of income. You can plan your houses, your golf, your holidays and your kids.

But after a while you start to feel ill. These roles are invariably not ‘real’ and if you disappeared the world wouldn’t notice. The lack of fear for the means to survive also starts to eat at you like cancer. You live with a malaise which you can’t diagnose nor do anything about. And before you know it, its all over. Dead and wasted.

My advice is to keep it real. Live with fear. Back your ability to be good at something. Always keep your income at risk. Exploit your core skills and keep learning new ones. It’s not exactly hunting for sabre tooth tigers but it is very true that the human body and mind needs life-uncertainty in order to function properly.