I wanted to know the truth about life. So I studied history, philosophy, art, and literature. I learned what seemed like many true things. But I could not get a job with all that hard-earned knowledge. I realized that history, philosophy, art, and literature were nothing if I couldn’t feed myself or my family. I felt condemned and betrayed by life. I told younger people about it and urged them to go into a technical field to avoid making my mistakes.
I wanted to know the truth about life. So I studied science and engineering. I learned what I seemed like many true things. And I felt proud when I got a well-paying job. But the job demanded long hours and all of my energy. I got laid off and found another job, but it turned out to be no different. I forgot myself, what I loved, why I had started down this path. I only felt tired, used up. Neglected, my wife found someone else. I became a stranger to my children. I felt condemned and betrayed by life. I told younger people about it and urged them to go into business to avoid making my mistakes.
I wanted to know the truth about life. But I looked at people going into debt for degrees that would never make them happy. So I went into business, working for others and then for myself. I learned one true thing, which seemed like the only true thing in the world: everything is always about money and money is always about love. By recognizing this pain and desire in others, I knew how to make them dance to my tune. I became wealthy, feared, adored. But I craved to be understood without the mediation of my wealth. I wanted to be loved for who I was, not merely as a resource for others. I wanted people to see the real me. But no one was interested. They only wanted to do business, to acquire money, so that they could be loved. Disillusioned, I no longer cared about making them dance. I felt condemned and betrayed by life. I told younger people about it and urged them to study history, philosophy, art, and literature to avoid making my mistakes.