No, it’s dead center on what I said. Think through why it would be “dumb” and the point should make itself.
“It’s interesting how much ‘mature wisdom’ resembles being too tired.” - Lazarus Long
Generally people in business school have loftier goals than being in some sort of back office administrative cost-center job. They are looking to be entrepreneurs, wealthy finance moguls or leaders of business. Same thing with lawyers. A lot of them have a passion for practicing law or ideals about helping people and changing the world.
I don’t really even like the term “follow your dreams”. By definition, dreams are flights of fancy, not anchored in reality. A better question is “what do you want to do in life”. Once you figure out what you want to do, it’s a lot easier to set tangible goals to help you get there.
Fact is, most people don’t have dreams or goals or want to “do” anything but be comfortible. They will generally resign themselves to doing what is expected of them.
To start with, I don’t think you can put MBAs and lawyers in the same boat; for all the superficial similarities the careers and practices are too different. (Doctors and lawyers may choose their careers because of a passion for the nature of the job and intend to work at a very low income level for ethical reasons; while I suppose there are Harvard MBAs who aimed to run a grassroots nonprofit at a blue-collar salary, I don’t see much of an ethical equivalence there.)
And of course business majors aim for the loftier goals, just as most med and law students aim for lofty partnerships and practices. But the opportunities for successful entrepreneurship and fast-track promotions are pretty slim… so those desks in AR stay filled.
But I stand by my comments: it’s rare for someone to choose a path that represents a lower lifetime income than is otherwise within their grasp. Put simply, you’re seen as a weirdo if you choose an English degree and modest employment prospects if checking the MBA program box was an option for you. Or if at any point in your education/employment arc, you choose something other than an available rung to the next highest income potential.
Yeah, I suppose there isn’t really an MBA equivalent of running off to Africa to give flu shots to starving orphans. But not every MBA is looking to be a investment banker either. Many do get into non-profits or other types of work that isn’t as lucrative. They get an MBA so they can actually read a P&L statement or market their idea to potential doners.
The thing about business school is that it teaches you that it’s a lot easier to achieve your dreams if you can convince other people that there is a financial benefit for you to do so.
Lawyers OTOH, are mostly a drain on society.
Again, you totally discount that some “what you prefers” are inherently expensive. According to your theory, you’re just not supposed to want those things anymore, and somehow … problem solved!
For example, I used to keep a horse. Keeping a horse is expensive, even though I lived in a realtively low cost of living area. When I was working a professional job, I had the money for vet bills and blankets and competition entries and the occasional leisure trip to major competitions (as a spectator!). When I quit my job and worked part time on a farm with all the leisure in the world with my horse literally outside my window… guess what, no money for lessons or competitions, no ability to go anywhere, rarely on the same schedule as other adults, result, no interest in riding.
It’s all well and good if your hobbies are all basically free/cheap and just require time. Lots of things that are fun cost money, and a lot of it if you want to do those fun things frequently. What’s your solution other than “stop enjoying expensive things”?
You’re very close to my actual theory.
Learn to want only what is truly important to you, not what you are ceaselessly conditioned to value for the wrong reasons. It’s okay to have expensive taste in something, or an expensive hobby… if that’s what really means something to you.
If none of your income is “disposable” and simply disposed of, it’s amazing what you can achieve on a very modest income.
Sure, but then all your "what would you really do if you could live on less!!!??!~!~!~! hypos mean nothing. The answer is, you can’t have both. Once you’ve sacrificed every expenditure that is meaningless in your life, you still don’t have enough money to enjoy your hobby. So you can be poor and bored, if that’s your thing. Or you can work to fund your pastimes, which is what most people do. I find the number of people I know who are actually obsessed or weighed down by excessive consumption is actually very few. Maybe I just know awesome people.
I agree with your general principle (most people would have more freedom of choice in their life if they reduced their consumption) but I believe you are FAR overstating the reality. I can’t just stop enjoying horses and competing, and start enjoying dumpster diving instead.
No, you’re missing my point, which isn’t surprising as I can’t reduce it to a few key sentences and don’t have time to post a full-length version. Read the book when it comes out. 
I believe it is possible to have everything you want. The first key is ridding yourself of wanting what other people want you to want. The second key is making life choices that take you the direction you want to go, not the direction you have been conditioned into believing you must go.
ETA: I have some very expensive hobbies and tastes, and I come from a family of horse owners, so I know the kind of expenses you’re talking about. I also have a family income that many would find downright laughable. So I’m not talking out of my ass, here, and I am preparing to bring this philosophy and praxis to a very wide audience.
And I believe it is possible to do ALL these things, and not have everything you want, because some truly enjoyable things cost quite a bit of money, and saying “oh just don’t like those things” is letting money control your choices and dictate your life just as much, just in the other direction. Not to mention, while working hard and acheiving goals feels good, there’s a point at which the amount of work you have to put in to make something happen sucks all the joy out of it.
Good idea to not be a wage slave, crazy to think that alone can give you “everything” except for some very specific values of “everything.”.
“You… do not understand.” - Kosh
“Your conclusions are not as universal as you believe.”
-Me
I didn’t say they were universal, although there are universally applicable aspects.
My goal is only to educate, not save souls; if you choose to believe that the only choice is between scrabbling for every dollar you can reach or living a stunted life, I can only tell you you’re wrong and wish you well.
I’m keeping this one. I wish I had someone shake that into me when I was in my 20s.
To your other point about not moving to the next rung. I recently turned down a position that would have elevated me to the next level of management in another department in my organization. It would have meant more money, prestige, and exposure and growing. I chose to stay doing what I am currently doing, which I am competent and comfortable (for better or worse) and among people I know and like. Why? I did not want to make the change right now, and the money was no incentive. Does that make me a loser for chosing this path?
Luckily, I never said that.
Hey, i need to work at something. I had shitty, boring low paying jobs when I was a kid. I’d rather have shitty, boring high paying ones.
There are actually a lot of MBAs out in public administration. They aren’t making as much as they might in private business.
There are also just a LOT of MBAs. Too many of them to all be CEOs of Fortune 500s or investment bankers. There is a smaller subset of Ivy League (or equivalent) MBAs, but you can’t swing a dead cat without hitting an MBA in most companies.
Same with attorneys.
I’ve worked with plenty of cube dwellers - purchasing specialists, programmers, business analysts, program managers, HR specialists with law degrees and MBAs.
By conventional thinking, yes. There must be something wrong with you to not take a step up in pay.
By my lights? Hardly. It’s all in “the money wasn’t an incentive” and the fact that you like your current position is evidence that you value things other than maximizing your income at any cost.