The erosion of ideals

[albireo13]

As I approach my retirement age, I recall the halcyon days when I was graduating college and preparing to change the world.


Things were clear .... there were so many opportunities ... awesome careers awaited!


Now after about 40 yrs ... it's clear that it has all been about the dollar, specifically the dollar in the pocket of MegaCorp. So many decisions were made based on financial return to the company, rather than being the right thing to do.


The optimism and idealism of youth is fleeting and easily undermined by capitalism and greed.



Anyway .. just venting ....

 

[Teacher Terry]

Totally agree!

 

[frayne]

Unfortunately we have been conditioned from early childhood about the questionable importance of acquiring material things and keeping up with the Joneses. More often than not we understand later in life the most important things are love of family, friends and being decent human beings. I was fortunate enough to work a career that allowed me a good work/life balance and got out of the rat race at fifty four years of age to enjoy family, friends and pursue my hobbies. I have know more than a few individuals that they were their jobs and had no interest in anything outside of work. Most have either passed away from coronaries, cancer, strokes or are still working into their sixties and seventies not because they have to but it is all they have ever known or pursued. The most boring humans you will ever encounter.

 

[albireo13]

The thing that has kept me working has been the fear of being destitute when I am older .. a burden on family. I am well past that but, the work ethic remains and I find it hard to break from the yoke.

 

[RobbieB]

That's another reason I chose to work at MicroCorp

 

[Music Lover]

The optimism and idealism of youth is fleeting and easily undermined by capitalism and greed.

Unfortunately, for many young people, optimism and idealism has been replaced with "gimme, gimme, gimme". Greed has always and will always be around, but when people are taught from a young age that someone owes them something then the only possible scapegoat are those who create the wealth.

 

[corn18]

I wonder how many times a similar conversation has come up over the last 200 years?

"Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!" - David Glasgow Farragut

“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!" - Hunter S. Thompson

 

[brewer12345]

I found a pocket of worthwhile (IMO) idealism in the late stages of my career. It is still riddled with cynicism on both the institution's and my parts. Just seems to be the way things are. It certainly does not help to live in a fundamentally corrupt society.


Oh well. Keep your head down, watch out for you and yours, and be prepared for the occasional BOHICA situation.

 

[albireo13]

MegaCorp demands its daily dose of protoplasm. Your future and dreams are inconsequential and outside its realm of concern.

 

[stepford]

The great and consoling realization I've had as I've gotten older is that big ideals aren't all that important anymore. Live your own life, treat the people around you kindly and the rest doesn't really matter.

 

[ER Eddie]

Capitalism is a lousy system, but it's a lot better than the alternatives.

I'm glad I never worked at a "Megacorp." The stories around here make me grimace.

 

[Bigdawg]

wow! You guys are depressing me.

For the most part I was pragmatic in my life. A to B.

I do remember thinking those in power, teachers, cops, CEO's, politicians, were all smart. Then I grew up and realized they were all (mostly) FOS. Full Of S...!

Oh well. I will and have thoroughly enjoyed life.

 

[ownyourfuture]

Shortly after starting work for the employer I would retire from a little less than 30 years later (1985) one of the 'old guys' told me that "everyone's a liberal, until they buy a house"

I didn't pay any attention at the time. I was 23 years old & knew it all
And besides, to be perfectly honest, I didn't even know (or care) what a liberal was @ the time.

About 9 years later, I bought my 1st & only home, & slowly began to realize what he meant.

 

[albireo13]

Work at MegaCorp, at first glance, is nice. But you soon realize you might as well check your brain at the door.
The stuff that goes on flies in the face of what we learned in college and even high school. Corporate politics and bad brains in high places takes its toll.

 

[corn18]

Work at MegaCorp, at first glance, is nice. But you soon realize you might as well check your brain at the door.
The stuff that goes on flies in the face of what we learned in college and even high school. Corporate politics and bad brains in high places takes its toll.

One man's point of view.

 

[albireo13]

yup. you seem to have a different viewpoint. That's fine
: )

 

[joeea]

Now after about 40 yrs ... it's clear that it has all been about the dollar, specifically the dollar in the pocket of MegaCorp. So many decisions were made based on financial return to the company, rather than being the right thing to do.

The optimism and idealism of youth is fleeting and easily undermined by capitalism and greed.

I feel bad for you.

Not all of us chose that path.

Work at MegaCorp, at first glance, is nice. But you soon realize you might as well check your brain at the door.
The stuff that goes on flies in the face of what we learned in college and even high school. Corporate politics and bad brains in high places takes its toll.

You chose the wrong employer(s).

Unfortunately we have been conditioned from early childhood about the questionable importance of acquiring material things and keeping up with the Joneses.

Some of us. Not all of us.

 

[albireo13]

Yup. I apparently chose the wrong path.
Pray for me.

 

[38Chevy454]

Shortly after starting work for the employer I would retire from a little less than 30 years later (1985) one of the 'old guys' told me that "everyone's a liberal, until they buy a house"

Or as I have heard it "Everyone's a liberal until they have to pay taxes".



Back to OP's question. I do think that megacorp does require some amount of conformity to succeed. While the main reason for existence of MC is to make money, or at least use taxpayer money for the best results, I always viewed the job as my path to personal success. So if the MC was doing good, it would also benefit me. I was never in a situation where I was forced to reduce my ethical standards or do anything that was not what I felt was the right thing to do. The technique to do what was needed is where the conformity was needed.


Only once in my career did MC crap on me and treat me unethically. But in the end that MC is not doing well and recently got removed from the Dow 30. The stock price is in the dumps, and karma is a bitch! I came out better in the end, so for now I'm the one laughing at their situation.

 

[albireo13]

Nothing is wrong with MegaCorp on its own.

You have to realize that MC is its own entity, with no interest in your welfare,
besides what what HR might tell you.


Take care of yourself.

 

[RobbieB]

Corporations exist to make money for the shareholders. That's it. Not the taxpayers, the stockholders.

 

[albireo13]

Corporations exist to make money for the shareholders. That's it. Not the taxpayers, the stockholders.

Yup and that's it.

Life becomes very simple when you think about it.

 

[albireo13]

So, ideals need to be discarded.


The point is that economic life boils down to nothing more than what gets you the most. No glory, no intellectual actualization. A basic organic urge and response, not much different than a bowel movement.

 

[marko]

For the most part I was pragmatic in my life. A to B.

I do remember thinking those in power, teachers, cops, CEO's, politicians, were all smart. Then I grew up and realized they were all (mostly) FOS.

Me too, although I realized the FOS aspect before I was a teenager, somewhere around 6th grade; I thought they were all either idiots or b**tards. Every last one of them.

I never had any such high ideals or expectations of others. My circle of concern was limited to those closest to me.

 

[Freedom56]

The optimism and idealism of youth is fleeting and easily undermined by capitalism and greed.



Anyway .. just venting ....

Dude, capitalism and greed is good. Without it, we wouldn't have all the great technology and innovation through many sectors that have dramatically changed the world.