help me with my future

[tdono17]

Im a gifted individual who has failed in school because our educational system is broken. I need guidance to the opportunity to live my life to its fullest potential. I truly feel that I can succeed at so many things, I love to learn more than anything and I am on a continuous quest of understanding the world I live in, It is because I love learning so much that I hate school because I do not learn in school and I am not challenged by any of the repetitious and boring work Im assigned. Most of the things I'm taught are entirely forgotten anyway because the only way I retain knowlege is if I use it, when things dont fit into the web of my understanding of the world, theyre irrelevant and i dont care about them. I feel that if they were important, I could always learn about them when I needed to instantly anyway. I want to focus on my own goals, not the goals school provides for me. Im burnt out, and my home life has always been troubled. During my younger teens my parents went through a messy divorce and my whole world came crashing down at once, the loss of innocence of childhood for me was not a gradual process but was instead forced upon me throughout the course of several traumatic months. To sum it up, ive been fucked from the get-go, and sometimes it makes me want to kill myself because i dont feel like i even belong on this earth because i cant identify with 98% of people on it or the decisions they make. I dont want that though. I feel like I have a purpose here. how did you find yours? can anyone help me? I think I would make a great investor/entrepreneur but i dont know how to get started without college, and I would love to go to college but i dont have the grades to go and I cant get good grades in school because it drives me crazy......help!

 

[Ermine]

Stop giving yourself excuses not to succeed. I understand you're not in the best environment, and I don't approve of the school system either, but blaming outer circumstances will make you helpless. I didn't like the majority of my high school assignments, but I still worked hard for the sake of "beating the system" and getting a good GPA and test scores for college. Also, as a P, I like to keep my options open. Having good grades allows me to go to nearly any college I want if I'm willing to work for it. And the classes are much better, even the GE classes.

And if you're so gifted, make something happen! It doesn't have to be anything huge, just always have some sort of project underway. I find that very helpful. And purpose? Your purpose is really anything you want it to be. Just do whatever you love to do and find a way to contribute with it.

 

[bananaphallus]

ycombinator.com and techstars.org are worth a look if you've got an idea (they prefer web or technological), they provide seed funding to people in your position [should they accept you], people with ideas and strong entrepreneurial interests, but no clear avenues to pursue them. I'd also suggest looking through the many angel investor directories which can be found on the internet, some of these consortia hold open events where you can go and introduce yourself to people who may know how to help you - this could provide you with a way to apply yourself, give you something to think about, seeing as how school can be so mind-numbingly tedious.

 

[tdono17]

thank you for your replies, i have many ideas for projects, and im always coming up with new ones, i feel like the more information im exposed to the more ideas i come up with, im constantly making things click together, for example the other day i was thinking about the library, and, i love the idea of the library, its one of the greatest places in the world, really. and kids my age dont understand that, and i think part of it has to do with the fact that they never go there. Ive also been fantasizing about creating a utopian community for intellectuals, and the two ideas merged when i thought about combining the library and school into one building, which would also include more space and time for cultural studies. Students with art and musical talents could have a space to perform and display their work and centralizing all these environments in one location would create a community gathering place. I dont think all in one peice though, its all abstract thoughts, it takes awhile for things to fall into place, but i learn new things with everything i experience. anyway. i digress, my ideas never go anywhere because i dont follow through with what i start, im overwhelmed by my environment and disheartened by the lack of opportunity. What i really need is a mentor, I learn the most from engaging with people and solving problems tactically. Do you think that any powerful capitalists would be interested in taking me under their wing for my fresh radical thinking?

 

[Da Blob]

Grades are not necessarily a requirement to get a good education. I think that if one focuses on excelling on the usual pre-college standardized exams by investing in some serious 'prepping" time, one might be surprised by the offers and acceptance letters. I do believe that some schools even offer scholarships to those who do well on such tests...

In any event, continue to educate your self, odds are, that the skills you need to really succeed in life cannot be learned simply by reading books and then writing papers about what you have read... This may lead to success in school, but failure at life.



LOL, Yes I had a 4.O Grade Point Average in Graduate School, but my Grade Point Average in Real Life is only 1.3 (A nerd's Lament)

 

[Infinite Regress]

I think I would make a great investor/entrepreneur but i dont know how to get started without college, and I would love to go to college but i dont have the grades to go and I cant get good grades in school because it drives me crazy......help!

A degree isn't necessary to become an investor/entrepreneur, but the doors it opens particularly with regards to the contacts you will make [through study and work] can help immensely as you learn off the pro's in their field.

If you are dedicated, just grit your teeth and get the grades because for some reason that piece of paper holds alot of importance.
After that there's no stopping how you apply that knowledge to the real world and that is when it really matters.

 

[spoirier]

I feel shocked to see some of the answers that were given to tdono17 here. Indeed, he came to explain that he was feeling desperate because of real troubles in the world that does not offer him a reasonable chance to find his way.
So he was coming here in hope to find like-minded people able to understand him, and maybe offer some effective guidance.
He really was in need of something like a University of INTPia, and not only made of cold links to online courses but also of seriously thoughtful people to talk with.

And then people came here and just did not pay attention to the existence of any problem at all, but just to claim that there should not be any problem, no point to complain, everything ok, not even a need of any help.
What I feel (or interpret) of these answers, is that they were rude to him (I mean this is the end result of what he probably got of it, even if it was not intended), assuming all his troubles were his fault; that, as there should not be any problem, so it is wrong to complain and to ask for any help. This way they were just making him guilty of his own experience and of the adverse circumstances he was facing.
Do you really think everything is OK in this world ?

This reminds me of my own experience.

First of course as concerns the school and higher education system which I see as really wrong, and that were such a huge burden to me; with people around first just claiming it was up to me to succeed up to getting the phd for being able to teach maths in my way; then people around pretended all the misfortune that came to me by following this way my fault, it was just up to me to say "no" and build myself out of this nonsense.
Then, with respect to my misfortune in my search for love: people around kept denying the existence of any problem, while I knew my situation was rather desperate, and that my chances to find my love were low. I was right in my fear and pessimism; optimistic people were wrong, but the truth turns out to be indefensible in such a circumstance.

This misunderstanding is based on the fact that many people in this world have no sense of the true or false, but only a sense of the cute vs ugly beliefs or expectations, so that any sense of what's really going wrong is taboo. This biased spirit rules the world, and it's a pity even clever people may be tempted to spread its influence.

More comments on the general features of this very same kind of misunderstanding are there (especially sections "what is spirituality" and "the cult of the violent social paralysis") as this is a fallacy at the very basis of the success of so many "spiritual teachings".

I guess the whole impression that tdono17 got from this little discussion, is that most people here (other intp) were not ready to understand him, but were just rude and unconcious people like everybody around (non-intps), and did not really have anything to say, any sense of purpose or effective project in life that may be worth to mention and to guide him to, but consider it wrong to seek for any such thing. And this might be the reason why he just left this forum and did not expect anything from here anymore. Then, how could you tell whether he did not commit suicide yet, out of despair to not find anything worth doing in this life or even anybody to care for such a question ?

As for me, I did find things quite worth learning and/or doing in this life, especially in science and how to change the world by software. Indeed, don't you remember, science is something wonderful, so that it's such a pity that the school system does not give significant clues of it, to such a point that many people are not aware of it. Why did not you suggest this ? Maybe because you don't have or know good enough introductions to science to suggest ? I've dedicated quite a time working to express some of the main scientific concepts in clearer terms.
I'm only desperate to see nobody interested to seriously care about those things that would be so interesting and worth investing oneself in, as I did find. So I'd have been ready to try discussing with him in case some of my suggestions could fit with the kind of things he may have been interested to do (which was not very clearly specified). (I sent him a private message...)

 

[Razare]

I dont want that though. I feel like I have a purpose here. how did you find yours? can anyone help me? I think I would make a great investor/entrepreneur but i dont know how to get started without college, and I would love to go to college but i dont have the grades to go and I cant get good grades in school because it drives me crazy......help!

I understand about the difficulties with school, I have had my share. I'm assuming you're a smart INTP like most of us here. This means school will be difficult for all the wrong reasons. Most people find it difficult because of the content they have to learn, nope, it's difficult for us because we procrastinate, have poor time management, and aren't always good at dealing with others.

This sums up our lives pretty well, so success in school is often a good measure for success in life. There are, however, the exceptions. Generally the exceptions are those people who are not very book smart, but are very people smart. These people are not INTP's, not the ones I've met at least. Their excellent people skills allow them to do great at life, even if they cannot master college.

To get a good job, you'll need college basically.

 

[chuwang]

my advice you NEED the grades for college. continue outside projects or groups that would look good. Find a subject whether physics art peotry and focus HARD on it to the pint that your the type of person that can win competions in it. math and science are pretty safe justto say. you nned to focus on that one thing you enjoy more thatn anything that can be productve to your life . you need atleast one ting your realy good at and stability everywhere else (good GPA SAT ect..) to get into a good college off scholarship. whether you want to or notget the grades and test scores. also work on your interpersonal abilities ( being able to work effectiviely adn easily with others ect.. this has to be concrete abililty not theoretical knowledge in your head.) find one or two people with the same gaol to get into a more free intellectually stimulating evnironment, and help keep each othe rmotivated. you will likely only find one or two adn you highschool. write down the names of three colleges you want to go to adn call thier admisions office today, tell your situation your interest in their school (use a lot of enthusiam here it can be heard in your voice) adn ask what you should do to get in to their college. do it and follow up telling your suscces and asking for more help. this way you build a relationship with the college adn they see you as a n achieving student far in advance. read on communication skills practice them, read on becoming more motivated adn become more moivated. it will take work to get yoursielf where you want to be and this intellectually stimulating utopia you seek can be found on the campuses of the right colleges. just basically work to get into a good college off scholarship, it will take work but you will look back and say those 4 years of highschool were worth it because you become able to live the life you wanted.

 

[EditorOne]

"Im a gifted individual who has failed in school because our educational system is broken."

You may not intend it this way, but it sounds very much like you are deliberately donning a mantle of victimhood and enjoying the fit. Hence Ermine's tart "suck it up" response, which I can't improve upon. However we can be charitable and chalk up the tone of your remark to communicatiosn dissonance. So:

A very long time ago it became clear to me that the value of examining my own role in how things turn out was probably the most useful thing I could do before looking for external causes of success or failure. I suggest you do the same, starting with the idea that if you knew the educational system was broken, what did you do to compensate for that fact? It's not like you're helpless. And self-awareness, which you demonstrate, is the first tool in making things come out the way you want. "I know this school is not going to help me overcome my emotional problems, therefore I must" do what? You are not as powerless as you feel.

The second useful thing I can think of to tell you is to have patience with yourself. There's no quick solution to getting out of the crap you're swimming in, no magic formula to make the inanity of much of our education system palatable. You must endure the ordure, for a while longer, and if you want to use your gifts to the point, you should, at the start of every new course, identify the very specific things you will need to do to achieve success with the least investment of time and energy, then rigorously do those things even if you want to scream. In fact, go ahead and scream, it will probably help as much as anything else. Meanwhile by reducing the investment needed for "school world success" to a manageable minimum, you open up other time for freewheeling investigation into anything that strikes your fancy.

As to not identifying with 98 percent of the world: Get used to it. You're an INTP. And sometimes you just have to take whatever incomprehensible crap someone is throwing at you and say "WTF? OH, that's one of those things I'll never understand. OK, moving on now, nothing to see here." And then forget about it.

I hope that is of some use. I can certainly empathize.

 

[chanjhj]

Honest Opinion? I know school sucks, and I completely agree with this. Every single subject taught there is definitely not interesting, nor is it useful to me in any way. It is knowledge, simply one that I am not interested in. Like you, school is something I would rather not have.

Then again, it is not as if we have much of a choice. We have to attend school in any case and unfortunately, it is important for our future education, even if it does not seem to serve any practical purpose now. For me, I'm just treating school as a challenge that I have to face and overcome, hopefully achieving excellent grades in the process so that I will be able to study what I want to. In any case, the obtaining of knowledge is good (Even if i absolutely detest mathematics. Differentiation makes no sense.)

Still, I do try to pursue my own interests and explore different areas whenever I can.

As for purpose in life? Well, I would suppose its different for different people. It just struck me one day while I was musing over some thoughts and it kind of just developed from there. It was also strongly influenced by my interests, I suppose.
Just think to yourself, what do you really feel strong about, what you wish to do more than anything else, what do you think you can do etc.