What do you want to be?

[Cognisant]

In theory psychology is applied philosophy in respect to the human condition.
In practice, I've been told, it's effectively prostitution of an intellectual kind.

I wanted to be a philosopher, but there's no money it, so instead I wish to become a psychologist, as it is effectively an aspect of philosophy, granted I've been given the strong impression that its a career almost entirely devoid of satisfaction, forcing me to choose between my passion for it and my own mental health

Or I could be a writer, heck I could make some money in the next month or so if I really apply myself (prize money, local competition) but writing's my hobby, and there's nothing like making your hobby your job to suck all the fun out of it.

Then there's my technological aspirations: the AI theory I just don't have the time & resources for (forgive me yet nameless one), prosthetics/robotics, and the "brain in a jar" life extension project which I can foresee being the focus of my mid-life crisis

So what do you want to do?
Don’t be afraid to characterise yourself, don’t be vague, there’s no right or wrong answers, picture what you want to be in the future and tell everyone, knowing where you’re going is the first step to getting there.

 

[shoeless]

i want to get married in vegas and i want to move to new england with my husband and my cat and i want to work as a psychological therapist (perhaps an art therapist, i haven't decided) because i want to help people straighten themselves out and i want to save up enough money so that i can set up a foundation/charity type thing (while i'm doing that i'll probably be donating quite a bit) and on the side i want to write and perhaps get published at some point or at least try to because my english teacher recently said she thinks i can get published and well i love poetry so why not (but i certainly wouldn't try to make it my job, that's silly) and i want to maybe some day adopt a couple of kids and name them henry and lily and if i get a third and it was a girl she'd be named naomi (if it was a boy i have no idea) but i don't know about the kids thing because i might just kill myself having to deal with children all day

and and and i want to be happy.

 

[s0nystyle]

When i left high school, i wanted to major in business and start my own clothing company, but that never panned out because ECON + accounting were so horribly boring to me, so i decided to help out in the family business (see loan underwriting). That was a horrible idea since the housing bubble burst caused a butt load of new federal/state regulations that made getting loans to buy a home over $250,000 neigh impossible. Business slowed down, and i figured i should just go back to focusing on school.

Soooooo i figured this semester i'd try going back to college to test out the waters of my other childhood aspirations like becoming a biologist or something... that didn't end too well when i spoke with my counselor who told me i needed to take more math classes... which included calculus (WHICH I'VE NEVER TOUCHED BEFORE IN MAI LIFE). After loafing around for a bit i remembered about my digital animation class which was incredibly fun so i figured this next upcoming fall semester, i'd explore the possibilities of going down the path of becoming an animator. sure there wouldn't be much money in it, but i'd being enjoying myself while working so it wouldn't be all bad right? meh i probably sound like an idiot by the end of this, but whatever

 

[Dormouse]

Well, right now I want mainly for this year to end so I can GET OUT of this school and this mindset. I want to make the most of my summer and fix myself up for next year, 'cause I figure if I'm actually organized I'll maybe accomplish half of what I want. What I want is do well, attend every lecture held in my city, join the robotics team and the reading group and the writing team and the chess club and participate in all those other things that interest me.

I want to know everything, I want to go to university and study art, biology and physics at the same time, and hell, throw in some psychology and philosophy and whatever else takes my fancy, too.

I want to travel the world, I want to become a marine zoologist and visit those parts of the sea people have never been. I want to become an astronaut and be the first person on Mars, or hell, why not beyond that,

I want to invent faster than light travel, I want a million chances at everything and immortality. I want to win a few arguments. I want to write novels and draw beautiful pictures and learn to play an instrument. I want to volunteer and help everyone. I want to be a nomad, but I want riches and a mansion with musical floors.

I don't want to grow old, but I want to mature and be taken seriously, one day. I want to be someone people enjoy talking to, and have a house people enjoy visiting, and I want it filled with objects of importance.

I want to be braver and stronger and much, much smarter than I currently am. I want to be notorious but left in peace. I want to live near a forest, or a rocky beach, or a waterfall. I want to be remembered.

I want to name things... Children, pets, locations, whatever. I want to get those little wrinkles outside my eyes that indicate a happy lifetime. I want a few good pictures. I want a few good friends, a few good memories, a few good ideas.

I want to live forever or die a hero. I want to take my time. I want to stop contradicting myself. I want to be a walking encyclopedia, I want to watch history unfold. I want to know what everyone thinks. I want to be an enigma, and stop giving away so many thoughts.

I want to grow up so this idealism and these expectations stop crushing my soul.

 

[Irishpenguin]

It's funny that an art institution just contacted me yesterday, which expanding my thoughts of the future

I know I want to write novels or do something to get these thoughts out of my head and onto a medium that I can show people some day. When the art institution called I realized that I could at least try to get the basics of drawing a toon character just to get the point across of what this guy may act like or come off as. My brother has always seemed to have natural talent for art, and I've thought about trying to team up with him one day to try and turn some if the stories in my head into a comic or graphic novel. (I still totally want to make a cognitive function comic, that would be awesome, just for the fun of it )

Though that Art Institution is expensive as hell, but it totally seems worth it if I had the money. Because of that I'll probably try to finish my Cisco networking education enough to get certified before I go off and try to do some artistic things. That seems like a good option for trying to get ahold of a steady income to live off of, as well as give me time to get my head straight.

I like how s0ny mentioned animation, since that just so happens to be the particular branch of that institution that I would try to go for

Spoiler

And Dormouse, those seem like some awesome expectations, and don't worry, you're soul shouldn't be crushed too much along the way

 

[Vrecknidj]

I want someone else to pay my bills so I have the time to figure out what I want to do.

 

[walfin]

I want someone else to pay my bills so I have the time to figure out what I want to do.

Lol.

Don't we all.

 

[Dormouse]

(I still totally want to make a cognitive function comic, that would be awesome, just for the fun of it )

Yessssss. So much.

That said, drawing's super easy to learn. Easiest thing to self-teach ever...

To make this post less than pointless I'll ramble on a bit more.

I want to work at a circus and learn to juggle and swing on a trapeze and stuff. I want to get a job this fall so I can pay for the buses it'll take to get to school. I want to learn to function on less than nine hours of sleep.

I want to be a grandparent without ever having to be a parent. I want to watch the stars from Patagonia. I want to see the Great Barrier Reef before it dies, and the Amazon before it's all chopped down.

I want to be one of those anonymous do-gooders. Like a random acts of kindness ninja. I want to save somebody's life. I want an infinite supply of teacups and funny hats. I want a collection of buttons and a box full of sequins and other sparkly things.

I want two pet ferrets, or maybe a dog. I think I'd like a dog. I want a better memory, and I want to be good at sudokus and crosswords. I want to design and build that bionic limb I keep talking about.

I want my name written somewhere other than on a tombstone.

 

[Jill BioSkop]

I want to learn to function on less than nine hours of sleep.

Polyphasic sleep can get you doing 22h days if you respect a rigid nap shedule. 20h if you need a bit of flexibility in your daily life.

 

[Jill BioSkop]

I want my financial and administrative worries to be taken care of with minimum fuss. I want to model biological systems for money because it pays well. I want to write stuff, I have a story about insect wings to finish. I want to sort my head out and become a healthy well-adjusted individual, society membership optional. I want to get very good at kendo and learn go.

I wanted to be a philosopher, but there's no money it, so instead I wish to become a psychologist, as it is effectively an aspect of philosophy, granted I've been given the strong impression that its a career almost entirely devoid of satisfaction, forcing me to choose between my passion for it and my own mental health

Depends what satisfies you. Do you like getting into people's heads? Do you get anything from helping someone? Good therapists are said to get emotionally involved with their clients, could you do this and get something from it? Do you like having to deduce inner workings from outside manifestations? You could go into psychiatry, might be fun.

I know psychology isn't just therapy, but some comments also apply to research situations.

 

[Cognisant]

Do you like getting into people's heads?

More than anything.
< Look.

Do you get anything from helping someone?

I'm no bleeding heart, but I take great pride in whatever work I do.

Good therapists are said to get emotionally involved with their clients, could you do this and get something from it?

I can mentally put myself in someone else's situation & mindset, in other words I can do the mental gymnastics required to speak to someone in a way that makes it harder for them to ignore me than listen to me, but true to the metaphor it's exhausting.

An INFP can do this innately, but figuring out how to help someone is much easier for an INTP; there's no such thing as a perfect psychology type, even being a ESFJ has its merits.

Do you like having to deduce inner workings from outside manifestations?

What INTP doesn’t love exploring possibilities?

 

[Minuend]

One thing I've been thinking about is to be something like a biologist climbing trees to do research on them or that which lives there, diving to the depths of lakes seeing how fish survive, hiking in mountains... stuff like that.

Whenever I think about the future, I see myself enjoying solitude for the most part.

Writing something seems tempting as well. Or drawing/ art. But I think that would be more of a hobby.

 

[Anthile]

One thing I've been thinking about is to be something like a biologist climbing trees to do research on them or that which lives there, diving to the depths of lakes seeing how fish survive, hiking in mountains... stuff like that.

Whenever I think about the future, I see myself enjoying solitude for the most part.

Writing something seems tempting as well. Or drawing/ art. But I think that would be more of a hobby.

You would just end up drawing cats.

 

[pjoa09]

wanna get lotta money... and lotta time... and just wanna fuck up.

 

[Jill BioSkop]

Fucking up sounds nice, you get to do cool stuff.