Here are Eleven Things You Didn't Learn in School

[Bosolai]

As for the President thing, although I really dislike G.W. at this point, he did work hard. Sure, he had help from his pop to get his title, but he did a hella lot more work than kings in the monarchy system. G.W. worked his ass off in high school and college (even though he did drugs, but almost everyone has), and used some networking (albeit Daddy) to get his position. I very much dislike the man, but (in my stubborn opinion, at least) he deserves his office.

Back on topic:

When it comes to success, I can see where Packman is coming from. I want children, I want to be popular and have friends, I want to achieve satisfaction from religion. I've even got a rather Faustian hunger for knowledge, and I measure some of my success by how much I've learned. I also think you shouldn't be allowed to take 3rd semester Calculus if you can't even spell it right, but thats another matter. But the main problem I've got with Packman's success measurements is that everyone has a different scale to go by. Personally, mine is:

Am I content or better?
Am I sufficient enough to be content or better until I die?
Am I making the world a better place?

While "the Man" might have it be:

Do I have more money than my business rival?
Am I making enough money right now?
How young is my girlfriend?

And some hobo could have it be:

Am I alive?
Can I keep on living for another month?
Am I healthy?

Its all in perspective. What might be the way you measure success might not be for others. Each o' them big CEO types gets to have a soulmate who cheats, groupies who want his job, a church who loves his money (meant nothing on the religion issue, only on the fact that he is a member of an organization who loves having donations from him), enough money to buy happiness, 6 kids, 4 of which are bastards, and all are doing just fine having their tuneup in the Betty Ford Center. Those "rich" people are far from successful in my book. The mother who's husband died while she was pregnant had nothing to turn thinks she's unsuccessful because even though she have a job and can support a family, while her daughter loves her and no effort goes unappreciated, she doesn't make 100k a year and thinks its needed cause she read these 11 rules oh-so-long ago. To me, that would be success, but not in the eyes of that woman who thinks she screwed up and could have so much more.

That, and number 11 also bugs me. Most nerds don't have the confidence they need to get to be controlling business-types (not the ones I know, anyway). Only the arrogance. I'm a nerd myself, but I've just been employed with a sweet job as an underpaid actuary, but I love my job anyway because I'd do it for free. Now, I've got a friend who is über-popular (student body president this year) that wants to be president some day, and I know he's gonna work hard enough that he might very well stand a chance. He is by no means a nerd, but some day he's gonna be this country's boss.