---
title: How to Learn
date: 2025-06-10
lastmod: 
published: true
tags: 
    - career
    - ikigai
    - quote
---


> Find a job you enjoy, and you will never have to work a day in your life.
>  
> — Mark Twain (allegedly)

When I was in middle school, I discovered in myself a passion for computer programming. But in high school, I decided that I did not want to pursue a career in computer science. I did not want my favorite pastime and form of creative expression to be commodified. I believed that if I were to let my programming be adulterated by the grimy reality of capital and wage slavery, I would love it less.

In college, I majored in chemistry, which I did and still do also love. But because chemistry was part of my compulsory education, I felt like my passion for it was already tainted by the academic industrial complex, so I had less to lose by making it my career. While I worked in a research lab, I found that the most fun I had was when I was setting up the automatic flash chromatograph, documenting how to use our analytical equipment, and programming a Python-based gas chromatogram analytical software.

At that point, I had an epiphany — *by trying to keep programming separate from my career, I didn't have many opportunities to do it anymore*.

Nowadays, I have a MS in data science, and my day-to-day work mostly consists of devops. Although I spend most of my time working on projects that I don't really care about (at least compared to my personal projects), I am happy that I made a career pivot that lets me program and work with computers. I can get excited about even the most topically insipid of projects if it is enough of a technical challenge. And I basically get to spend all day honing my skills, so that when I do have time to work on my hobby projects, I do them better.

I do not mean to diminish the tragedy of the fact that proletarians are only allowed to meaningfully pursue our passions insofar as we pervert said passions into part of the economic process. But the solution is not to rebel against this facet of industrial society by reserving your calling for nights, weekends, and holidays; you will be the only one who suffers in the end 

So, back to the quote up top. When Mark Twain (or whoever) says "never ... work a day in your life", he does not mean that finding a job you like will liberate you from wage slavery. I think a more accurate (yet less quotable) way to look at it is this: 

> If you base your career on something you're passionate about, then you'll have an excuse to do something you love every day. 
>  
> — Jim Shepich (actually)


