A Summer of "First World" Problems

I've been a bit of a complainer this summer between having trouble finding a steady income, preparing to write my senior thesis, taking standardized tests, working on applications to graduate schools, beginning to learn French, and trying to keep in shape.... life's not easy ya know!

Well, not really. Life can be pretty easy, especially when all of your problem are that of the "first world." (I use quotations around the phrase because I don't necessarily agree with the word choice, but since it's common vernacular I'm going with it anyway...) This just got me thinking about my woes, to what end they exist for, and how I could possibly try to justify them.

I'm on a track, you too are most likely also on the track. We're raised understanding certain "truths" about life, schooling leads to job - hard work, have fun, decorum, self-maintenance etc. I'm not going to make one of those arguments we've all heard towards the end of high school, "Man, it's like we're just EXPECTED to go to college. Well, I don't want to be part of THE SYSTEM man. Imma make my own future!" I know people who've relinquished their privilege, started dressing in clothing that went out of its way to look mismatched and old, and train hopped the country living la vie boheme - right out of a Kerouac novel. No, that's not what I'm going to argue. More and more I find myself partial to the utilitarian perspective, whose mantra is "minimize pain and maximize pleasure" doing so in the most utile ways. I have opportunity and I am happy to make use of it, not let it go by the wayside in the hopes that I can maximize my potential to do good - to minimize other's pain. I have to say that studying philosophy itself can be a bit masturbatory. I mean it's not like becoming a doctor where your affect is hyper-tangible. I still worry about my choice in academic career for that reason.

So what's my point. I'm not sure. I think that's part of the idea. I'm at a really stressful and confusing time in my life (I feel like ya'll might be able to relate), but despite this I just need to remember that whenever I complain I do so from a point of privilege. I need to remember why I'm trying so hard to get into grad school in the first place. Easy to say, harder to do.

Also in connection with an older post, I would just like to say that the man sitting next to me in the library today was looking at photos of female body builders for at least 30 minutes.