Stuck in the Rat Race
By Anonymous
To my Future Child or Children,
As I sit here in October of 2023, I think about all of us running in the middle of the rat race. Most college students today would tell you that they are in college to get “better jobs” and be able to support their families in the future. We work towards a college degree in order to prevent ourselves from being trapped in the depths of the rat race. Those with no college education will typically work in unsafe conditions performing jobs with great levels of physical exertion that impact their health over the years, and will likely live shorter, sicker lives. They could be working two or more jobs just to put food on their table. And for what? It is not likely that they will ever receive bonus money or promotions for their hard work. They will keep earning minimum wage for as long as the companies can avoid raising it or avoid letting the workers strike.
It is difficult to break the cycle of being less privileged. If you are from a lower to middle class family, even if your parents worked very hard and have been trapped in this race for many years, they have likely seen little to no benefit to all of their efforts. You are likely forced to work a job during high school or college, which could impact your grades, and potentially your future employment or admissions. That’s the point of the rat race; the rich and powerful become more rich and powerful, and the other ninety percent of the population works hard and sacrifices time with family and friends to make more money for the rich. Children and young adults grow up hoping that they will be able to be independent as an adult while simultaneously being taught in school to be obedient and to follow the orders of those in charge. I watch people around me get poorer and poorer, which is the exact opposite of the American Dream. And, the rat race will continue to get worse; companies schedule employees for less hours so they never become full-time and receive benefits. Pensions have virtually disappeared, having been replaced with 401(K) plans which cost companies less and require workers to contribute a percentage of their own money towards retirement. Because of the rat race, a lot of society is tired, burned out, hurting, anxious, depressed, and suicidal. Employees tend to not take pride in their work, customer satisfaction has diminished, and workers are not being paid enough for work that is physically and mentally exhaustive.
As a college student with the aspiration to serve as a healthcare professional, I am sacrificing time with family and friends, sleep, and my hobbies to study for classes, work in a lab, study for the MCAT, work in a hospital internship, and have leadership positions in multiple clubs on campus. The stakes are high, and if you fail to get that 90th percentile MCAT score or earn that perfect grade, then you are forced into a career that you are not passionate about, leading to unhappiness. Part of the rat race is that you are always competing with others, at every step of life. Society, colleges, and companies have created this all-or-nothing environment where you have to be in the top 5% to even have a chance of beating the rat race (if that is even possible). If you are not the best of the best, you can run the rat race all your life, but you will never succeed. I grew up in a family where education was very highly valued. My mother’s family were immigrants from a culture where you are traditionally expected to be a “high achiever.” One is steered towards occupations that are “acceptable careers” such as doctors or engineers. I watched my father work seven days a week and even take out-of-state assignments to be able to provide the best resources for me, at the cost of missing many of my milestones. I watched my mother sacrifice a long-term career to stay home with me, and later she was forced to change careers just to get back in the rat race.
I wonder if the rat race is the reason that society has become the way it is today. How different would society be without the rat race? What would America look like? Would we enjoy more humanity and solidarity? Right now, money is the strongest motivator for people to get up in the morning and go to work; how can we stop the rat race from destroying our society further?
In 2023, we use our screens so frequently because people struggle to find happiness in other places and are looking for the instant gratification of something entertaining on social media. People are trying to escape from the constant traps behind the cheese and immerse themselves in a YouTube video to make all of their problems disappear. People resort to alcohol and drugs in search of temporary happiness and fall into another trap of addiction. We are constantly working towards happiness that we may never achieve. I think very few people really reach true happiness, and this is why we all spend money on things we think will make us happier or indulge in vices. It is very hard to detach yourself from the mechanical daily routines, especially if there is not much else in one’s life besides working and providing for the family.
I hope you realize that I have done the best possible to create an environment for you where you can learn without the fear of failure and the threat of an uncertain future. I want to encourage you to follow your dreams knowing that society will force you to adjust your dreams to fit a mold. No matter what your choices are, you will always be in the rat race. There are no professions that are immune to this; even many of the ultra rich fail to find happiness despite their fortunes. As a physician, I worry that I will not be able to spend enough quality time with you and your mom, and that I will miss some of the important milestones in your life. Money does not bring happiness. But, happiness does not exist without a certain amount of money. By the time you read this, you will be a sophomore in high school. Hopefully, you will not have to run the rat race to the same extent as our generation does, but things tend not to change as long as the people in power are benefitting. Because of this, it is especially important to take time to detach yourself from the rat race and really focus on finding the aspects of life that make you truly happy.
Love,
Your Dad