What do you want to be when you grow up? Is that an understatement?

Question

I don't understand how this question can honestly be asked to anyone anymore especially in these economic troubles where houses are being sold, jobs are being lost, people who have been working in factories for 30 years all of a sudden, have no pension plan or retirement because of a lack of supplu & demand. How certain jobs aren't reocognised as much importance or jobs that aren't promised for the future. I'm not trying to sound pessimistic at all, but we have to make an honest discourse with ourselves about this.

Is it really about "What do you want to be when you grow up?" or is it more like "Do you know what career/job is going to support you and/or family for the rest of your life?" .. Yeah we want to be scientists, archeologists, advertisers, police men, be in the entertainment business, car salesmen..all of that stuff is absolutely awsome in every way, but with these troubling times, are those careers ideally, going to be around forever? It just makes me feel as if we have to pertain to certain career paths that are truly needed in today's time in order to move ahead in humanity in a way. Of course, the future is not promised..I don't know if I'm making sense or not, but I want to hear your thoughts about this.

Answer 1

This isn't going to answer your question at all but I felt inclined to do it anyway.

It's not an "understatement." According to dictionary.com:

Understate: to state or represent less strongly or strikingly than the facts would bear out; set forth in restrained, moderate, or weak terms: The casualty lists understate the extent of the disaster.

"supply and demand"

"recognized"

"police officers" (if you want to be PC - in any case it should only be one word)

"awesome"

"as if we have to pertain to certain career paths" - I think you mean "we have to conform to certain career paths."

Pertain: to have reference or relation; relate: documents pertaining to the lawsuit.

Those are my thoughts about it.