Defensive Mode

Just to let you know, this post is not going to be about any game or anime where protagonist gets into defensive mode haha, it is about myself and one thing that really bugs me. Let me ask you a question first. Do you think it’s right for someone who doesn’t know anything about you to come and say that you should do this or that, telling you that you should get another job? And the list goes on… Am sure you will feel annoyed or of you are an extremely nice person you would just take their advice or just listen to them (sorry but I would call it stupid if you do).

So, there is that taxi that I take once in a while if I don’t get the bus late in the afternoon. The driver is a very nice person probably in his fifties. We usually have a little chat on the way, about the weather or other stuffs happening in the country and he also asks about my job. Not to get too much in detail I told him I work on the internet, he wanted to know, how the company works etc, still I did not tell much. All was fine till recently, last Friday I took the taxi again and as usual we started discussing about usual stuffs and finally talking about my job again. I know he had the best intention in the world but saying that I am still young and can get a better job in a bigger company really made me mad. We would probably have a very interesting conversation if I didn’t reach destination. But I am still thinking deeply about what he said.

I don’t know why the older generation in Mauritius thinks that everyone’s life should be stereotype, that is, you go to school then to uni and get stuck in the same job in some “big” (by big they probably mean with 100+ employees) company till you retire. I am not saying all of them though but a whole lot will argue with you if you want to live your life different from their way of living. It’s like you’re doomed to failure if you choose to be different.

Back to our driver, I told him what I think about big companies, how you are ‘no one’ and where your job is the same old routine everyday and told him all good that I think about being in a small company. It really made me mad that some people are thinking that way that’s why I was in a “defensive mode” during the whole conversation. Hah, so what if he had “life experience” as he kept saying, I don’t want to be like him someday… having that same old stereotype way of living, I want to be different living my life like I want to.

On a nicer tone, I am fine taking advice from whoever is giving it, but I better take advice from people who have succeeded in their life and encouraging me to move forward in whatever field I have chosen. Just keep in mind, it’s better to do a job that you enjoy than being stuck in one that you don’t like and being frustrated in the end.