(For those with less patience, a preface. I haven’t updated for a while and might not for a while, due to acurrent project of mine.)
The task of going from a nobody to a somebody with as few intervening steps as possible is difficult. It is a conundrum faced by ambitious people all around the world. There are a couple of approaches I’ve tried so far to apply to my own life.
The first one, to get by on socializing and avoid working otherwise, is unnatural to me. I’m a very effective social chameleon but I’m a poor self-salesman. My chameleonic nature relies on conformity; Inigh-automatically conform to the expectations of those around me on pretty much everything but ethics and politics. People who are assertive and ambitious typically acquire advantage over me in social situations so long as they are (or are maintaining the illusion of) acting ethically and not advocating overt socialism. Acquiring social advantage over others is typically a circuitous process for me and can be more laborous than actual work. I document the ethical failings of others in conclusive manners, search for ways in which these failings harm them or those around them, and then reveal them to people I believe will act on my findings. (Sometimes this can actually be the person themselves!) “Snitch” is a ridiculously time-consuming social role though, and while I can pull it off persuasively and confidently, it is at best dull. Usually worse than dull – nauseating. I find no pleasurein spending time around unethical people.
The second method, of finding a good job and pursuing it skillfully until I merit promotion, is apparently not possible at all for a dedicated autodidact. It is nigh-impossible to prove with a resume and cover letter that I have the expertise necessary to pursue jobs which are listed as requiring years of experience and training. The exhortation that I can learnnigh anything to a workable skill level within three months at the longest, and usually within two weeks, falls on deaf ears. Nor would I expect otherwise. It would not make sense at all for businesses to make a practice of hiring high-risk employees of the type that I represent. Nor is there a high reward to pay off the high risk. Even if I successfully picked up the necessary skills, something I feel would be easy but companies should justifiably be suspicious of my ability to do, it is unlikely that I represent a superior alternative to what they can get from people who have extensive training and real backgrounds in the field.
Both of the above methods also require more contacts than I have. I come from a humble background. The road of ambition is a long one.
So, what method is left? The traditional method for autodidacts to make their expertise known, the experience-without-experience you might say, is to write books. I know things. I can turn my knowledge into print. If I can be published, I can have something on my resume which theoretically represents experience to potential employers. And, if I can publish something which actually sells, I might get some money outof it. Note that my bar for “actually sells” is small, a per-hour breakdown of minimum wage or even somewhat less would be “success”.
Anyways, what all this means is that my writings on this blog may slow down dramatically… again. Since thoughtless egomania is pointless, I think I need to do something to demonstrate to the thinkers of the world that I’m really as thoughtful as IthinkI am.