MovieChat Forums > Into the Wild (2007) Discussion > "I think careers are a 20th century inve...

"I think careers are a 20th century invention" thoughts

posted 9 years ago by danickster
8 replies | jump to latest

What are some of your thoughts on this statement? For me it's always boiled down to what one constitutes a career.

1. an occupation or profession, especially one requiring special training, followed as one's lifework
2. a person's progress or general course of action through life or through a phase of life, as in some profession or undertaking

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/career?s=t

I would say McCandless was referring to #1, where as #2 seems more like what he was actually trying to do.

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https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BWr4GF67Anw

"I am I am I said I'm not myself. I'm not dead and......."

[–] TwoThousandOneMark 8 years ago

I think ppl used to think career meant 1 single professional calling from teen aged to senior age. Career is what one opts for professionally within that span regardless the variety.

...my essential 50 http://www.imdb.com/list/ls056413299/

[–] danickster 8 years ago

Yo you're 'essential 50' list was awesome. Paths of Glory, Boyz n the Hood, and Trainspotting on the same list, love it

[–] TwoThousandOneMark 8 years ago

Aye thanks, I chose diversity for my list, ensuring my tastes were all documented.

...my essential 50 http://www.imdb.com/list/ls056413299/

[–] matejbuljan 8 years ago

career= stuck in a daily routine from 9 to 5 for your entire life, that always sounds depressing to me, i'm 20 i changed 3 part time jobs, i realized how depressing it is when i was working 12-14 hour shifts, thats completely exhausting

my point being is that people spend too much time working and less time doing what they really want or desire, and being stuck in routine like that really sucks

[–] danickster 8 years ago

And it seems people are so consumed by this, I agree that we need to start focusing on the good stuff, but unfortunately that's difficult without a means (job). Perhaps we need to go back to being hunter-gatherers....

[–] whoanelly (1587) 4 years ago

It sucks, but at least it’s accepting responsibility. A lot of people work to support their adventures without having to steal, poach and break other laws that exist for a reason. Chris wanted a life without responsibility. rules and laws have an important purpose. He chose to ignore them

He paddled the Colorado River sans permit, then had to elude officials trying to catch up with him.

He stole food from cabins.

He abandoned a car in an area where vehicles aren’t even permitted.

He poached game out of season and then let it go to waste due to lack of knowledge On how to preserve it, or lack of desire to work that hard preserving it because he believed he could easily find more.

[–] liscarkat (18541) 4 years ago

You said it with "accepting responsibility". Forty hours a week under the heel of some shit-for-brains boss is no fun, but grownups learn that you've got to do what you've got to do to pay the bills and eat. This self-absorbed jagoff was an irresponsible clown who never grew up. He died alone in the middle of nowhere, for nothing. It's not heroic, it's just pathetic.

[–] whoanelly (1587) 4 years ago

I don’t disagree with most of what you wrote. But I do have sympathy for the extremely abusive childhood McCandless and his siblings suffered through. Neither this film, nor Krakauer’s bio, conveyed this information. Much of it is exposed in the PBS documentary, Return to the Wild, and in Carine McCandless’s book, The Wild Truth. I recommend both.