Those who can't monetize, teach

There’s a difference between being able to do something, and being able to do it with the regularity and professionalism required to make a job out of it.

In childhood and youth, we’re taught to look to our interests and talents when choosing a trade. Yet far more important is the kind of lifestyle a job imposes on you:

  • Your hours.

  • What you’ll be thinking about in your off-hours.

  • The people you’ll meet and the social dynamics you’ll have with them.

A capable, even masterful practitioner may be better off, and their talents better used by society, when they make teaching their job instead.