Late Introduction

I used to date a guy who worked on Wall Street shortly before the whole financial crisis and stock market collapse and way back then I felt something was wrong so I split. No doubt he was brilliant, witty and had a hilariously sarcastic sense of humor. He was also chauvinist, aggressive, unsympathetic and ruthless. But the whole insider trading fears, dog eat dog mentality and society he had prescribed to was what really got to me.
Obviously, these are traits one needs to get to the top of their game. To some people, this kind of power is also very attractive. But when becoming a ruthless tyrant is one of the few ways one can get to "the top", what exactly does that say about the society and culture we lived in? I say "lived" because the whole monetary system is thankfully on the verge of an overhaul.

People accuse me of being idealistic and living with my head in the clouds or turning my back on the world but what I am doing is exactly the opposite. I am being responsible and practical. There are enough lawyers out there, there are enough bankers and financiers out there. What changes are they really making? Apart from adding extra emphasis on making money or adding to the hype of the stock market that is. Let me give an example. How many lawyers pay their way through law school and then go and work in civil rights law? Few. And for a non-profit? Hardly any, because no-one can afford to do that.

"What does society really need?" is the question. Its definitely not more lawyers and bankers. Society needs a change and already is in the process of changing. Things are slowly becoming more fair. Cities are slowly restructuring. Emphasis is being placed on quality of life, quality of food, alternative energy and minimal environmental impact. A shift has already taken place, focusing on quality over quantity in general. And that makes me happy.

By deciding to go into local farming, I am getting connected with the earth, I am providing something tangible of substance and value. I am not just shuffling papers around on a desk, diverting calls and making people part with their hard earned money for a bit of advice.
Lawyers get paid to provide knowledge and legal expertise. This is partly true and good. But I believe that sometimes they also deliberately complicate language, almost making it cryptic so that it can only be understood by a select group.
I would rather spread knowledge than keep it for myself or for lawyers only so that they can make a profit on deciphering code language. In a truly fair society, knowledge should be free and accessible. True, some knowledge is best kept secret but laws and rules that pertain to the general population should never be hidden.

I don't believe you have to be a lawyer to make changes anyway. The amount of energy a person has is limited and he can put it into whatever endeavor he feels worthy. I could probably make more of a change being an activist than spending a few more years holed up in my dorm room, literally reading from morning to night.

I guess the real reason I quit law school is because I am deciding to live life instead. I was reading case after case of unfair, almost arbitrary rulings. I had no life. My time and energy was going into supporting a system where most of the clients are stupid greedy low-lives who can't get their shit together enough empathize with the perspective of another human being. People who think strictly in terms of "winners and losers." People who need someone to help them sort out their personal problems because they are too lazy or morally un-evolved to do it themselves. I'm generalizing but oh well.

For the longest time I have been beating myself up thinking "should I go back?" "Is this the biggest mistake of my life?" "WTF am I going to do now???" But after over 2 years of trying different jobs, I am finally going to let it rest. I am happy I quit!!! Here is to my new life! :) Good luck to anyone who is about to quit or is in the same boat. I'd like to hear your experiences.