What Do You Want To Do When You Grow Up?

When one is designated as an “adult” psychiatrist,” that basically means the person who walks into your office (or is wheeled in or staggers in) has the insurance for which you are approved and an age somewhere between 18 and infinity.

Those who are closer to 18 usually have as at least one of their complaints, “I guess I need to go to school or find a job or something.”

I think it is more an artifact of the system than of the personalities of young folks that they often present, at least initially, as a bit socially avoidant and largely devoid of “passion” for much of anything, really.

I have tried asking about favorite subjects at school, or what activities they take most joy in, and gotten no place fast.

As far as I can figure, a significant number of them are in their rooms playing on their computers.  Were they born to prefer this?

Are they just the affluent, whose parents can afford insurance?  Are their brains structurally different from yelping and lovable fairly extroverted psychiatrists who enjoy writing blogs and singing karaoke every once in a bit?

Exactly the kind of topic that employs freelance science writers who sell the fruit of their labors to websites.

Actually, the introverts vs. extroverts question falls squarely in the ballpark of topics of which “amateur” psychologists are enamored — “Personality” differences — a complex notion at best.  Probably structural differences in some pathways or quantitative measures of general cell types, like “white” and “gray” matter.

As for “change” it is like the psychiatrist trying to change a light bulb.  Someone has to want to change.

So what am I supposed to tell kids who are trying to figure out what to do for a living?

Another enterprising free-lance science writer has attempted to answer the question.

What Are the Best Jobs for Introverts? 10 Most Suitable Career Choices

I can see why working with a computer or some kind of entities that need cataloging or archiving instead of breathing humans can seem wildly seductive.

Some of the others listed may be an acquired taste.

6 and 8?  Counselor or psychologist?  Medical Careers?

I suppose a real empath would make a good listener.  But I have known some of both counselors and docs, who may be able to remain silent, but may be falling asleep or into a hypnotic state at the time.  Cogitation and relevant responses are expected, too.

Limnologist (climate scientist)?

I think I am going to start suggesting “free lance science-writer.