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Careers for Intellectual Non-Conformists

I know this may be slightly irrelavent, as I cant really help you on the Job front as I am experiencing a similar dilema myself. Forgive me for going deeper than the thread warrents.

However, you reference your OCD several times in the thread, and maybye you should focus on getting that sorted out? The only reason you might object to getting it sorted out is that you may enjoy it...I know I certainly did at sometimes duing my illness. However, your writing suggests that your infact it is a burdan and a hinderance in your life.

Youve acknowledged that you have it, thats a good first step, and maybye now put strategies in place to irradicate it from your life, and Im sure many carreer opertunities that you have previously disregarded would then become an option. On top of that, your quality of life would genrally improve.

OCD can be overcome. I KNOW how much it can affect a life, and how it becomes your personality. I also know how free you feel when its gone.

Good luck in your career finding and I wish you all the best for your future. <3
 
Your lack of attention may just be because you DONT WANT TO PAY ATTENTION! It doesn't necessarily mean you have a "mental disease". ADD and OCD are extremely over-diagnosed. I think the problems with attention that you mention are a reflection of your personality and aren't necessarily negative. I am the same way. I am "spaced out", "absent minded", or whatever other labels people come up with. But, like you I imagine, I am just a dreamy type of person, I am always thinking, delving deep into things.
 
Some things are boring and uninteresting, and for a nonconformist, very different type of person who is unique and odd in their ways, there will be a greater probability of "boring" and "uninteresting" things that you don't want to pay attention to. The OCD may just be an external way of sorting out the internal clutter in your mind. Try not to think so much. Just stay present. That is how I counteract my attention problems. Will power, not drugs. Although, I have nothing against drugs, I am just saying in most cases drugs aren't needed.
 
Checking your alarm 3 or 4 times before you go to sleep is not OCD, or counting how many times your finger taps, or whatever. Serious OCD is when someone walks around their house 30 times because they believe if they don't then their daughter will be raped and murdered at school.
 
I agree with the grad school suggestion. OCD is a pre-requisite for being a successful grad student.
 
overman88 said:
Checking your alarm 3 or 4 times before you go to sleep is not OCD, or counting how many times your finger taps, or whatever. Serious OCD is when someone walks around their house 30 times because they believe if they don't then their daughter will be raped and murdered at school.
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This. I hate how some people claim to have OCD becuase its almost 'fashionable'. A girl I know says she has it to get attention, claiming false symptoms like the ones you mentioned.

It's not so much WHAT you do, rather why you do them.

Its all, Why do you do your rituals? Is it just out of it will annoy you? Or do you do it to prevent earthquakes and the death of your friends?

I went for two years beliving that unless I counted to four as I went through a doorway I would cause a volcanic eruption. Or more selfishly and ignorantly, I used to have to count to four, say my favourite colour, and then think "good thoughts" as I got into bed or I would wake up gay or as a completley different person. Or if I walked down steps rather than jumping down them, id die of a heart attack that night.

It takes alot out of you saving the world from destruction every 2 minutes.

The advice I would give to somone with genuine OCD though, which helped my recovery, is that bad 'luck' dosnt exist! Get really angry at your rituals and think "Fuck you, im gonna see what happens if I dont do you." The only bad results you could possibly experience will be pureley placebo based, a creation of your own mind. So just give it a try, luck dosnt exist, and you can gradually reduce your rituals by approaching them in this manner.
 
hey arthunter - from reading the posts you've read in here, you come across as very intelligent. I like the fact that you won't accept the normal American ideal way of life - good for you. As far as what to do with the rest of your life... travel! Have you thought about going abroad? Or even studying abroad? I'll also suggest you check out http://www.careeroverview.com - might find it useful for figuring out what type of career would fit your lifestyle. Hope that helps mate, good luck with everything!
 
arthunter said:
have ADD/ADHD and OCD, so my attention span is very short, and I hate reading lengthy uninteresting information. I do not perform well under pressure (especially a TIME LIMIT). My favorite figure is Terence Mckenna. I am also very introverted and constantly philosophizing/thinking.
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This passage makes me think that grad school is probably a bad idea.
 
socko said:
I agree with the grad school suggestion. OCD is a pre-requisite for being a successful grad student.
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peer.review said:
This passage makes me think that grad school is probably a bad idea.
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Hmm, there's a clash of opinion here. Could you guys elaborate? To clarify I'm actually not sure what my OCD is responsible for, it might be extremely mild or even misdiagnosed. However, what I am certain of is having ADD/ADHD. My mind is constantly racing/wandering and overpowers my concentration. For example, I'm constantly having to re-read passages because my main internal voice was "talking over" the voice that articulates the text. At times it could be so prevalent that I don't even consciously hear a song that is played on loud volume with headphones. The only way to really avoid this is if I'm doing something that I'm extremely interested in that captivates my complete attention.
 
arthunter888 said:
Hmm, there's a clash of opinion here. Could you guys elaborate? To clarify I'm actually not sure what my OCD is responsible for, it might be extremely mild or even misdiagnosed. However, what I am certain of is having ADD/ADHD. My mind is constantly racing/wandering and overpowers my concentration. For example, I'm constantly having to re-read passages because my main internal voice was "talking over" the voice that articulates the text. At times it could be so prevalent that I don't even consciously hear a song that is played on loud volume with headphones. The only way to really avoid this is if I'm doing something that I'm extremely interested in that captivates my complete attention.
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Grad school is going to involve a lot of reading (much more than undergraduate level uni studies). Not all of it is going to interest you. You're not going to be captivated by everything you read, and you're going to have a lot more deadlines than you are used to. Academic work isn't always captivating. A lot of it is hard slog.

That doesn't mean that you shouldn't apply. Maybe you should just get medicated for your ADHD. That would probably make academic work a lot easier for you.
 
Look into IT certification. If you get the right ones and enough of them, it could get you at least as far as a Bachelor's degree would, without having to sit through 4-6 years of suicide-inducing brain rot.
 
satricion said:
Grad school is going to involve a lot of reading (much more than undergraduate level uni studies). Not all of it is going to interest you. You're not going to be captivated by everything you read, and you're going to have a lot more deadlines than you are used to. Academic work isn't always captivating. A lot of it is hard slog.

That doesn't mean that you shouldn't apply. Maybe you should just get medicated for your ADHD. That would probably make academic work a lot easier for you.
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^

This.

In my experience, graduate school involves A LOT of reading and A LOT of deadlines. For example, my work load is around 200-300 pages of reading a week, weekly research deadlines, and about 40-100 pages of writing every quarter.
 
It would nice to be surrounded by people (professionally) who
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I am constantly noticing very minute details that most others miss, usually involving logic/reasoning (e.g. "because it is worded this way it could mean either this or tha
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^Me too (if you catch my drift)
 
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I'm right there with you.

I'm about to graduate college, and am both excited and somewhat nervous about the daunting life of the working world. I want to contribute to society, but am scared to death I'll be stuck in a job that doesn't make me happy but pays the bills.
 
All of which brings me to say: foreign service officer!

Anyone with a high school diploma can take the Foreign Service exam.
 
There are many possibilities. Most of them are in academia or you could try to work free-lance. Consider being a professor, researcher, writer, or consultant. What did you have in mind? You sound like a philosopher but majoring in philosophy is not profitable. Your best bet is going into psychology. State some more of your interests.
 
You are correct. I think psychology would be the best choice for you as it is sufficently profitable and you can explore a variety of topics there even uncritically. Science and engineering may be too dry and critical and demanding for your taste
 
Get some money first. Save it. It will be help you a lot in the future.

And in the mean time, discover yourself. Explore. Live life. You will eventually realize what you need in life. Try it.
 
Your biggest problem mate is you're only 21 and if you don't mind me saying, still relatively immature. Blessedly for you it seems (although I could be totally wrong here) life hasn't yet put you into such a position where you no longer have the priveledge of picking up your iPad air rolling a number and digitising whatever ideas spring to mind. ADHD and OCD are currently making a mint for the global pharma boys. Why don't you put your exacting, questioning mind to the look at the TRUE history of so many of todays pharma-contrived conditions? Doing so may provide a route out of your current 'space'. You are unique by design and probably weren't suited to school. That doesn't mean you need a label. Yes, there are people horribly trapped by their repetitive OCD behaviours but so many other individuals fall under the spell of whatever their doctor pronounces over them, thereby sentencing these individuals into living in some pseudo-medical zone. As I say, you're only 21 and so there is no judgment intended. Had you written your post aged 31, I would have suggested volunteering to help in any community where bombs are dropping or where food and water is scarce. Perspective.
 
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