Rank Hath Its Privileges
This means, loosely, that some people in an organization have more power than others. In the military, this is formalized by rank and regulations that govern the treatment of people of different rank. Ex-military people typically get RHIP.
If you need an introduction to power imbalances, go to YouTube and search for "gunnery seargent hartman first scene" (concepts, language and trigger warning). I will not link to it here, because the scene is very hard to watch the first time. Folks, that is RHIP, right in your face.
In industry and other enterprises, there is far less formalization of rank. Often, everyone is on a first name basis. I have often felt this is a bad idea, since it can fool the unaware that they are entitled to act and talk in a manner that breaks rank. Today's young people can exhibit high levels of entitlement, and that is a very career-limiting attitude. There just aren't enough signals to warn people in advance to shut up and obey.
I'm telling you: shut up and obey! The more you feel obligated to "speak truth to power", the more likely you are to be looking for a job come next layoff. You may get fired on the spot. Your job, whether you like it or not, is to make your direct leader look good to his direct leader. Insubordination is the fastest way to lose a job. You don't need it. You will likely not be in a position to wield power until you are in your late thirties.
If you don't like the way things are going where you work, go somewhere else. You will very likely find that things are the same at the new place, too. Shut up! Obey!
Want to wield power earlier than that? Start your own business. I personally think the ideal time for starting a business is about age eighteen (yes, you heard that right). You will have to work a job simultaneously to make ends meet - I suggest sales, because that is the most important skill a leader needs to have. Do this right, and you might be able to replace your job income with your business income in your twenties. Think about that. You'll be free (but your own boss, and there is no bigger asshole than yourself, trust me on that).
College? You've gotta be kidding me! Even STEM majors get charged too much for their degrees now, and you cannot afford the massive debt required to finance a degree at any kind of prestigious university. Worse, the only thing a STEM degree qualifies you to be is a wage-slave at a large company, where you cannot win no matter what you do. You will have to seek additional credentials to give yourself slightly more wiggle room, and you still will not win.
The narratives we have been hearing all our lives are outright lies. Decades ago, a college degree was a ticket into the so-called middle class. Few people did it, because the colleges tried to bust freshmen out the first year. If one persevered, the degree was genuinely valuable. A man could support a family, live in the suburbs, work a job, eventually retire, and all was OK.
That's all gone now. A college degree might pay (in real spending power) what a high-school diploma paid in the fifties. Now you need a Master's degree (I have one, I know) to get what a Bachelor's degree used to do.
The upshot: jobs are for making needed income now while experimenting with business ideas and actions that can replace job income later. In the meantime, the management hierarchy where you work could not care less about your aspirations or dreams. They are having a much harder time with their lives than they expected, too. They listened to the same lies, and just figured out it was BS earlier than you did. Don't bother challenging them unless your ammo box is full, your Kevlar vest in on, and you can handle getting shot at (a lot).
RHIP. Get it or die.
If you need an introduction to power imbalances, go to YouTube and search for "gunnery seargent hartman first scene" (concepts, language and trigger warning). I will not link to it here, because the scene is very hard to watch the first time. Folks, that is RHIP, right in your face.
In industry and other enterprises, there is far less formalization of rank. Often, everyone is on a first name basis. I have often felt this is a bad idea, since it can fool the unaware that they are entitled to act and talk in a manner that breaks rank. Today's young people can exhibit high levels of entitlement, and that is a very career-limiting attitude. There just aren't enough signals to warn people in advance to shut up and obey.
I'm telling you: shut up and obey! The more you feel obligated to "speak truth to power", the more likely you are to be looking for a job come next layoff. You may get fired on the spot. Your job, whether you like it or not, is to make your direct leader look good to his direct leader. Insubordination is the fastest way to lose a job. You don't need it. You will likely not be in a position to wield power until you are in your late thirties.
If you don't like the way things are going where you work, go somewhere else. You will very likely find that things are the same at the new place, too. Shut up! Obey!
Want to wield power earlier than that? Start your own business. I personally think the ideal time for starting a business is about age eighteen (yes, you heard that right). You will have to work a job simultaneously to make ends meet - I suggest sales, because that is the most important skill a leader needs to have. Do this right, and you might be able to replace your job income with your business income in your twenties. Think about that. You'll be free (but your own boss, and there is no bigger asshole than yourself, trust me on that).
College? You've gotta be kidding me! Even STEM majors get charged too much for their degrees now, and you cannot afford the massive debt required to finance a degree at any kind of prestigious university. Worse, the only thing a STEM degree qualifies you to be is a wage-slave at a large company, where you cannot win no matter what you do. You will have to seek additional credentials to give yourself slightly more wiggle room, and you still will not win.
The narratives we have been hearing all our lives are outright lies. Decades ago, a college degree was a ticket into the so-called middle class. Few people did it, because the colleges tried to bust freshmen out the first year. If one persevered, the degree was genuinely valuable. A man could support a family, live in the suburbs, work a job, eventually retire, and all was OK.
That's all gone now. A college degree might pay (in real spending power) what a high-school diploma paid in the fifties. Now you need a Master's degree (I have one, I know) to get what a Bachelor's degree used to do.
The upshot: jobs are for making needed income now while experimenting with business ideas and actions that can replace job income later. In the meantime, the management hierarchy where you work could not care less about your aspirations or dreams. They are having a much harder time with their lives than they expected, too. They listened to the same lies, and just figured out it was BS earlier than you did. Don't bother challenging them unless your ammo box is full, your Kevlar vest in on, and you can handle getting shot at (a lot).
RHIP. Get it or die.
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