Okay I have a problem with my life - a referendum

[Agent Equality]

Ever since I discovered the far left and its politics, things that once mattered to me haven't really mattered that much anymore. I no longer care about religion (which I never will ever again), but I find it hard to care about school seeing as how it only sets you up to try and find a job in capitalist society. I no longer care about trying to become rich and get a lot of money and becoming bourgeois or petite bourgeois. What is the point of trying to get good grades if the whole reason behind the schooling is to serve capitalism and not even to really educate us?

My mom has been nagging me constantly since I'm not doing too well with my grades that she wants me to have "a future" and that she wants me to make more money than her and my dad combined. But honestly I don't want that. I want to live a fulfilling life doing something that I want to do, regardless of how much money I make and I want to live it with the people I love.

I told her I don't care about money and then she goes off on me how everything costs money now (which is sadly true) and that I need money for everything and that I'll be happy when I get that money because it will let me do all the things I want to do. But all I can find myself to say is "I know" and "okay"

I know that I need money to do things, but being a socialist, I am completely against the idea of trying to conform to capitalism and live within the system and become bourgeois etc. At this point in my life I honestly have no idea what to do. I am torn between what I want society and the world to be like and between the reality of capitalism and that I can't just escape it. I want to go to college but I don't know what I want to get a degree in. Its really all just for getting a high paying job and making money and extending capitalism.

I am lucky that I am still in high school now that way I won't have to make these decisions for a few more years. I don't know...sometimes I think its a curse that I've stumbled upon the truth of the world so early in life and see what's wrong with it when everyone around me is still blind and want to conform. The thing that really made me think about this was the fact that my girlfriend, the girl who I hope to spend the rest of my life with, is still in that brainwashed "I want to make money and be rich because it will make me happy, capitalism is good" stage. And all of my friends are pretty much the same way. My dad and mom are as well.

I don't want to ruin my social life by coming out that I am a socialist and trying to educate them but then again, that's exactly what I want to do. I want them to be informed about capitalism and its failures and just how deeply the rot has spread among society. But they are quite entrenched in the traditional thought so I know it would take a while to "convert" them :D

Am I completely wrong in my view on things? Is this nihilism I am experiencing in my life right now completely pointless?

Revleft, wtf do I do? What have you all done so far in your lives? What kind of careers do you have? I, like many other young adults of our era want to live a good life free of worry. But I don't want to live a life where I know I may have exploited workers for their labor to reap profits, and I am not all too fond of struggling with a low wage forever (unless the revolution comes quick, and I know my family wouldn't want me to settle as a worker)

tl;dr = dont care about anything anymore cause it all just serves capitalism and I don't know what to do with my life now, whether or not to conform to capitalism and go to college to get a high paying job (if I even can)

[The Jay]

The more that you learn, the better you'll be able to fight the system. There's a saying, "a capitalist will sell you the rope to hang him with." Let your education be the rope. Do well in school to get into college, and then study whatever interests you. Just don't stop learning.

[Optiow]

While I can see your logic, wider society would just see you as a lazy bum - and when people think of you like that you will find it hard to get any shred of respect from them - let alone convince them Marxism is the way.

I am studying to be a teacher, as I see education as important. There are so many crap teachers in the schools that I feel I can do more there to further socialism than I could just refusing to work under capitalism.

If you like communism, study it at Uni. If you like history, then study it at Uni. Just do the work given to you the best as you can until you can get to where you want to be.

But don't stop learning. It would not help you or the socialist cause.

[citizen of industry]

I dropped out of school, worked a bunch of crappy jobs, did 4 years in the service, went back to working crappy jobs, got married, had a kid. I'm more or less financially stable now with budgeting. I was never happy with life, never saw a point in getting an education when I could read whatever I wanted, never saw the point of being a loyal company slave.

Now I teach English as a foreign language. It doesn't pay well but for the amount of hours I do, from 4 to 8 hours a day, it pays enough. Ever since discovering revolutionary politics I've never been more satisfied with life. A sense of purpose, of right. The activism, the people. The work, something I enjoy for a change, that occupies so much time and pays nothing. We live frugally and are perfectly comfortable with that. Coming around to the left was the best thing that ever happened to me and I'll never look back.

If you ask me, you shouldn't worry so much about educating or "converting" everyone you know. If the people you are close to don't feel comfortable discussing politics don't force it on them. You didn't become close to them in the first place because of their politics. Join organizations, parties, unions, and get active, and you will be happy. I wish I didn't have to work. I wish I could spend a career doing activism.

I'll sound like an old man saying this, but I think you should jump through the hoops of high school and then get a university degree. One thing I'd like to do if I had the time and money would be to attend university. But once you have to work and support a family you may not have the option anymore. And university is a great place to get involved in political groups and unions. Every time I go to a rally there is a large and effective youth section.

You have to work for money, sure. But one thing that makes it easier for me is to not depend on one employer, if I get fired I'll move on. Then, try to unionize your workplace. Your employer may exploit you, but you can fight back and then working isn't as bad.

[Apoi_Viitor]

First and foremost, socialism is a political idealogy and not a lifestyle. There's no "socialist" way to live life. Not only that, but becoming a dumpster diver is not going to end capitalism. No matter what type of job you aquire, you will be working within the capitalist system. It's inescapable. At least try and make it as bearable as possible for yourself.