Looking into a career in either law or academe (need advice)

[Anonymous]

Go to a service academy or join the army after college to learn discipline.

Don't go to St. John's. Too liberal. Have you thought of Patrick Henry College? Grove City? Bob Jones?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please don't become a professor. I feel bad for your students who may be on financial aid (i.e. from lower classes) and who do well under your tutelage. Imagine how they would feel if they knew that you believed that they should never move up in the world, despite their intellect and ability.

PaleoCon here
Well my beliefs shouldn't matter to them. I'd be teaching them Latin, Greek, and maybe a Humanities course. I'd be kind and respectful to all as long as they weren't disruptive.

They'd ask you for letters of recommendation for elite law schools and graduate programs in classics. Part of your responsibility as a professor. Would you support those students? Or would you sabotage their advancement in society?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:5. Monarchist (My ideal regime would be a Protestant monarchical/aristocratic state, with very distinct classes. (ie, the nobility, the clergy, the warrior class/military, the merchants/white collar workers, and the surfs/blue collar workers. There would be a very small chance of mobility, but the opportunity to become a cleric should certainly be open to anyone who feels they are called to it.

Sounds lovely if you're born into the nobility, not so ideal if you--and all your progeny--are doomed to serfdom just because you were born to serfs.

PaleoCon here
Well I'd rather be a medieval serf than a kid living in the projects today. However, what you're saying isn't really relevant to what I'm saying. Hypothetically, let's say the modern Protestant monarchy that I outlined above was established. The people I call "serfs" wouldn't be serfs in the way that you're thinking. Let me clarify a bit. In a modern monarchic state, the "serfs" would be blue collar workers. (mechanics, construction workers, average farmers, etc) They'd have rights, and would licw a fairly comfortable life. However, they would not be allowed to demand things like college. College would only be for the aristocracy and the clergy. There would probably be a few military colleges for the warriors as well. Blue collar workers/serfs) would start out by becoming an apprentice for a few years to a guy who is already working in the profession that they are to work in. The same goes for lower class white collar workers.(ie, salesmen) Everyone (no matter their class) would get some education. There wiould be elite private schools (for the aristocracy and clergy), military schools (for the warriors/military), K-8 parochial/vocational schools (for serfs/blue collar workers), and homeschooling(anyone could do this) College would only be an option for aristocrats, clergymen, and warriors/military. I could ecpand a lot more on this, but I've got to get to bed.

So what's your background? Any serfs in your family tree? What's the logic in believing that children of aristocrats and clergy have more right to college than the child of a blue-collar worker?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please don't become a professor. I feel bad for your students who may be on financial aid (i.e. from lower classes) and who do well under your tutelage. Imagine how they would feel if they knew that you believed that they should never move up in the world, despite their intellect and ability.

PaleoCon here
Well my beliefs shouldn't matter to them. I'd be teaching them Latin, Greek, and maybe a Humanities course. I'd be kind and respectful to all as long as they weren't disruptive.

They'd ask you for letters of recommendation for elite law schools and graduate programs in classics. Part of your responsibility as a professor. Would you support those students? Or would you sabotage their advancement in society?

PaleoCon here
Well I don't see how I'd know what the students class/background was anyway. If students deserve a recommendation, I'd give them one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

PaleoConPrep wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've noticed that you don't always log in and I've got to say, PaleoCon, I would know to know what posts of yours around this board are Anonymous. I bet they would be very telling.

PaleoCon here
That's not really true. I've been logged in for most of my posts, and for those I am not I say "PaleoCon here". It's not fair to accuse me of creating bad posts anonymously.

No, not accusing you of making bad posts, just interested in what you would say if let loose in an anonymous setting with boards for Politics and Religion.

Just being nosy.

PaleoCon here
Well I'll give you an idea. Here are some words that describe me.
1. Christian ( I'm a very devout Calvinist Anglican. I believe that the Bible is the inerrant and inspired Word of God. I hold strictly to the 39 Articles of Religion and the 3 Forms of Unity. I pray out of the 1928 Book of Common Prayer every morning and evening. You could call me a traditional Episcopalian, but I don't usually call myself an Episcopalian because the Episcopal Church has gone wild, and is now an apostate church. My favorite theologians are St. Augustine, Martin Luther, John Calvin, J Gresham Machen, and Gordon H. Clark)
2. Classical Conservative/Paleoconservative (I'm an old-school conservative. I'm extremely socially conservative, anti-feminist, anti-multiculturalism, anti-secularism, anti-Zionist, an Isolationist on foreign policy, an advocate of replacing the income tax with a small tariff and a Protectionist on trade, Guys who have had great influence on my thinking include Edmund Burke, Robert L Dabney, Russell Kirk, Julius Evola, Dr. Paul Gottfried, Dr. Charles Murray, and Pat Buchanan )
3. Anti-Democratic (I'm as anti-democratic as one can get. I agree with H.L Mencken that democracy is a system in which inferior men dominate their superiors. I am also very influenced by Julius Evola in this regard)
5. Monarchist (My ideal regime would be a Protestant monarchical/aristocratic state, with very distinct classes. (ie, the nobility, the clergy, the warrior class/military, the merchants/white collar workers, and the surfs/blue collar workers. There would be a very small chance of mobility, but the opportunity to become a cleric should certainly be open to anyone who feels they are called to it. It would be a very socially conservative state, with the clergy having the final say in all social matters. The economy would be pretty free. However, there would be tarrifs on foreign imports
5. Preppy/well-mannered( I'm fairly preppy, but not obsessed with it. I also don't like the stereotype of the modern preppy guy. Today, the typical preppy guy is a wealthy guy who wears polos and thinks he is the best thing ever, then drinks his face off at the frat house. That;s certainly not me. I'd call myself a Classic Prep. I certainly like wearing nice clothes, and enjoy the finer things. However, I'm also very religious, and not a fan of obnoxious people who are in love with themselves. I would've fit in very well at Harvard or Yale in 1900. Brooks Brothers is my favorite brand)

I'm pretty sure that Augustine would not agree with your views on social mobility.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What happened to your plan of running for office in Texas?

PaleoCon here.
A lot of time has passed since then. I was very naive at the time. I've become more of a realist. Any thoughts I ever had about getting into politics have almost completely vanished. I am no longer interested in running for office. I do not want to waste my life running for a seat that I will have very little chance of winning, and pandering to the masses. I either want to become a corporate attorney in a secondary market or a college professor/academic. Maybe I'll be the next Gordon Clark or Paul Gottfried

Yes, you were so very young a few months ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

PaleoConPrep wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've noticed that you don't always log in and I've got to say, PaleoCon, I would know to know what posts of yours around this board are Anonymous. I bet they would be very telling.

PaleoCon here
That's not really true. I've been logged in for most of my posts, and for those I am not I say "PaleoCon here". It's not fair to accuse me of creating bad posts anonymously.

No, not accusing you of making bad posts, just interested in what you would say if let loose in an anonymous setting with boards for Politics and Religion.

Just being nosy.

PaleoCon here
Well I'll give you an idea. Here are some words that describe me.
1. Christian ( I'm a very devout Calvinist Anglican. I believe that the Bible is the inerrant and inspired Word of God. I hold strictly to the 39 Articles of Religion and the 3 Forms of Unity. I pray out of the 1928 Book of Common Prayer every morning and evening. You could call me a traditional Episcopalian, but I don't usually call myself an Episcopalian because the Episcopal Church has gone wild, and is now an apostate church. My favorite theologians are St. Augustine, Martin Luther, John Calvin, J Gresham Machen, and Gordon H. Clark)
2. Classical Conservative/Paleoconservative (I'm an old-school conservative. I'm extremely socially conservative, anti-feminist, anti-multiculturalism, anti-secularism, anti-Zionist, an Isolationist on foreign policy, an advocate of replacing the income tax with a small tariff and a Protectionist on trade, Guys who have had great influence on my thinking include Edmund Burke, Robert L Dabney, Russell Kirk, Julius Evola, Dr. Paul Gottfried, Dr. Charles Murray, and Pat Buchanan )
3. Anti-Democratic (I'm as anti-democratic as one can get. I agree with H.L Mencken that democracy is a system in which inferior men dominate their superiors. I am also very influenced by Julius Evola in this regard)
5. Monarchist (My ideal regime would be a Protestant monarchical/aristocratic state, with very distinct classes. (ie, the nobility, the clergy, the warrior class/military, the merchants/white collar workers, and the surfs/blue collar workers. There would be a very small chance of mobility, but the opportunity to become a cleric should certainly be open to anyone who feels they are called to it. It would be a very socially conservative state, with the clergy having the final say in all social matters. The economy would be pretty free. However, there would be tarrifs on foreign imports
5. Preppy/well-mannered( I'm fairly preppy, but not obsessed with it. I also don't like the stereotype of the modern preppy guy. Today, the typical preppy guy is a wealthy guy who wears polos and thinks he is the best thing ever, then drinks his face off at the frat house. That;s certainly not me. I'd call myself a Classic Prep. I certainly like wearing nice clothes, and enjoy the finer things. However, I'm also very religious, and not a fan of obnoxious people who are in love with themselves. I would've fit in very well at Harvard or Yale in 1900. Brooks Brothers is my favorite brand)

PaleoCon here
I'm not saying that I went through a drmatic change. My views are pretty much the same. I'm saying that I became a lot more of a realist as far as our political system goes. I mean look at what's going on with Donald Trump. He's not even a real Right-winger, and he's being treated like a monster. My views are WAY more radical than his. I'd be torn to pieces by the media 10 minutes after I made my campaign announcement. I'm not going to soften my views to pander to the masses. I'

I'm pretty sure that Augustine would not agree with your views on social mobility.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

PaleoConPrep wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've noticed that you don't always log in and I've got to say, PaleoCon, I would know to know what posts of yours around this board are Anonymous. I bet they would be very telling.

PaleoCon here
That's not really true. I've been logged in for most of my posts, and for those I am not I say "PaleoCon here". It's not fair to accuse me of creating bad posts anonymously.

No, not accusing you of making bad posts, just interested in what you would say if let loose in an anonymous setting with boards for Politics and Religion.

Just being nosy.

PaleoCon here
Well I'll give you an idea. Here are some words that describe me.
1. Christian ( I'm a very devout Calvinist Anglican. I believe that the Bible is the inerrant and inspired Word of God. I hold strictly to the 39 Articles of Religion and the 3 Forms of Unity. I pray out of the 1928 Book of Common Prayer every morning and evening. You could call me a traditional Episcopalian, but I don't usually call myself an Episcopalian because the Episcopal Church has gone wild, and is now an apostate church. My favorite theologians are St. Augustine, Martin Luther, John Calvin, J Gresham Machen, and Gordon H. Clark)
2. Classical Conservative/Paleoconservative (I'm an old-school conservative. I'm extremely socially conservative, anti-feminist, anti-multiculturalism, anti-secularism, anti-Zionist, an Isolationist on foreign policy, an advocate of replacing the income tax with a small tariff and a Protectionist on trade, Guys who have had great influence on my thinking include Edmund Burke, Robert L Dabney, Russell Kirk, Julius Evola, Dr. Paul Gottfried, Dr. Charles Murray, and Pat Buchanan )
3. Anti-Democratic (I'm as anti-democratic as one can get. I agree with H.L Mencken that democracy is a system in which inferior men dominate their superiors. I am also very influenced by Julius Evola in this regard)
5. Monarchist (My ideal regime would be a Protestant monarchical/aristocratic state, with very distinct classes. (ie, the nobility, the clergy, the warrior class/military, the merchants/white collar workers, and the surfs/blue collar workers. There would be a very small chance of mobility, but the opportunity to become a cleric should certainly be open to anyone who feels they are called to it. It would be a very socially conservative state, with the clergy having the final say in all social matters. The economy would be pretty free. However, there would be tarrifs on foreign imports
5. Preppy/well-mannered( I'm fairly preppy, but not obsessed with it. I also don't like the stereotype of the modern preppy guy. Today, the typical preppy guy is a wealthy guy who wears polos and thinks he is the best thing ever, then drinks his face off at the frat house. That;s certainly not me. I'd call myself a Classic Prep. I certainly like wearing nice clothes, and enjoy the finer things. However, I'm also very religious, and not a fan of obnoxious people who are in love with themselves. I would've fit in very well at Harvard or Yale in 1900. Brooks Brothers is my favorite brand)

I'm pretty sure that Augustine would not agree with your views on social mobility.

PaleoCon here
Well I don't agree with Augustine on everything. I don't agree with anyone on everything. Augustine is one of my favorite theologians though, and I agree with him on most things though.

[Anonymous]

PaleoCon here.
Here's an interesting article on New St. Andrews College. It's a bit old, but I'd be interested in knowing what you guys think
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/30/magazine/30Christian-t.html

[Anonymous]

Do you like science at all? I was thinking that you might enjoy some fields of science that involve a lot of classification systems, entymology, biology, geology. I'm not sure how this squares with your Christian beliefs though. I also think you might want to look into applying to a military college. You really seem to crave rigid social structures and the military is one place you will certainly find that (if you aren't interested in going to a seminary). To make a lot of money usually requires that you can get other people to trust/follow you. And not just people that are exactly like you. I'm not sure you have that natural ability.

Other thoughts might be to study lost languages (possibly through archeology). But I'm guessing you are a big fan of traveling. What about computer programming?

I knew a few people like you at the University of Chicago (with rigid belief systems) and they did not do well in that type of academic setting, despite the University being a fairly conservative place. They really couldn't handle having their belief systems constantly challenged.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do not want to waste my life running for a seat that I will have very little chance of winning

Then you really don't want to make your goal to become a classics professor...

PaleoCon here
Unfortunately, you're probably right. With the way the academic job market is right now, and with my views being very radical, I doubt I'd have much of a chance at landing a tenured professorship. My only shot would be if one of those small Classical Christian colleges had an opening, but that's not a safe bet, as they rarely ever have one. I'm living in a very gloomy time period. 100 or even 50 years ago, my chances at becoming an academic would've been a whole lot better than they are now. It saddens me, because I think being a Classics professor is something I'd really enjoy doing. Along with teaching Classics, I'd get into political philosophy. I'd write articles for all the prominent Paleoconservative publications, and probably write several boks. I could teach Latin & Greek at a prep school, but they don't pay very well, and I want to have a large family. I'm going to focus all of my attention in undergrad on academics. The reason my grades and scores are only slightly above average is because I don't put in any effort. At my best, I can be a top student. If I can get top grades, and improve my grammar/writing, then I'll have a better shot at achieving my goal. I don't really have any other career ideas besides law and academe. I'm certainly not going into finance, medicine, or anything manual. I am a heavy reader who loves studying the Classics, political philosophy, and history. Some have suggested that I go into the ministry, but I don't have the calling. Like I said, the time period and job market are very gloomy. Even though I'm a pretty chearful guy, it's hard not to fall into despair when I think about it. I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this way. All I can do is trust in God and see what happens.

PaleoCon, I agree with pretty much nothing you stand for, but it has always impressed me that you are willing and able to come on these boards and hold your own with people who are mostly, presumably, much older than you. That said, I think you have a long time to explore potentially broader career options than corporate attorney or college professor. Also, I wouldn't count on a college professorship being that much more lucrative than a prep school teacher...neither one pays particularly well. And it's quite possible that by the time you are finishing your PhD there are almost no tenured positions left in the Classics...meaning you'd be piecing together a living off adjunct positions.

I have a STEM PhD. I graduated 8 years ago, and the job market was pretty gloomy for academics when I entered grad school as well. But careers are not all doom and gloom. If you go into whatever you are doing with eyes wide open, and willing and able to accept the financial hit from foregone earnings in your 20s, then you can do a lot of things with your life. I got my PhD out of genuine interest in what I was doing, and I actually had little interest in becoming an academic. Yes, it probably lowered my lifetime earnings, but I've been able to do some pretty interesting things because of my education. Who knows, maybe you end up at a think tank. I generally discourage people from getting any kind of PhD, and I would do the same to you, but if you are able to be honest with yourself and realistic about what a PhD does and does not give you, it can also be rewarding. But it's sort of the equivalent of being a ski bum throughout your 20s. Do it for fun, not as a career step.

[Anonymous]

PaleoCon, I mean this nicely, but you will probably not get a job as a corporate lawyer. You won't get past the interview.

[Anonymous]

I really think the seminary is PaleoCon's best option. I know he doesn't feel "called" to the mission, but the idea of being "called" is a very Protestant one anyway. There are many traditions in which the clergy is simply an honorable profession, not necessarily something that someone needs to be instructed by G-d to undertake.

[Anonymous]

The STEM PhD gives good advice about how to go about a PhD program. Think of it as being a ski bum in your 20s. I started my PhD in my late 20s, and foregoing earnings does hurt, and I realize it might not be perfect on the other end, but there are plenty of interesting jobs at think tanks, policy, academia, or administration. Perhaps you should watch office space and ask yourself the question: "What would I get up and do everyday if I didn't have to make money?"

Also, I want to second the seminary. You could easily teach at the college-level with a Div terminal degree.

[Anonymous]

The Legal Profession is not the ticket to upper middle class lifestyle it once was. If you have an absolute passion for the law and clear understanding of the cost/economic benefit go for it. BUT understand that it will be difficult to find a job and you well accumulate substantial debt.