***
There are some important questions in life.
"How are you going to eat?" is one of them. My graduate adviser asked this question straightforwardly to me in my grad school days. I only had a vague notion at the time, and it was somewhat shocking to me. Being good at school work and getting a PhD is one thing. But living and earning is another. I was too naive.
Capitalistic world can be cruel. No one is obligated to feed you nor to pay your bills on your behalf. If your business fails, it's on you. If you lose your job, it's on you. Although there will be an urge to make excuses and to cite unforeseeable circumstances, still it will be on you.
Notion of self-responsibility and accountability is everywhere. You'd have to think long and hard for this question for yourself. In fact, most of us are forced to think about this.
Surprisingly enough, not many answer options are there for this question.
(i) Work Work for hour in exchange to your skills, or have your business
(ii) Be dependent 1 Depends on close someone (Family member etc)
(iii) Be dependent 2 Depends on an organization (Government, Church, non-profit, etc)
(iv) Have a resource Cash, investments, pension, retirement fund etc
Option (i) "Work":
Let's assume you are not the people with silver-spoon. We are usually told at a young age by family members that working is important. They told you this because it is important for your well-being over lifetime. I'd say it is out of their love for you. It's immediately relevant for feeding self.
Many people don't bother asking the "how are you going to eat" question to someone who is not close nor significant. It can be a sensitive, even provoking, question. I am still thankful to the Professor who asked the question to me.
Option (ii) "Be dependent 1":
Stay-at-home can mean you are choosing option (ii), if you are not "working (earning)" at your home. Although important as they are, domestic choirs do not bring money from outside. This is a risky strategy, especially if you neglect to develop other means to eat.
Option (iii) "Be dependent 2":
Judging from the Republican's win in recent election, public sentiment is swinging toward cutting off social benefits by the Government or Military. Companies' pension plans can go belly up, or the payout may be "re-adjusted". Charity is arbitrary and you can lose it on their whim. This is another risky strategy.
Option (iv) "Have a resource":
We'd want to be in this position. How to get there, is another serious question.
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This is a season for holidays; Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year. Giving and Charity are encouraged particularly in this season. It is also a season to think of the scary abyss in life, to be thankful for what we have now, and to make plans for a better future.
This question actually is a more specific and urgent-sounding version of a lifelong question, "what are you going to do?". But the phrasing "how are you going to eat?" was perfect for a grad school student.
