Education: The Key to Success?

[Andrew]

That brings up a fairly interesting point... the reason she has so much money is because of her dad, the last name is a give away. I'm not sure what sort of education he had, but I'm assuming he had some sort of degree to open a chain of hotels. So she would be rich by parental default, but does that make her a success? I actually think she is to be honest, she has her own multi-million dollar income that is generated purely from her persona. She started off as a rich guy's daughter, but now she's her own cash generating product. It's clever in a way.

She's a success but she's also an exception to the rule because her family's wealth and name recognition has given her opportunities she normally wouldn't get if she was forced to strive for them. On top of that boost, her character and reputation is largely responsible for her success rather than her own intelligent and intuition. But as you said, it is clever in a way that she manages to succeed in that manner.

[J@3]

Yeah but her character and reputation is something she's created for herself, she definitely cashes in on it. Everything from the kind of clothes she wears (leading to a clothes label) to being seen as a typical blonde bimbo (the TV shows she's been in).

[Andrew]

Absolutely, but I can't imagine it took much work to build her character of being a stupid spoiled whore (thank you, South Park) and the reputation that comes with it. From there it's cashing in on some controversy to gain opportunities - acting, fashion design, etc - she normally wouldn't get if she didn't already have her foot in the door of the celebrity world thanks to her family and family's connections. She's a success but the path to her success isn't one most people could take.

[Nick]

Yeah but her character and reputation is something she's created for herself, she definitely cashes in on it. Everything from the kind of clothes she wears (leading to a clothes label) to being seen as a typical blonde bimbo (the TV shows she's been in).

It's not like she meant it though. Didn't she start off her career as a pornstar? She wouldn't have gone "Alright... i'll be a pornstar... it will get me a reputation as the lucky rich whore... then when everybody knows my name... i'll start dressing a certain way, release a clothes label... and i'll be set". It's basically all how the cookie crumbled for her.

And i want to comment on the 'being an artist' career. Just wanted to say that being a musician, or anything that requires artistic creativity, the careers in those fields are so unbelievably competitive and hard to get into that getting a full flown eduction is almost easier. Artistic careers are risky, as 80%* of the time they don't get off the ground.

*Not an official stat Should probably have said "majority" instead.

[J@3]

Didn't she start off her career as a pornstar?

Lol no

It's basically all how the cookie crumbled for her.

So you honestly don't think she has a public image that she maintains? What celebrity doesn't have an image these days? They sell the person, not the talent and not the product.

[Fenix]

There is no career without a degree in my country as it is probably everwhere else. People with a HS degree and nothing more cannot achieve the same status/get the same job than their counterparts with a college diploma. I do believe that there is the same situation everywhere in the world - for getting a certain job you have to have a certain education, so that only the ones with highest education can get the highest paid job.

I'm studying political science, although I'll eventually end up in advertising. Thing with my college (Faculty of Social Sciences Ljubljana) is, that people of all majors can get more than less the same jobs, so I won't have problem with finding a job in advertising business because of my diploma (I'll do a magisterium from advertising/PR, so that will be even less of a problem). That is because they learn you only theory - and that is certainly not what it counts. You won't get a job around here even if you have the highest grades possible - you have to work for it during your college days - work in advertising companies, sign up for different contests related to what you want to do, etc., etc.. There is no career without practical knowledge, but there also isn't one without education.

[Jackal]

Lol no

Ofcourse she did Jae. Paris Hilton is the Paris Hilton we know today because of her porn flick. One night in Paris.

The one with nightvision blowjob.

Not that I'd know.

[J@3]

That came way way after she was famous, along with the other one that doesn't have the nightvision.

[-BHZMAFIA-]

That came way way after she was famous, along with the other one that doesn't have the nightvision.

Wait, which was that? Jae, you got a special edition video? But, anyways, the book she wrote was garbage. She had more pictures in it than writing and it sold SO MANY COPIES. And like other people have said, its because of her image that the book sell. If any average dumb blonde had a book and put alot of pictures in it, I know it wouldn't sell as much as Paris Hilton book.

[magius]

i think paris hilton was famous before the sex video, but of course the video was her 'breakthrough role.' before that she was simply famous as a socialite.

as for the degree.... well from the creative standpoit there is always the argument that it could stifle your creativity, but then there is also the case that it can heighten it. But for normal stuff it is never the case that a degree will hurt you, and always the case that not having one will. I mean in some countries to work at starbucks or a gas station requires a college degree.

[Abctest123]

but I guess it comes down to how you determine success.

That's it right there. Me and Mofo have to take a course called 'Careers', which basically covers everything we're talking about. If success for you is to have a family and be happy with your job, even if you don't make as much money as most people, then you may not need an education. There could be a guy with the highest education possible who lives in a house on his own and whose best friends are his car and his PC, but the other guy is more successful because he has a life.

damnit, keep forgetting your my grade. I totally agree with your post by the way. All comes down to what you like and want to do in life. If your happy with getting just a high school diploma and then getting a job with not the highest pay but a job you like and living a life you like, and you think thats successful, then it is, because you're living a happy life. If instead you think going into university or college to get a few degrees here and there and then getting a high paying nice job as success and you achieve this, i guess you can also consider yourself successful acccording to your own belief. As long as you achieve what you want in life, i would consider that it was a successful life.

[Cable]

Maybe you forget because of my good grammar ... hint, hint ...

Here's something else I came up with last night (why do you always get the best ideas after you go to bed?). The attitude of kids has completely changed. Hardly anyone really wants to learn today. Here's my proof: think of some of the teachers that most people hate. Now think of the teachers who honestly care that you do your best. Anything in common there? From my experience, the quote-unquote 'best' teachers are the ones who don't care if you work in class, and pass you for doing next to nothing. The teachers that try to help you and 'encourage' you to do your best (however that is) are the ones no one likes. I have many teachers like that at my school, and once I got to know them, I found that I loved going to their classes because I could actively participate and enjoy it. If you talk to my classmates (not literally Jackal, stay away!), they'll tell you that those classes suck because the teacher talks to much, and basically my classmates don't really want to participate like that. Whose fault is it? That's right, theirs.

[Andrew]

I wouldn't necessarily agree there, but perhaps I was just fortunate in some of the teachers I had in my last couple of years at high school. The best teachers treated students in our year as young adults and were all likeable, but they were also very dedicated and knowledgeable in their field and the classes as a whole did quite well.

[cyanide]

You can be successful without a degree, without a doubt. Personally, I value education because with education, you'll learn something that's from other people's experience and you are trained with knowledge, but with education, you're not getting the hands on experience as people can do without a degree. Luckily, experience comes after your degree, but I really can't say education is more important than experience. They're both important, but neither one being more important than the other. People can be just as intelligent and knowlegable without a degree as people who do have a degree. They might not be reading out of a textbook for information, but they get the information from learning through experience and interaction with people.

[air gordon]

depends on your field of work- sometimes it's more experience, sometimes it's more education. sometimes it's both. and sometimes it just comes down to who you know

many of my friends that took computer programming in college aren't even applying much of that in their office jobs. then OTOH i have some friends that had to buy their school books again because their job was using shit they learned

i always advocate getting a degree. no matter what happens down the road, you'll always have that degree to fall back on. you may not even pursue a job in the degree you have, but at least you'll have that on your resume and employers will recognize that you committed to/succeeded in getting a degree