Harvard Degree Not What It's Cracked Up To Be

"Jack" is a lawyer with a law degree from Harvard. And he burned it. Overcome with the demands of the workplace, he is trying to simplify his life and find a more meaningful purpose to it. He plans on taking some time off, and then moving to the public interest field to find something more fulfillng.

Jack joined the legal profession because he had "nothing better to do" and thereafter found himself strapped for cash and deep in loan debt. Asked if he missed any of the material things lost through his sudden sacrifice, he said

Not so far. Embracing voluntary simplicity does not imply that you have to accept abject poverty or that you need to reject all material comforts. Voluntary simplicity encourages you to shed anything that does not have genuine value to you. In my case, I no longer find a need to patronize Citronelle on a weekly basis, or head out to Vegas to spend a couple of thousand dollars every chance I get. I now spend money on things that bring me meaningful joy. And it just so happens that most of these things are so cheap, they are practically free.

Unsurprisingly, Jack's situation reflects that of many lawyers caught up in a career they can't seem to escape. His advocacy may start a wave of change that appears to be needed in the legal profession.

To read his interview, click here.