Eric Berridge is an entrepreneur. A humanist, to be more precise. He thinks we are obsessed with STEM and technology, and that this is biasing our kids’ judgement in choosing their life path.
In his brilliant talk, he recalls the experience in which his company – a computer programming consulting firm – was literally rescued right before being fired by a bartender with a major in philosophy. Why is that? Because humanities help seeing a broader context, and this does not mean to lose perception of the details whatsoever.
We tend to think that a degree in a technical subject will be more appealing to the labour market. Actually, the opposite is true most of the times: people with a degree in humanities can make great leaders. So what will be the message to the students who just started their courses at university? Choose a path you like, walk on it, enjoy every step.
Life can be hard sometimes, but passion makes the burden much lighter.
Enjoy the new year, and make the most of every opportunity.