# Working with your hands vs. formal education
**URL:** https://forums.speedlife.net/t/working-with-your-hands-vs-formal-education/69045
**Category:** NYSpeed Off Topic
**Created:** [June 12, 2009, 7:18am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/working-with-your-hands-vs-formal-education/69045 "2009-06-12T07:18:15Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@drvnkd](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/drvnkd)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2009, 7:18am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/working-with-your-hands-vs-formal-education/69045/1 "2009-06-12T07:18:15Z")
Read this on sportriders and thought it was a good read.
> **[The Case for Working With Your Hands](https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/24/magazine/24labor-t.html?_r=3&pagewanted=all)**
>
> Changes in the economy have had the surprising effect of making the manual trades more attractive as careers.
cliffs: A PhD decides to run a motorcycle repair shop for a living.
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### Author:  [@boardjnky4](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boardjnky4)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2009, 7:20am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/working-with-your-hands-vs-formal-education/69045/2 "2009-06-12T07:20:11Z")
a PhD…in Political Philosophy…
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### Author:  [@Joe](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Joe)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2009, 7:22am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/working-with-your-hands-vs-formal-education/69045/3 "2009-06-12T07:22:47Z")
Who’s gonna pay back his student loans for that one?
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### Author:  [@boardjnky4](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boardjnky4)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2009, 7:24am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/working-with-your-hands-vs-formal-education/69045/4 "2009-06-12T07:24:26Z")
> [@Joe](#):
>
> Who’s gonna pay back his student loans for that one?
Joe, it’s ok, me and you will pitch in to pay them back. So that he and his free spirit can fix motorcycles.
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### Author:  [@Joe](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Joe)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2009, 7:25am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/working-with-your-hands-vs-formal-education/69045/5 "2009-06-12T07:25:25Z")
It’s great that he’s following his dream! He can discuss politics while he fixes them!
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### Author:  [@newman](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/newman)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2009, 7:26am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/working-with-your-hands-vs-formal-education/69045/6 "2009-06-12T07:26:06Z")
I have a 4 year degree and I work with my hands all the time at work.
😃
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### Author:  [@walter](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/walter)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2009, 7:30am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/working-with-your-hands-vs-formal-education/69045/7 "2009-06-12T07:30:51Z")
This article has a great point. The vast majority of doctorate holders are unemployed and now pursuing a career they could have had from the start without any education.
cliffs: another article that people without education will misinterpret to use as a beacon for hope and yet another rationalization as to why they don’t need to pursue higher learning.
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### Author:  [@justa4door](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/justa4door)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2009, 7:32am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/working-with-your-hands-vs-formal-education/69045/8 "2009-06-12T07:32:59Z")
Was the orginal question if we would A) work with our hands or B) have a education and not “work” with our hands??
I like to work with my hands but hate to get dirty
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### Author:  [@drvnkd](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/drvnkd)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2009, 7:34am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/working-with-your-hands-vs-formal-education/69045/9 "2009-06-12T07:34:16Z")
I think engineering and development type work is exempt from his article.
Had he went into engineering, he probably would have been happier, sooner…
Its one thing to fix things and learn all the finer points of equipment, but its more fun to fix things before they “might” turn into problems.
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### Author:  [@drvnkd](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/drvnkd)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2009, 7:35am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/working-with-your-hands-vs-formal-education/69045/10 "2009-06-12T07:35:30Z")
I think he left out the fact, that his education gave a lot more opportunities that are not afforded to HS drop outs.
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### Author:  [@Bull49](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Bull49)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2009, 7:36am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/working-with-your-hands-vs-formal-education/69045/11 "2009-06-12T07:36:53Z")
> [@boardjnky4](#):
>
> Joe, it’s ok, me and you will pitch in to pay them back. So that he and his free spirit can fix motorcycles.
exactly. lulz
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### Author:  [@walter](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/walter)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2009, 7:47am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/working-with-your-hands-vs-formal-education/69045/12 "2009-06-12T07:47:36Z")
And, lets not overlook that Hyde Park isn’t exactly a low rent district, clearly has money.
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### Author:  [@Blue\_Eyed\_Devil](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Blue_Eyed_Devil)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2009, 7:55am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/working-with-your-hands-vs-formal-education/69045/13 "2009-06-12T07:55:10Z")
I didn’t take the time to read the entire article yet but isn’t this pretty close to what I have been preaching for many years?
You are much more likely to be adding to the economy if you are using your hands as well. Pencil pushing generally does not add to the economy.
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### Author:  [@Joe](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Joe)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2009, 8:12am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/working-with-your-hands-vs-formal-education/69045/14 "2009-06-12T08:12:34Z")
> [@Blue Eyed Devil](#):
>
> I didn’t take the time to read the entire article yet but isn’t this pretty close to what I have been preaching for many years?
> You are much more likely to be adding to the economy if you are using your hands as well. Pencil pushing generally does not add to the economy.
You are much more likely to be replaceable by 5 chinese guys if you are using your hands as well.
Like anything else, different strokes for different folks. I hate working with my hands and would rather make money with my brain and pay a small percentage to people to do the physical shit.
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### Author:  [@Blue\_Eyed\_Devil](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Blue_Eyed_Devil)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2009, 8:17am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/working-with-your-hands-vs-formal-education/69045/15 "2009-06-12T08:17:52Z")
> [@Joe](#):
>
> You are much more likely to be replaceable by 5 chinese guys if you are using your hands as well.
> Like anything else, different strokes for different folks. I hate working with my hands and would rather make money with my brain and pay a small percentage to people to do the physical shit.
Not if the playing field was level however.
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### Author:  [@walter](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/walter)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2009, 8:20am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/working-with-your-hands-vs-formal-education/69045/16 "2009-06-12T08:20:11Z")
Sure, if there was no money, and we all worked for the right to stay alive pay would be equal and no one would work. Sounds like a great plan.
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### Author:  [@Toda\_Party](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Toda_Party)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2009, 8:55am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/working-with-your-hands-vs-formal-education/69045/17 "2009-06-12T08:55:14Z")
hahaha
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### Author:  [@boardjnky4](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boardjnky4)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2009, 9:01am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/working-with-your-hands-vs-formal-education/69045/18 "2009-06-12T09:01:36Z")
sounds like communism to me
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### Author:  [@system](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/system)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2009, 9:04am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/working-with-your-hands-vs-formal-education/69045/19 "2009-06-12T09:04:42Z")
To some people, its just fulfulling. I can’t imagine not having the oppurtunity to work with my hands, for me working on cars and cooking are too much fun to ever stop doing.
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### Author:  [@boardjnky4](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boardjnky4)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2009, 9:05am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/working-with-your-hands-vs-formal-education/69045/20 "2009-06-12T09:05:51Z")
> [@OutlawStar](#):
>
> To some people, its just fulfulling. I can’t imagine not having the oppurtunity to work with my hands, for me working on cars and cooking are too much fun to ever stop doing.
That’s what makes cooking and cars such great HOBBIES.
That’s just my take though. I would rather do that stuff as a hobby and not a career.
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