On career choice in Pakistan

Dr. Azeem  Jahangir had the most interesting take on the matter of profession choice in Pakistan. According to him, The difference between your career and your passion is same as  the difference between arrange marriage and love marriage.  People in Pakistan 'arrange'the profession of their children too, generally speaking. When you find yourself in an arranged marriage , you try to develop interest in it. And this is what happens with arranged careers.

This is the most comprehensive comment on the surprisingly under - addressed matter of career choice in Pakistan.  The practice of not letting your children answer to their calling is the reason why there are more dispassionate doctors here than in say, America or any other country where your interest is the single most important determinent of your profession, after your aptitude. How can a person who is interested in fashion designing , be passionate about medicine ? There can be forced interest. No doubt . One may even be good at it. But I think no one can excell in the field he isn't truly passionate about. As a result, He could be a good doctor at best where he could have been a great fashion designer.

People here opt for the 'inherent coolness ' of the title doctor. Nothing could be farther from the truth than the assumed nobility of a profession.  You become noble by your conduct. A name plate or a name on degree isn't anything, to be honest.

So when will this stop trending ? When will the controlling Pakistani parents stop living a proxy life through their kids, streamlining their desires at every point of their lives?

Granted, the loved ones and society on the whole, wants an individual to prosper. But If everybody lived by the results of other people's lives , there would be no no art, no music , not even any innovation in science.  There would only be safe, practical choices. Now there is nothing wrong with safe choices. But there's something seriously wrong with an academic system in which the true motivation for a profession is the status symbol it entitles a person to. There's something seriously wrong when capable adults are coerced into making choices that differ from their passion in order to be considered worthy.  As a result The best of the minds go to designated professions and there is a serious dearth of intellectuals in other fields. Another result is one's chronic unhappiness with the chosen career.So much for carrying the weight of other people's ambitions on your shoulders!
I would say that is a problem.

There is a serious need for aptitude testing. And ideally the trend setting, doctor bahu seeking mentality of the society should be checked.