thank you. this is an awesome post, and makes me recall how many times i've fallen into these traps. I've always wanted to be in politics and finance, and thought that's the best way to maximize my potential. Then i find out politics/finance is more about rent-seeking than doing good. I spent most of my college life just to figure it out. And then I find the start up life, which is really the thing - I got out of the traps. =)