Confucian and Chinese Perspectives on a Future Career

[fringe island]

Nice to meet you all. I hope you all are having a wonderful day

I was looking into Confucian values, because I respect their focus on discipline.

I was wondering on your all's perspective on what is the best job avenue for making money? My goal is that I want to help as many people as possible. I am 21, in Silicon Valley and I transferred to doing engineering after focusing my academic pursuits on philosophy and theology which I have come to think is inefficient for my goals. I often hear that the trifecta of lawyer/doctor/engineer is recommended.

Doctors probably make the most money, and they help lots of people. Though for my goals I was wondering if engineering or any other field would allow me to scale and help more people? Maybe a Confucian perspective might have another angle about this?

I'm not sure, what are you alls thoughts?

Thank you all very much for your time and thoughts.

[rapid garnet]

My response cannot offer you practical advice, but rather some reflections. Taking good care of yourself is the most important thing, and the fact that you maintain a willingness to help others is already admirable—in my view, this is more meaningful than any specific career choice. However, if you are genuinely interested and willing, I do suggest choosing a high-income profession, as it can improve your own quality of life and provide you with the means to help others. There is a Confucian saying: '修己以安人' (Cultivate oneself to bring peace and stability to others). It means: First, refine your own character and abilities, and then bring peace, support, and order to those around you, and even to all people under heaven.