Yes, I would agree with retribution anxiety, and for those of us without the opportunity to gain experience, it still ultimately falls to the left-out feeling that we / should/ not, rather than /cannot/, participate because of lacking that confidence that is gained when working in one's chosen field. In a way, I suppose all humans feel those inadequate emotions creep up more often than we'd like to admit. Obviously no one can be on top of their game all the time, and silence, especially from colleagues, I would think, can be deafening.
This listserv has been invaluable to me - especially as of late, because the discussions are touching issues that will hopefully bring those of us to the fore who might otherwise just be cautious observers. I thank John A. for starting this journey... ----- Original Message ----- From: Aaron T. Dossey Sent: 02/09/14 04:01 PM To: Erin McLenegan, [email protected], Aaron T. Dossey, Ph.D. Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Fw: [ECOLOG-L] Recent PhDs on Food Stamps - Overwhelmed with Replies I definitely agree. In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: "In the end, it is not the words of our enemies that we will remember, but the silence of our friends." "'left out' of contributing to this listserv for fear of not feeling adequate" - - I think this is more the fear of retribution than feeling of inadequacy, or at least that would be more logical (and seems to be the consensus of my own colleagues via prior related discussions). On 2/9/2014 2:45 PM, Erin McLenegan wrote: > In light of the outpouring of grievances that John A. has received, perhaps it would be useful for any of those respondents to allow their stories to be published here - as a form of moral support. > > We are obviously not alone, though I know many of us feel that way; isolated from our would-be peers and possibly feeling a bit 'left out' of contributing to this listserv for fear of not feeling adequate > in our chosen field, simply because we do not have the 'experience'. For me, I often fee! l that so much time has gone by that it is increasingly harder to have potential employers hold my degree in any regard, and yet, > I am still so driven and compelled to succeed that five years on, I refuse to give up. > > Are there others who responded (or did not) that would be willing to perhaps form an offline network to share input? It seems that until we find our niche in our fields, we could all use the peer support. > It would be great to get a dialogue going about this topic. > And for those that have succeeded and are happily working in their dream field, some gentle advice on how to move forward would most likely be appreciated by all. > > Thoughts? > > Erin McLenegan > B.S. Oceanography and not giving up! > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: John A. > Sent: 02/09/14 10:20 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: [ECOLOG-L] Recent PhDs on Food Stamps - Overwhelmed with Replies > > I've already received many, many replies in the first 48 hours since I pos! ted my request. I've heard from more people than I can easily count--r ecent Ph.D.s, graduate students, even undergraduates with difficult stories of hard work, perseverance, and increasing despair that they will ever find work in the disciplines they've trained for. I will do my best to respond to everyone who's contacted me; if you haven't heard from me yet, it's only because there are so many others who have also poured out their fears and their frustrations. There are a great many people in our field who have found their calling, earned their degree, and now can find no way to support themselves--the invisible and disregarded of modern academia. Because many of you have expressed concerns about privacy, let me say that I won't share names, affiliations or any other identifying details unless the individuals involved grant their permission. If you or a friend have been hesitating out of personal con! > cerns, please know that I consider every contact a confidence, and I don't intend to break that trust. - J. A. > > > > > Erin ATD of ATB and ! ISI -- Aaron T. Dossey, Ph.D. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Founder/Owner: All Things Bugs Inc. Capitalizing on Low-Crawling Fruit from Insect-Based Innovation http://allthingsbugs.com/about/people/ http://www.facebook.com/Allthingsbugs https://www.facebook.com/InvertebrateStudiesInstitute 1-352-281-3643 Erin Erin
