Profession

I am a network engineer. I studied Engineering in Computer Science. I learnt programming as a kid. My favourite subjects were Mathematics and History. I love to apply logic and reason (that should be obvious). I love to gather information and read stories.

But my profession has led me to develop another skill. That of creativity and innovation. I also deal with some problems which might not have a known "correct solution" (such problems are called NP hard) or a solution which is guaranteed to complete in a given amount of time. But yet we go ahead and "solve" it using temporary solutions (engineering) and searching for the correct one all the time (research).

Ask yourself why :-

Ragnar Danneskjöld is a pirate, though he wants to study philosophy.
John Galt works as labourer on the rail road despite his obvious talent in making motors.
Howard Roark works as a miner even though he is the best architect around.
Hugh Akston flips burgers.

And what Ayn Rand wants to say when she says "Contradictions do not exist".

They do what they do because for them work is a means of livelihood and thus more important than working in their favourite field. They are willing to give up their passion for the sake of honesty and integrity in their profession whatever it is that they have to do. The world will not allow them to work with integrity in their favourite or chosen field so they simply give it up, but refuse to compramise on their fundamentals. Mind you even when they choose to do what they do it is still some of their skills and their able body that they use to do it.

That is what the Roarks and Galts in this world mostly end up doing. What I want to point out is that even if you are not in the profession you would like to be in what matters is how you earn your livelihood. And also that one should never give up on what he would prefer to do.. keep trying to get into the profession of your choice.