I thought about majoring in philosophy back in the day, but I could see it was a dead end financially. I was nearly lured by my own ego and desire to be the smartest person in the room, or at least the finest debater of philosophy. I eagerly embraced the self-aggrandizement of philosophical mental masturbation. If my ego had been a little bigger, and if my financial acumen had been a little poorer, I could have easily wasted a decade or more of my life chasing my destiny to be the reincarnation of Aristotle.

Be happy you let go of the delusion when you did. Many, many others are still quixotically seeking the Holy Grail of philosophical tenure and wasting their professional lives.