| Yes, you were right, and I wonder what influences have led you to question whether declining to work for a company for ethical reasons is "childish". From what I understand about Goldman Sachs, what they do at its most basic level is figure out how to separate people from their money while producing as little actual value as possible, with no regard to the consequences, by pumping smart and productive people full of more money than you could ever spend in a lifetime, then encouraging a culture where all of your coworkers try to do it anyway and you are compelled to join them. To me, part of maturity (the opposite of 'childishness') is learning to value things other than the immediate fulfillment of your most base desires. This can be illustrated in simple ways, like when you realize that there are actually good reasons not to eat sugary cereal for every meal, or in your case, when you realize that money alone, even great piles of it, doesn't automatically make a job worthwhile. In my opinion, the most childish people are the ones at Goldman Sachs, sniffing each other's asses and comparing watches and ties as a measurement of self-worth while they spend the prime of their lives trying to create paper out of thin air so more people can buy more watches and ties. Good on you for not being one of them. If I were you, I would also contact the highest-up person you can reach and explain why you didn't want to work for them. |