by Ira Woodward

Created on: March 31, 2008

I don't think there is any clear cut answer to this question. Instead I think each individual needs to decide for him/herself based on an assessment of a variety of factors. These include a person's priorities, his or her needs, and his or her abilities. The other articles here will give you a general idea of the difference between working for a company and working for yourself. I will use myself as an example to show you how you might analyze this question and make a decision that's best for you.

For myself, I want my life to be about helping other people. I would like to paraphrase historian Howard Zinn, who said if you build houses, build them for the poor. If you tend the sick, tend to the poor. And as he has done, if you write history, write it about the poor. Also, I start from the assumption that, as Zinn said, "you can't be neutral on a moving train;" we live in an unequal world and those of us who benefit from that inequality such as myself are responsible for doing something to make the world a more equal and just place.

I think my goals can be met in many ways in a conventional job, for example as a teacher. After all, teachers are responsible for helping children grow up to be responsible and healthy adults, an incredibly important task. However, one has to consider the constraints on people in any conventional job. For example, these days teachers are limited by the demands of standard state curricula, the need to teach to standardized tests, enormous class sizes, the need to control students who often don't want to be in class, and the loads of paperwork associated with grading. For myself, these factors tend to make me shy away from this job, since I hate paper work and don't like telling other people what to do.

In any job one has to deal with a boss and usually an authoritarian political environment. I've always chafed against these kinds of limitations of my freedom. Also, one has to deal with a schedule and deadlines, and I find I'm more productive and happier when I have more control over when I do what tasks. I can pay attention to my moods and do things as my spirit moves me.

Finally, in my own case I have physical limitations; I have a low physical endurance for sitting and standing, and I also am physically weak and generally lack endurance. My voice is also damaged and I'm limited how much I can talk during the day. For these reasons, I need to be able to vary my activities and my posture throughout the day, and I need to avoid physically

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