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Flashback to 2011: I was in grade five orientation class. A teacher stood in front of us and spoke about the need for education. She gave an example I can still hear clearly: the way we address different people. For a milkman, she said, we might say in Tamil, "Poraan." But for an engineer, we’d say, “Poraar.” She stressed the difference in how we speak about them.

That moment planted something in me. As a 10-year-old, I didn’t question whether she was right or wrong—I simply believed it. Back then, my parents, like many others, often said, “If you don’t study well, you’ll end up a herdsman.” Over the years, I began to believe that primary occupations were less dignified and white-collar jobs were noble.

I remember classmates quietly hiding their fathers’ occupations on the school diary’s front page or avoiding the question altogether. Now I often think about how they felt in that session.

As the years went by, I started questioning things on my own and rationalizing my thoughts. There were so many questions revolving in my head.

Centuries ago, as part of survival, human societies mainly relied on primary occupations. But with rapid development, society’s preference shifted from survival to comfort. Rapid development around the globe changed human preference from necessity to luxury. Even though those occupations are a vital part of survival, they often go unappreciated due to the low pay and nature of the work. Air-conditioned rooms are preferred, and exposed work is seen as low status. Even I carried the same feeling for years without realizing it.

Now, I often see videos titled “From Dairy Farmer to XYZ Position,” as if the farmer’s life were something to escape instead of respect. And I wonder—what happens if everyone believes their traditional work is less dignified and chases only so-called glamorous roles?

My purpose in this write-up is not to change anyone's beliefs. I want to say one thing: education is not a ladder to living in an urban environment or getting more luxurious things. Education should nurture everyone's ability to think and contribute meaningfully, and make us good enough to leave a better world than we found it.

And most importantly, dignity should be tied to the necessity of the work and the value it creates, not the revenue, setting, or physical nature of the work.