As I’ve gotten older I’ve realized that a lot of very mainstream advice people get about dealing with careers, society, etc is like “don’t do XYZ* or you’ll be eaten alive out there.” Instead of like “don’t eat people alive out there.”
*XYZ is just normal human behavior.
I was buying a coke at a gas station and some sixty-year-old fossil lady looked at me dead in the eyes was said, “drink coke, go broke”.
I didn’t say anything back to her, but, like, I work an office job. You’re a 60 year old cashier. And just because something rhymes doesn’t mean it’s true.
But then I realized, maybe it’s the fact that I can think like that that the circumstances of our lives are different.
She probably loves coke and can’t afford it in her budget to drink it so she’s lashing out. Hope you didn’t take it personally. It says more about her than you, who was just enjoying a cold beverage.