I felt a bit miffed when no one cared about paying me what I thought I was worth. Certainly, all the money I'd paid for that brilliant liberal arts education, all the time, hard work, and energy, blood, sweat, and tears meant I was worth more than what I was being given by employers.
It turns out that most places I worked didn't need or value my education, my critical thinking skills, and my brilliant logic. They wanted me to do what they told me to do. In fact, once I was told: "Sit down and do your job!" by another college graduate (my own age) who happened to be my employer. Yes, he was a jerk. But it was his business.
I drank and drank and railed away at the unfairness of idiots getting off on telling me what to do, especially since I had such brilliant ideas that weren't being appreciated.
Again, maybe it was the type of educational background? Not sure.
But, after a while, I realized I was walking into these places applying for these jobs to work for these people. Why was I doing it? And was it my only option? To work for these people, running their businesses for them, and getting paid less that what I was supposedly worth? No, it wasn't.
You aren't entitled to be handed anything by other people. People will walk all over you, grind you into the dirt, and smile at you while they're doing it. They'll even tell you to shut up, sit down, and be grateful.
I had to determine my own worth. And I had to determine where my skills and talents would best fit.
I make much more money working for myself and writing for a handful of clients than I did working with and for hundreds of others, doing as I was told (often by idiots).
You earned the ability to think for yourself, and to act intelligently, and responsibly.