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While there are outliers, careers are continual processes of closing off options in my opinion. I did everything in my power to leave all options open to me for as long as possible. This is my main argument with online poker...it starts to close off options

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I feel like this is so important, but it is difficult to convey to my friends both inside the poker world and outside of it. There is the obvious chance that the floor will drop out from under all these young grinders, and they are going to have no idea what to do when the endless stream of money dries up and they are stuck with no job, no degree, and a skewed sense of money's worth. Besides, the money is so much more rewarding if you are living a balanced life, and playing poker all the time leads to intellectual and social atrophy.

Edit: I shouldn't generalize like this because most of the highest stakes players are probably tough and smart enough to adapt to whatever life throws at them, but guys that drop out to play midstakes for 80-100k/yr would likely falter I think (if poker crashed completely).

Double Edit: While I'm still a teenager and not really financially successful for the long term, I have done well at poker, and I think most of the things that have been said here can apply to that as well. Integrity, persistence, self-confidence, and ability to take risks (and fail) can never be stressed enough. Unfortunately, these are traits that all must be garnered from experience rather than reading an Internet post (and I say that because, while I know all of these are necessary, I have not really attained any of them to the degree that I desire).