I'm Glad Someone Does It
Sometimes the nastier the job, the better it pays. There's a career tip buried in there.
TODAY’S MINDBENDER
If they could hook their spouse up to a lie detector, one in five people would ask this.
I’ll have your answer coming up.
The bonus Mindbender that went out this past weekend to paid subscribers was about how 97% of dental hygienists are women. Which has to be true, because the next male hygienist I come across will be the first male hygienist I’ve come across.
When I mentioned this stat to Gretchen, it launched one of those rabbit-hole discussions that wandered off in so many different directions. But the crux of the matter was this:
I’m so glad there are people who do these jobs.
Think about it—how would you like to get up in the morning and go stick your fingers inside some stranger’s mouth? Lots of strangers, actually. And it’s not like you can pick and choose based on how clean their mouths are. You have to root around in there no matter how disgusting it might be.
I couldn’t do it. I’m glad hygienists can.
The Ick Premium
My property is not on the public sewer system, so I have a septic tank. I talked to the guy who comes around every five years or so to pump that thing out. You could smell his truck coming when it was still a block away. I asked him, “How do you do this every day?”
And he said, “You get used to it.” Plus, he added: “Since not many people want to do it, it pays pretty well.”
Ahhhh.
I do a fair amount of public speaking, something that few people are comfortable doing. And that might explain why it pays pretty well. We’re doing something only a few people want to do.
That made me look up the average salary of a dental hygienist, and nationwide it’s just under $100,000 per year.
Plumbers. Who the hell wants to muck around in that? Well, plumbers who run their own shop can clear $150k a year.
If you’re looking for a career change and you’d like to make pretty decent money, this might be the first step: find the jobs nobody else wants to do and see if you can stomach it.
And in the meantime, at your next teeth cleaning appointment, be grateful there’s someone who’s not completely grossed out by your mouth.
Or maybe they just hide it well.
The Answer For Today’s Mindbender
What would they ask their spouse when hooked up to a lie detector?
How do you really feel about my parents?
Wanna know how wise I am? I’m not saying a word about this.
Thank you for being part of the MB Club. Enjoy your day!
Dom
He doesn't need a machine. He's a human lie detector.