nagoya wrote:
Let's play "would you rather"
Would you rather have a 140 IQ, slave away your entire life to get into Stanford Undergrad and then an elite MBA / Computer Science program, land an elite Silicon Valley job where you're working 80/hours a week for 15 years or more to save up for a down payment
OR
Drop out of high school and becoming a truck driver based in Dayton, OH - save for a a few years and decide you want to buy a house.
Because both life paths will get you the same home:
https://www.redfin.com/CA/San-Carlos/2780-Bromley-Dr-94070/home/1306458
The OP makes a great point, but I'd rather be the Stanford grad because the truck driver's job will be lost in about eight to ten years due to automation. The OP's argument would have been stronger if he had said plumber, electrician, handyman, roofer, or general contractor. These are jobs that won't be automated any time soon.
A good handyman in my town earns $50/hour and has no difficulty finding clients. Assuming a 40 hour work week, that's about $100,000 per year in a city where the median home sells for about $300,000. General contractors and roofers are in such high demand here that most have work scheduled out for several months at least.