A lot of people like to give children the false hope that they won’t one be saddled with a cube job by asking the somewhat insulting question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Apart from the stock cliches, like fireman (no one says teacher or cop anymore), most children have the uncorrupted lack of life experience to say things like “painter.”
This is why, in order to avoid crushing spirits later on in life, it would be better if adults simply asked, “What do you want to be when you give up?” The girls would of course say “stripper” or “prostitute” and the boys would say “middling employee at low-level corporation.” Yes, reconciliation during youth is key to not being disappointed later.