Introduction Activism can be regarded as the promotion of political, legal, social, or environmental changes within a community. Moreover, it can be aimed at improving the wellbeing of individuals, for example, one can mention the organization of public festivals or even participation in construction projects that are supposed to serve the local residents. In other words, it can take a great number of forms, but this activity is supposed to attract people’s attention to certain problems or controversial questions. In some cases, activism can be closely related to the professional career of a person. For instance, it is possible to refer to the activities of medical workers who strive to help patients throughout the world. The main argument that can be put forward is that both career and activism are the results of a developed self, but at the same time, they can change people’s perception of themselves and their view of the world. Moreover, one can say that both career and activism are important for the vocational journey of a person and the discovery of his identity; without them, people may not be able to identify their personal goals, needs, and priorities. In this way, people can better understand their professional roles and their top life priorities. These are the key points that should be illustrated in more detail. Main body First of all, one can say that both activism and career choices can be explained by certain convictions of a person, his/her beliefs about the community, and the vision of society. Very often, activists try to change public opinion or prompt legislators to adopt new laws. A very similar idea is expressed in the book Restored Selves edited by John Dedecco and Kevin Kumashiro who explore the narratives of people representing the LGBT community. To a great extent, these narratives demonstrate that these people participate in social and political activism in order to raise their social status and acquire legal protection. Moreover, they regard themselves as people whose lifestyles, ideas, or views are marginalized by mainstream society and its political institutions (Dedecco & Kumashiro 22). This is the thing that motivates them to express their discontent with the existing social order. In order to change this situation, they take part in political and social activism. The examples provided by John Dedecco and Kevin Kumashiro show that political activists can have a very clear and detailed image of themselves. Furthermore, one should note that people make career choices because they want to change something and help other people. Moreover, they have a certain view of their own self. This argument is eloquently illustrated in the book Final Exam: A Surgeon’s Reflections on Mortality written by Pauline Chen. The author was once a physician who chose this career path in order to “use her profession to help people” (Chen 6). She viewed herself as a would-be professional who could save or improve the lives of others (Chen 6). This is a set of perceptions that the author had before her graduation. To a great extent, her choice is the result of a fully-developed self. So, these examples suggest that activism and career can be explained by the self-recognition of an individual. A person has to