ihear: You are missing a big point! If one goes to college and takes out student loans, he would have to work at least part-time to pay up loans. Plus, some professions pretty much require you to start working entry-level, right after you graduate. If you don’t, there will be a major hole in your job resume later on. The OP is 27. Yes, at 23, he fit the standard because he was in yeshiva and college. Now, 4 years later, he is at a point in his career where he has to work at least part-time. He should stay in yeshiva until he gets enagged just so that he can go out with a good girl who is looking for a guy like him but is scared that her friends will stigmatize and she will think she’s “settling” for a sub-par guy. Ridiculous!
I know many learner-earners that learn AND earn better than full-time learners who are only there to go with the flow. Those guys are NOT better than a solid learner-earned. Solid learner-earners exist, because I am one of them!
In Pirkei Avos, it says that “Yafeh Talmud Torah im Derech Eretz” because it leaves no time for sin. One of those sins is bitul torah. HOW TRUE! If you are a serious learner-earner, you won’t have time to be involved with shtusim like movies and TV shows. The system is terribly flawed, and I feel terrible for adam3. May you find your zivug soon!
-Another learner-earner.