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Long-term unemployment leads to disengagement and apathy

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Re: Long-term unemployment leads to disengagement and apathy

#61
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People use their job as an identity - and via extension some use religion, one of the lessons you learn later on in your life is that your identity isn't your job, achievements, money, anything. You identity shouldn't be dependent on any of those things.

While this does seem rather zen, what would it look like?

Strictly speaking, the Zen answer is something like you don't have an identity. But in practice, you get a lot more out of basing an identity on the community(s) you want to be part of.

It is good to be a little picky. I don't see basing an identity on a professional community as being clever - that community isn't going to do much for its members except maybe help them find a job from time to time.

Re: Long-term unemployment leads to disengagement and apathy

#62
post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

you bring up psychology, then completely botch it, just as the study did. > sometimes the interiority-centric framework of psychology seems comically ill-fit for topics like this...thus, people who are long-term unemployed likely feel that they lack control of their lives because this is true. you and the study are not controlling for people who feel they lack control of their lives tending to do a poorer job of find…

It's equally plausible that employers treat people with particular trait cluster poorly, and that eventually they give up on getting abused.

[flagged]

Re: Long-term unemployment leads to disengagement and apathy

#64
You may as well say "Researchers discover: not having money sucks".

Personally, I've voluntarily gone without employment for many short stretches, as well as a 2 year stretch, and each time I've thoroughly enjoyed it.

Trips to Thailand, Europe, working on my own projects... The only real downside has been watching my bank balance go down. Otherwise, it's great.

Re: Long-term unemployment leads to disengagement and apathy

#65

The irony here is that long term employment can also lead to disengagement and apathy. So really, the latter has nothing to do with being employed or not.

I feel like that’s just related to loss of control? If you have no control or autonomy in your job as well as outside, then you start quickly feeling really bad.

Re: Long-term unemployment leads to disengagement and apathy

#66
Why not just say "lack of money"? I know some friends (all female, but that's just how it is culturally) who have been unemployed forever (other than short stints here and there) and don't work at all (they have helpers at home), and yet they're probably the happiest people I know.

Re: Long-term unemployment leads to disengagement and apathy

#67
post #65

The irony here is that long term employment can also lead to disengagement and apathy. So really, the latter has nothing to do with being employed or not.

I feel like that’s just related to loss of control? If you have no control or autonomy in your job as well as outside, then you start quickly feeling really bad.

Agreed. "Loss of control leads to disengagement and apathy" is more accurate.

Re: Long-term unemployment leads to disengagement and apathy

#68
post #15

I know it's important to do science that comes to obvious conclusions, but sometimes the interiority-centric framework of psychology seems comically ill-fit for topics like this In most countries in the world, money is what allows you to have any control over your life. For most people who aren't already rich, their having money relies on being employed, and we tend not to describe people who don't work because they'…

For what it's worth, as someone who doesn't need to work on a daily basis (made enough in my 20s), extended periods of unemployment can quite easily lead me down a similar path to the one that the article describes. If you slip into a pattern of not waking up at a reasonable time, staying indoors and not exercising, not making attempts to socialise, etc, then it can be quite easy to throw your brain chemistry out of…

I save 90% of my income, and work freelance. My experience may be unusual but it has been the opposite. When I have a job time blurs togethor. I stop drawing, and exercising and learning math. Pressure builds. Eventually I finsh and that stage ends and a rennaissance begins. I am only a clear deep thinker when unemployed. When I am captured by the salient sense of daily responsibility and income, mental exercise is at the bottom of my priorities and doesnt make the effort/reward payoff threshold.

Re: Long-term unemployment leads to disengagement and apathy

#69
post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

you bring up psychology, then completely botch it, just as the study did. > sometimes the interiority-centric framework of psychology seems comically ill-fit for topics like this...thus, people who are long-term unemployed likely feel that they lack control of their lives because this is true. you and the study are not controlling for people who feel they lack control of their lives tending to do a poorer job of find…

It's equally plausible that employers treat people with particular trait cluster poorly, and that eventually they give up on getting abused.

Employees abuse their employers, too.

Re: Long-term unemployment leads to disengagement and apathy

#70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's equally plausible that employers treat people with particular trait cluster poorly, and that eventually they give up on getting abused.

Employees abuse their employers, too.

Not systematically. The power dynamic isn't there.
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