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You are not your job

jry.io

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Re: You are not your job

#151

Post by charcircuit »

throwaway-11-1 wrote: post #126
abcde666777 wrote: post #122

Being able to see ourselves as something beyond our job (our means of survival) is a luxury. If a person can't provide for themselves the rest goes out the window fast. The only way to ease the anxiety in people isn't with fluff about their 'human worth', but rather to help them envision other tangible and plausible ways in which they can provide for themselves. The cold reality, in my opinion, is that the things we…

They aren’t valuable to markets, but like I have neighbors who are treasured by the community and genuinely bring joy to everyone. But no, I guess they aren’t economically important. I actually don’t like how every soul has been reduced to an efficiency metric, surprised how much I find forums like this accept that framing.

Doesn't that work its way into property values. People want to live in a good neighborhood and community and are willing to pay more for it.

Re: You are not your job

#152

Post by eucyclos »

cedws wrote: post #70
block_dagger wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Within a few years I think UBI or UBS will be required for people to continue living, in which case basic needs (bills) won't be a concern. There's just no way for us to transition fast enough to avoid high unemployment as AI replaces large swaths of jobs. I do worry about the ~10 year transition it will take for societal governments to react.

I think UBI is a pipe dream. I live in the UK and even with our social safety net which is much stronger than the US's, I can't imagine the government ever handing out money adequate to live a middle class life to large chunk of the population. UBI has problems that far as I know haven't been addressed. Vast numbers of people no longer being occupied doesn't seem like it would lead to a healthy society. And how do yo…

Whoever said anything about middle class? Ubi is the poverty level, it could never be anything else.

As for people not being occupied, the theory is that since ubi doesn't stop if you find employment, it would lead to less idleness than the current means-tested social safety nets. In test cases though it seems to depend a lot on culture, Finnish communities saw no difference in employment while Indian rates of business formation tripled.

Re: You are not your job

#153

Post by helloplanets »

abcde666777 wrote: post #122

Being able to see ourselves as something beyond our job (our means of survival) is a luxury. If a person can't provide for themselves the rest goes out the window fast. The only way to ease the anxiety in people isn't with fluff about their 'human worth', but rather to help them envision other tangible and plausible ways in which they can provide for themselves. The cold reality, in my opinion, is that the things we…

> We are in fact very disposable and replaceable.

To your friends and family as well? Or just your employer?

You're describing things that may well be true for a lot of employers, but fall apart outside of that context.

Re: You are not your job

#154

Post by codemog »

abcde666777 wrote: post #122

Being able to see ourselves as something beyond our job (our means of survival) is a luxury. If a person can't provide for themselves the rest goes out the window fast. The only way to ease the anxiety in people isn't with fluff about their 'human worth', but rather to help them envision other tangible and plausible ways in which they can provide for themselves. The cold reality, in my opinion, is that the things we…

Hey you’re welcome to your view. In my view that’s an insanely disgusting devaluation of human life that’s been put into peoples brains by propaganda. Capitalism and materialism sure is great huh.

Re: You are not your job

#155

Post by ThrowawayR2 »

abcde666777 wrote: post #122

Being able to see ourselves as something beyond our job (our means of survival) is a luxury. If a person can't provide for themselves the rest goes out the window fast. The only way to ease the anxiety in people isn't with fluff about their 'human worth', but rather to help them envision other tangible and plausible ways in which they can provide for themselves. The cold reality, in my opinion, is that the things we…

Reminds me of a very old essay on Cracked that says something very similar: https://www.cracked.com/blog/6-harsh-truths-that-will-make-y...

Re: You are not your job

#156

Post by slopinthebag »

block_dagger wrote: post #64
cedws wrote: post #26

>My technical skills are being disrupted by machines - that's fine I'll go do other things. [links to long bike trip] Ok that's cool and all but many of us have bills to pay. Bike trips don't pay the bills. Software people have been economically advantaged up until now that they can go and do stuff like that.

Within a few years I think UBI or UBS will be required for people to continue living, in which case basic needs (bills) won't be a concern. There's just no way for us to transition fast enough to avoid high unemployment as AI replaces large swaths of jobs. I do worry about the ~10 year transition it will take for societal governments to react.

UBI just inflates the currency. What will hopefully end up happening is that displaced workers can do jobs which aren't economically viable atm, but are still socially viable: Imagine an army of workers cleaning up the streets (literally) and transforming your town into a clean, well maintained cityscape. Etc etc.

Re: You are not your job

#157

Post by bitwize »

I really don't care about my intrinsic value as a person. Without this line of work I couldn't make enough to support my household by myself, which I must now do.

Re: You are not your job

#158

Post by slopinthebag »

Etheryte wrote: post #14
MattDamonSpace wrote: post #8

Fine essay overall but “We possess the means to care for everyone -- yet choose not to” I really don’t think this is true

The US could make homelessness a thing of the past with a minuscule fraction of what it is spending on the military. It is very much a choice.

You cannot just throw money at a problem like homelessness in order to fix it. That is such an incredibly reductive viewpoint. It's akin to saying 9 mothers can birth a child in a month - oh look, we solved the population decline crisis! Someone go tell Japan!

Re: You are not your job

#159

Post by yakshaving_jgt »

abcde666777 wrote: post #122

Being able to see ourselves as something beyond our job (our means of survival) is a luxury. If a person can't provide for themselves the rest goes out the window fast. The only way to ease the anxiety in people isn't with fluff about their 'human worth', but rather to help them envision other tangible and plausible ways in which they can provide for themselves. The cold reality, in my opinion, is that the things we…

> We are in fact very disposable and replaceable.

Gerasimov? Is it you?

Re: You are not your job

#160

Post by Christian-B »

tomekw wrote: post #55

I used to BE a software engineer. Then, I experienced a 3 years long burnout and got professional help. Now I work AS an Engineering Manager. You are not your job. Do not put your ego in what you do. That’s something I discuss a lot during my 1:1s.

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