We have lost the difference between work and toil. Work, when meaningful, can be a conduit to growth. Toil breaks a person's body, mind, spirit precisely because it is meaningless.
you really are my favourite gen z philosopher. and I absolutely love this piece. I loved the line where you mention how your first job after college doesn’t need to signify your whole identity, it felt really soothing to read as someone studying. and I absolutely love your outlook on friendships and putting the work in. 🩷⭐️
I second this! My first job after college was definitely not what I want to dedicate my life to and neither is my second (where I am now). However, they both allow me to pay for PhD applications and continue surviving whilst exploring this path until I am successful in gaining admission and funding. Also, my second job has elements that I can mould to help me on my PhD applications and is teaching me difficult life lessons which I am sure will serve me in academia, and any other job afterwards. Don't despair, job hunting is hard now <3
Mostly true. But I’ve also had some describe a counter example to what you say. Take for example, the abuse of interns in various industries, such as the movie industry.
They work for a decade with a promise of being promoted, while the lies end up keeping them low paid servants in an industry that they thought they loved, perpetual interns.
That is the other lie that you don’t mention which says, if you do enough dishes, we will let you eat at the table. Some do the dishes all their lives and never get to eat at the table.
While the "lies" described are real, individuals are not entirely powerless.
When presented with a job offer, the interviewee is at liberty to ask questions to understand clearly what they’re getting themselves into.
In reference to your statement “if you do enough dishes, we will let you eat at the table.” The person in question can ask, What number of dishes earns me a spot your table? / How long do I need to do dishes to get a spot at the table? / What’s the turnover rate for people who got to the table after doing x number of dishes?
We’re all in charge of our destiny and most of the choices we make. Some interns actually gain lots of experience in these energy-intensive jobs and use these skills earned to move on to a higher step.
It is illogical to keep at the same thing and expecting different results. (Hamster on a wheel)
There are some assumptions built into your question when you say “tiny number jobs“ and “enormous number of people” as if those numbers are fixed. For example, 200 years ago you may ask “how can we find jobs for jobs for 9 billion people when there were only 1 billion on the planet?” Number of people and number jobs change over time quite a lot, and it’s easy to get focused on what they are right at the moment.
For example, of pandemic can greatly reduce labor as happened during the plague of the middle ages and unemployment went to zero.
In general when times are stable and food is plentiful and trade trusted, and everyone trusts each other, number of jobs grow quickly.
However, it’s to certain people’s advantage to disrupt the above and thereby direct the flow of wealth and labor to benefit only a few. Frequently known as rent seeking.
In another sense, money in bank accounts is freeze dried labor, frozen in time, a promise for the future. If there are big bank accounts somewhere, then labor isn’t being released to create more jobs.
We are not discussing any old jobs. We are discussing working in the movie industry. The supply of people who specifically want to work in the movie industry dwarfs the number of jobs available for them. How do you ration the available movie industry jobs?
Absolutely FANTASTIC piece, and I agree with almost everything you said. Finding the job that is right for you should be reframed as crafting the life you want to live, and accepting the necessary work and sacrifice such a life requires. Also, I never understand why working is seen as suffering more and more: I love working hard, getting the job done, and becoming better at things. Time and time again, I started with something I didn't love, did it until I reached a base level of skill at it, and then realized I now enjoyed it. Misery usually comes less from the work, and more from internal trauma, or external toxicity in our environment (i.e. your boss or co-worker sucks).
Wow, love the idea of choosing a job as "crafting the life you want to live"! As to your point about why work is seen as suffering nowadays, I agree that the cause is usually not the work itself. I believe this is yet another unfortunate by-product of late-stage capitalism. People are miserable because they're working longer hours in increasingly toxic environments while salaries stay stagnant.
As someone in my thirties - I’m obsessed with this. So much truth to it but you often don’t realize this until you’re in your thirties. I feel like that’s why a lot of us go back to school (which everyone makes fun of) but it’s true! It takes a minute to appreciate the mundane and the tough parts of life. Growth takes time and it’s wonderful (most of the time)
as someone who read this during their commute to their first full-time job out of college (and who has recently been having a crisis about what it represents in my identity), this came at the perfect time. perfectly written and just the right balance of comforting and challenging/thought-provoking. thank you for sharing <3
I agree with you that work is not suffering, and work that is not euphoric is still very much worth doing. However, I do believe the balance of power between worker and management often results in a soul sapping exchange of the worker's time and effort for relatively little money. Finding "a job that is your passion" simply minimizes the suffering in this uneven exchange.
Beautifully said- as a learning coach for self-directed teens this will be required reading before our next sessions. The journey to building an interest-led life is never ending.
I love the way your mind works! This could not come at better time too I’ve been struggling with my IT degree and I immediately assumed that because it’s hard it isn’t for me. Thank you for helping me see the challenge differently.
We have lost the difference between work and toil. Work, when meaningful, can be a conduit to growth. Toil breaks a person's body, mind, spirit precisely because it is meaningless.
so well put
such a clear way of making the distinction. thank you!
Love this clear take. Really made me reflect. Thank you:)
Beautifully said
Well said !
you really are my favourite gen z philosopher. and I absolutely love this piece. I loved the line where you mention how your first job after college doesn’t need to signify your whole identity, it felt really soothing to read as someone studying. and I absolutely love your outlook on friendships and putting the work in. 🩷⭐️
I second this! My first job after college was definitely not what I want to dedicate my life to and neither is my second (where I am now). However, they both allow me to pay for PhD applications and continue surviving whilst exploring this path until I am successful in gaining admission and funding. Also, my second job has elements that I can mould to help me on my PhD applications and is teaching me difficult life lessons which I am sure will serve me in academia, and any other job afterwards. Don't despair, job hunting is hard now <3
Mostly true. But I’ve also had some describe a counter example to what you say. Take for example, the abuse of interns in various industries, such as the movie industry.
They work for a decade with a promise of being promoted, while the lies end up keeping them low paid servants in an industry that they thought they loved, perpetual interns.
That is the other lie that you don’t mention which says, if you do enough dishes, we will let you eat at the table. Some do the dishes all their lives and never get to eat at the table.
While the "lies" described are real, individuals are not entirely powerless.
When presented with a job offer, the interviewee is at liberty to ask questions to understand clearly what they’re getting themselves into.
In reference to your statement “if you do enough dishes, we will let you eat at the table.” The person in question can ask, What number of dishes earns me a spot your table? / How long do I need to do dishes to get a spot at the table? / What’s the turnover rate for people who got to the table after doing x number of dishes?
We’re all in charge of our destiny and most of the choices we make. Some interns actually gain lots of experience in these energy-intensive jobs and use these skills earned to move on to a higher step.
It is illogical to keep at the same thing and expecting different results. (Hamster on a wheel)
_ Learn and move
How *do* you ration the tiny number of jobs among the enormous number of people who want them?
That’s an interesting question.
There are some assumptions built into your question when you say “tiny number jobs“ and “enormous number of people” as if those numbers are fixed. For example, 200 years ago you may ask “how can we find jobs for jobs for 9 billion people when there were only 1 billion on the planet?” Number of people and number jobs change over time quite a lot, and it’s easy to get focused on what they are right at the moment.
For example, of pandemic can greatly reduce labor as happened during the plague of the middle ages and unemployment went to zero.
In general when times are stable and food is plentiful and trade trusted, and everyone trusts each other, number of jobs grow quickly.
However, it’s to certain people’s advantage to disrupt the above and thereby direct the flow of wealth and labor to benefit only a few. Frequently known as rent seeking.
In another sense, money in bank accounts is freeze dried labor, frozen in time, a promise for the future. If there are big bank accounts somewhere, then labor isn’t being released to create more jobs.
We are not discussing any old jobs. We are discussing working in the movie industry. The supply of people who specifically want to work in the movie industry dwarfs the number of jobs available for them. How do you ration the available movie industry jobs?
Absolutely FANTASTIC piece, and I agree with almost everything you said. Finding the job that is right for you should be reframed as crafting the life you want to live, and accepting the necessary work and sacrifice such a life requires. Also, I never understand why working is seen as suffering more and more: I love working hard, getting the job done, and becoming better at things. Time and time again, I started with something I didn't love, did it until I reached a base level of skill at it, and then realized I now enjoyed it. Misery usually comes less from the work, and more from internal trauma, or external toxicity in our environment (i.e. your boss or co-worker sucks).
Wow, love the idea of choosing a job as "crafting the life you want to live"! As to your point about why work is seen as suffering nowadays, I agree that the cause is usually not the work itself. I believe this is yet another unfortunate by-product of late-stage capitalism. People are miserable because they're working longer hours in increasingly toxic environments while salaries stay stagnant.
As someone in my thirties - I’m obsessed with this. So much truth to it but you often don’t realize this until you’re in your thirties. I feel like that’s why a lot of us go back to school (which everyone makes fun of) but it’s true! It takes a minute to appreciate the mundane and the tough parts of life. Growth takes time and it’s wonderful (most of the time)
as someone who read this during their commute to their first full-time job out of college (and who has recently been having a crisis about what it represents in my identity), this came at the perfect time. perfectly written and just the right balance of comforting and challenging/thought-provoking. thank you for sharing <3
This is an incredible piece. I screenshotted so many times and I’m definitely creating a mind map for myself!!!
I am going to read this every Sunday night.
I agree with you that work is not suffering, and work that is not euphoric is still very much worth doing. However, I do believe the balance of power between worker and management often results in a soul sapping exchange of the worker's time and effort for relatively little money. Finding "a job that is your passion" simply minimizes the suffering in this uneven exchange.
This was excellently put. I’m not Gen Z, I’m a millennial, but I needed to hear this
"They won't deny the work… they'll tell you it's precisely through the work that the meaning emerges." Yes. This.
This was absolutely beautiful, thank you for sharing <3
Beautifully said- as a learning coach for self-directed teens this will be required reading before our next sessions. The journey to building an interest-led life is never ending.
I love the way your mind works! This could not come at better time too I’ve been struggling with my IT degree and I immediately assumed that because it’s hard it isn’t for me. Thank you for helping me see the challenge differently.
I’m going to share this with every graduate in my life
so happy i found this when i did. also loved the mind map So much