You and a lot of other people on HN are very self-driven and would definitely maintain or perhaps even increase their contribution to society and civilization i

You and a lot of other people on HN are very self-driven and would definitely maintain or perhaps even increase their contribution to society and civilization if given a free ride. A lot of inventors and discoverers of yore were wealthy aristocrats who did precisely that. There were however a lot more other types of wealthy aristocrats who engaged in less productive activities (binge drinking, gambling, building personal militias, etc). When assessing a policy like basic income we need to consider how society will change, not only what we as individuals would end up doing. I'm not saying the disadvantages outweigh the benefits of basic income. I'm undecided. But I'm also disappointed with how the risks are often brushed off.