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Perhaps that definition of job is too narrow. While there hasn't always been currency trading hands for goods and services on a regular schedule there have alw
by clavalle 12y ago
Perhaps that definition of job is too narrow.
While there hasn't always been currency trading hands for goods and services on a regular schedule there have always been people creating value for themselves, their family, their community and, ultimately, the world. Trading currency is just a convenient way to trade on that value. I have no doubt that we can figure out a way to continue to create value and reward those involved.
- facepalm 12y ago"I have no doubt that we can figure out a way to continue to create value and reward those involved." That's very reassuring :-)
- antocv 12y agoI believe in fact that is the natural state of people - to create some value for themselves, others and the world. Left to our own, we will after a while of boredom, just get bored of boredom and create - games, dances, arts, softwares, tools, crafts, houses. Or put in another way we will continue to satisfy our needs.
- facepalm 12y agoHave you watched the news lately? Millions of people fail to satisfy their needs every day.
- TeMPOraL 12y ago> I have no doubt that we can figure out a way to continue to create value and reward those involved. We already had, those are so-called 'bullshit jobs' - things that have no value for humanity but has "economical value" because they're part of zero-sum games. But I hope that at some point the society will ask itself the question "why are we all doing this nonsense anyway?" and drop the concept of jobs entirely.
- clavalle 12y ago>so-called 'bullshit jobs' - things that have no value for humanity but has "economical value" because they're part of zero-sum games. ? While I believe there is plenty of inefficiency for bullshit to live in, I am not sure there is enough to create a whole class of jobs. Do you have some examples of what you mean? I am also not sure how you could say that people creating value are engaged in bullshit...
- TeMPOraL 12y agoI'll give just one example: sales and marketing. Almost all of marketing today is zero-sum. Unless you're not coming up with something genuinly new and useful, you're competing for a limited pool of customers - and all the resources you put into it work only to undo the work your competitors do. You can scale marketing expenses ad infinitum for no marginal benefit. Political campaigns work similarly - they all cancel each other out (pg described it in [0]). Note that this creates a whole lot of dependent industries. Graphic design, "growth hackers", printing houses, people manufacturing ink and paper, all are supported entirely or partially by zero-sum marketing. These can similarly scale up ad infinitum, using up fuel, electricity, time and labour we could put to a better use elsewhere. [0] - http://www.paulgraham.com/charisma.html http://www.paulgraham.com/charisma.html
- refurb 12y agoAlmost all of marketing today is zero-sum. Going to disagree there. Marketing and sales can grow a market, not just compete for a limited pool.