“They just don’t work hard enough”

With the advancement of tools and technology, labor conitnues to get easier. That doesn’t mean all of the hard labor jobs are gone. And it doesn’t mean they won’t ever be eliminated. But with physical labor conintuing to get easier, the rise of intellectual work continues to rise. So, you are no longer called to move a pile of rocks from one end of the field to the other. You are now constantly being tracked by Zoom, how quickly you respond to Slack messages, and being asked to be available off hours.

Monks figured this out long ago. When the bell rang it was time to work. When the bell struck it was time to stop. Not finishing one more thing. Not sticking around until the job was done. Because they understood something that here in the west we cannot still wrap our head around, the work is never done.

Chop wood carry water–until the shift is done. And then go on to the next thing. Leisure, recreation, quality time with family. Our achilles heel isn’t that this generation doesn’t work hard.

1) They want to be working toward something. Economic movement continues to be a stand still. And just based on the zip code you are born into, it can now be accurately predicted where you will end up. So why try?

2) We have the most difficult time seperating work from play. And the hustle and sacrifice culture, doesn’t work when there are only a lucky few that move up the economic ladder. It’s an interesting period we are in. And with more new tools, what happens to the intellectual labor provided by a worker that is no longer needed? What is left? What happens next? What defines humans when your services are no longer required?