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If You Still Have a Job, You’re Probably Doing Something Useful
If you don’t, it’s time to tune into the needs of the evolving world.
In his book Bullsh*t Jobs, David Graeber outlines the criteria for jobs that he terms as, well, “bullsh*t.” Here is Greaber’s definition:
“‘[BS] jobs’ are jobs that are primarily or entirely made up of tasks that the person doing the job considers to be pointless, unnecessary, or even pernicious. Jobs that, were they to disappear, would make no difference whatsoever. Above all, these are jobs that the holders themselves feel should not exist.”
In this time of rapid dismantling of old structures, many, many people are being laid off, furloughed, and seeing their businesses go under. Many people are being confronted by the unwelcome knowledge that, in these evolving times, their job/career/business is actually bullsh*t (mine included, in case you’re wondering).
In America, where we usher kindergarten kids around “career fair day” and ask barely-toddling youngsters what they want to “be” when they grow up (note, not “what do you want to do,” but “what do you want to be,” thus inextricably linking profession with existence from a very early age), we have a vast part of our identity tied up in our work.
