We are, thanks to a vast consumption of non renewable energy sources and specialization, the most productive generation in history. Productive in terms of output, not in terms of efficiency, as future productivity remains a big question in the absence of cheap fossil fuels and natural capital.
Most of our research, creativity and development has been focused on growth as a mean and end for prosperity and success. It is not only innapropiate but also dumm, to consider growth, a feature that is temporal and a mean to something, an end by itself.
As a result, and despite being more productive than ever, we are busier, stressed and disconnected. Our vast supply or superficial information and commodities have made of our attention and time the most scarce resource. Lacking a clear mission, a forgetting what the great philosophers figure out thousands of years ago, we report business as success, workload as importance, career growth as a must.
Instead of sharing more, enjoying more, reading and creating more... we choose growth... The reduction of working hours face huge opposition by both workers and employees, the first as they want the purchasing power to keep growing at all cost, while the later keep the long time proven wrong faith in the 40 hours weak. Fear of missing something we cannot explain drives our permanent perceveied not yet real scarcity.
Success is therefore in the horizon, visible with apparent monetary and social recognition, but purpose if missing all too much. We should couple the love of the process for meaningful goals, savoring the passage of time as abundant to create hearbreaking services that fullfil the live of one and supports others's.
Instead of creating artifical needs, we need to look at the essentials for a decent and live worth being lived. High quality and delicious food, clean water and air, confortable and affordable housing, safe and affordable energy, recyclable and durable materials, culture and public services such as health and education for all...
Life is easy, and could potentially be, yet working complexity is growing, as long hanging fruits have been picked up, and stakeholders wants quarter growth no matter what. Make it happen, be more efficient, we talk about your mission and vision later. Despite great efforts to protect working rights, insecurity and internal competition is as tough as we can remember.
It does not have to be this way...
If we rethink the services that we provide, and technologies that we use, to really focus on the essential, the truly needed, instead of the invented complexity that surrounds us. Embracing a minimalistic material and technological yet deep way to create opportunities and value, we will find ourselves richer, more fullfilled and relaxed.
By creating a single list of kpi's to work all as one team to service our consumers, everyone is needed and everyone can provide something that is unique and useful.
We need to stop the destruction of value from rentism and speculation, and devote the rewards to the truly serving sectors of our society. From nurses to teachers, from renewable energy engineers to human technologies, from phylosophers to mathematicians and poets... we should reward human creation and care, not power.
In this narrow window of abundance we have, as long as fossil fuels and materials seems relative abundant, we have a chance to make the transformations that we want. A workspace that is safe, meaningful and exciting... and economy that services life and human needs. Enterpreneurs and workers managing and rewarding the tensions between profits and fairners, making equilibriums possible when all are equally important and powerful.
Little matters your cv to your grave, nor to the next generations, if you did not contribute to make your society healthier, happier and more resilient. Short burst of dopamine hits by digital connection have little to do with a life and work that is fully lived. Try to do something that is worth to remember, so maybe someone, without knowing your name, will live a life that is better because you worked here.
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