Given the choice between a regular job and automated income..

[Walk on Water]

If you were to make the same or more not working, wouldn’t you rather do that instead of work? This covid era has already proved most jobs can be done at home at least.

What I’m getting at is sometimes I feel people just want to work to work. It’s not all about the money but it’s about staying busy and seeming like a productive person.

But depending on what the job is, couldn’t it just be seen as a waste of time relative to other things? Most people that work tirelessly have no time playing basketball, traveling, learning a new instrument or language. Or even family. There’s so many ways to grow in life. Is working 40 hours a week for 40 years and retiring with a 40 dollar gold watch really that productive?

You may make a lot if you have a business but in the event that your business becomes antiquated would you accept money from the government if it was equal to what you were making?

I think that society needs to rethink things. Just working to pay your bills is surviving but not thriving. There are so many things you can experience outside of an office or cubicle. If you really wanted to be productive why not help the needy? Charity work?

Surely you can’t be that bored that the only thing you can do in life is to want to work just for the sake of it.

[Axe]

If i work as a paid troll for a propaganda media outlet which is heavily critical of its own government, then all i have to do is create several fake accounts throughout social media sites and post content bashing them... The only thing i need is a cellphone, a computer and an internet connection.

Where does that qualify tho?

[DoctorP]

theres a stigma about taking government handouts, especially in the US

[Cleverness]

theres a stigma about taking government handouts, especially in the US

The gov't has taken a lot of my income. I'm interested in taking some of my money back.

[jstern]

I've known some people who just want to work to work. And by that I mean due to boredom. They would be bored otherwise. And I just cannot relate to such people. I'm a person who has high curiosity, there's just so much that I want to do, and there are just not enough hours in the day. I've always found myself to be very much like Kobe Bryant in that sense. From copying Michael Jordan's moves and the deep science behind them, and just wanting to learn everything about everything. There's not enough time, and the years keep passing by. It's a burden.

Good topic. http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/images/icons/icon14.gif

[SATAN]

We should all work towards banning Walk on Water from this site imo

[ThatCoolKid]

I'd want to work. Working does give you a sense of purpose if nothing else. It makes you a better person to have responsibility.

[dreamshake]

I'd want to work. Working does give you a sense of purpose if nothing else. It makes you a better person to have responsibility.

One can have responsibility without having a paying job. I don't know if it makes you a better person. Lots of assholes have jobs.

[ThatCoolKid]

There are a lot of assholes regardless of whether they have jobs or not. I think being forced to work for things and work with others towards a common goal gives you empathy for others - or at least some empathy for the people in your immediate vicinity.

[Rolando]

You are what you do.

When I was young, I wanted to be somebody. I wanted to be able to tell people what I do for work and be proud of that.

I hope things haven't changed. And if that is the case then receiving a universal basic income from the government will just allow people to become what they want. Perhaps this will be a great benefit to society. Perhaps there will be more music. More art. People volunteering to work on cool collective projects.....Who knows?

Imagine if the basics were taken care of....for everyone. It might turn into an incredible situation. And...it is entirely within the realm of possibilities as well. It can be done.

[Axe]

You are what you do.

When I was young, I wanted to be somebody. I wanted to be able to tell people what I do for work and be proud of that.

I hope things haven't changed. And if that is the case then receiving a universal basic income from the government will just allow people to become what they want. Perhaps this will be a great benefit to society. Perhaps there will be more music. More art. People volunteering to work on cool collective projects.....Who knows?

Imagine if the basics were taken care of....for everyone. It might turn into an incredible situation. And...it is entirely within the realm of possibilities as well. It can be done.
You want to be somebody?

Then be like mike.

[Shogon]

theres a stigma about taking government handouts, especially in the US

It's not just "a stigma."

"If you don't make stuff, there's no stuff." - Elon Musk, JRE Podcast May 2020

That's about as concisely articulated as possible whilst containing heaping amounts of depth. Very profound.


If you're taking handouts, you're literally existing because other actual human beings are doing actual work and you're not... you're sitting on your ass. And further than that, my problem isn't with taking handouts, it's with taking GOVERNMENT handouts. So, in essence, you are literally accepting stolen goods from the government that took those goods by threat of force from people that actually contribute. If people want to willfully give handouts, and they should, and other people want to accept them... that's great. That's called taking care of each other. That's the way it should be.

But taking a government handout is the equivalent of YOU stealing from ME.




All that being said, if I had to pick one or the other? I'm taking the regular job. It's a fact that people that retire early die early. I plan to keep working until I'm dead regardless of my financial situation for that reason alone.

I would not be comfortable with nor have I ever collected unemployment or any type of government assistance. The only exception I would make to this personally would be if AI and robotics become so pervasive that large swaths of people are completely unemployable. Then I would be ok with some form of income redistribution and I would gladly take it myself regardless of my employment status. And that should happen in my lifetime if I don't check out early. I digress.


But AI/robotics aside, the thing that most democrats, progressives, liberals, left leaners... whatever... will never seem to truly understand is that... life isn't fair AND that no amount of government meddling will ever make life fair. Ever. It will literally never happen. Life isn't fair and it doesn't care that you want to usurp that fact. It simply is.