Bullshit Jobs: A Theory is a 2018 book by anthropologist David Graeber that argues the existence and societal harm of meaningless jobs. He contends that over half of societal work is pointless, which becomes psychologically destructive when paired with a work ethic that associates work with self-worth. Graeber describes five types of bullshit jobs, in which workers pretend their role isn't as pointless or harmful as they know it to be: flunkies, goons, duct tapers, box tickers, and taskmasters. He argues that the association of labor with virtuous suffering is recent in human history, and proposes universal basic income as a potential solution.
Halfway between the humoristic and scientific publication, what started as a provocation ends up in building a theory that is in fact a (often humoristic, sometimes depressing) criticism to capitalistic system and the work culture that is embedded on it. A must-read.
Having read the original essay on Strike the day it came out (funnily enough, my company blocked a lot of the sites that were hosting it the next day) I knew this was going to be good. This is clearly written, all conclusions supported by evidence and it makes a case that cannot be refuted. Of course, the true believers will just shake their heads but that's not refutation now is it? More like head in the sand.
Graeber hits all the main points. How work has become a non-consensual bdsm relationship. How moral envy underpins how most people think about work. And, most importantly, how work is the place where resentment is the everyday fuel for most people.
He has a most unexpected insight about how this bullshit jobs phenomenon has contributed to the rise of social media that I will not spoil here but it is so obviously …
Having read the original essay on Strike the day it came out (funnily enough, my company blocked a lot of the sites that were hosting it the next day) I knew this was going to be good. This is clearly written, all conclusions supported by evidence and it makes a case that cannot be refuted. Of course, the true believers will just shake their heads but that's not refutation now is it? More like head in the sand.
Graeber hits all the main points. How work has become a non-consensual bdsm relationship. How moral envy underpins how most people think about work. And, most importantly, how work is the place where resentment is the everyday fuel for most people.
He has a most unexpected insight about how this bullshit jobs phenomenon has contributed to the rise of social media that I will not spoil here but it is so obviously true I sat for a good 5 minutes laughing at myself for not noticing it before.
Recommended, yes. Necessary reading? Absolutely.
