Sunday, December 6, 2009

What would you rather be doing?

What would you do if didn't have to work? Survival, whether accomplished by hunting or earning your meal as a stock broker, has always been a major part of the human experience. It may always remain this way, but with continual progress in automation it doesn't have to. When robots farm better than us, hem seams and design airplanes better then us, what will we do with our new leisure time?

It's an important question, because without a good answer society breaks down. Today, "What do you do?" is one of the perennial icebreakers, work a standard conversation gambit. If we lose that, will we lose something crucial to our identities? After endless years of television will we grow sick of our uselessness and reclaim our plows? Or are there other, better goals we could turn our attention towards?

What would you do if the concept of a job faded away? What sort of things do you wish you could accomplish, but lack the time? Add a comment with your thoughts...

3 comments:

  1. My career field is one robots will have a tough time taking away from me. But, with nothing but free time, I guess I'd work on creative projects like acting or art, or maybe take up actual committed practice of a martial art.

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  2. Hang out with you all the time!
    Get really good at cooking with all dem robot-made foods!
    Read and write more!
    Take Art Classes!
    Raise Children!
    Raise Animals!
    Bike Ride Everywhere!
    Become an antique book expert and appraise prints on Antiques Roadshow, cuz lord know TV will be Bigger than ever!

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