The Future of Work – Robert Skidelsky (2014) [video]

As much as I like this basic income idea, I seriously doubt it's going to happen one day. In Praise of Idleness was written in 1932 and machines haven't stopped to replace jobs, they've even become much quicker at it. Yet the vast majority of Western citizens couldn't imagine a year without a job, and feel depressed when they're let go, even if they have side money.

Idleness is an aristocratic taste – those who have it in today's world and don't have the corresponding aristocratic amount of money will have to suffer this through. They could be doing what they love and send good vibrations with their art or social work but no, the population doesn't understand higher than mediocre views and couldn't stand financing such a "lazy bunch".

How sad.

I see so many people with poor mental health, ways of thinking, and physical fitness, and I always think to myself "I wonder how their lives would be different if someone knowledgeable took the time to help them out, teach them nutrition, how to look at the world, showed them love and how to be curious". There's no shortage of things to do and people to help in this world. People will simple need to reshift their priorities.