Nov 14, 2023·edited Nov 14, 2023Liked by Joe Mayall
You're absolutely right that we have no time for ourselves in capitalism. I heard once that your only reward for completing work ahead of schedule is more work. It's just never gonna stop.
In OECD countries, we are 2.5x more productive today than we were in 1970. Where did that productivity go? Real wages have actually declined, while we still work as many hours as our parents did.
One final figure: in the 50s and 60s, the most common word in management textbooks was the word 'hierarchy'. In the 2000s, it has been replaced by the word 'project'. Have you noticed this before? Everything is a project. If you don't have a project, goals, or objectives, it's like you don't exist.
That's something I plan to explore in an article of my own down the line, but I have such a huge backlog to go through... I need to stop hurrying and take the time 😁
"Victim of your own success" is a very real phenomena in the workplace, with respect to both being given more tasks once you complete your assignments and the productivity of American workers. If we had strong labor sentiments in this country, the increase in productivity would have come with demands for decreased hours. Instead, the bosses kept pushing and pushing, getting more and more from workers while giving less and less.
I wonder if the illness you had was ME/CFS (you don’t have to say). I busted my ass for decades until COVID (and then long COVID) took me down and disabled me, rendering me unable to do my part to keep the capitalist machine turning. I too am learning similar lessons to you now. I’m relieved to hear you’ve learned them before that hustle life caught up to you (again?).
I didn't have ME/CFS, but my condition resulted in a very similar outcome — unable to participate in life, tired all the time, and I'm sure the trailing effects of depression.
I'm so sorry you were struck by long COVID! It's a terrible disease. I'm going to read your article, and I hope to hear of your recovery sometime soon.
Thank you for opening up and sharing your personal outlook on life. It's the truest form of communication and I have no doubt you will help center others struggling with purpose. Accumulation (money, power, things) seems to be our higher power and whether one envisions a ladder or a treadmill to get more of it, we are all suffocating under the strain. Yes, the time to ask "why?" is past due but it's not too late. It's never too late to change course, and find the gifts in small and ordinary things. Joy can be found when you know where to look.
You're absolutely right that we have no time for ourselves in capitalism. I heard once that your only reward for completing work ahead of schedule is more work. It's just never gonna stop.
In OECD countries, we are 2.5x more productive today than we were in 1970. Where did that productivity go? Real wages have actually declined, while we still work as many hours as our parents did.
One final figure: in the 50s and 60s, the most common word in management textbooks was the word 'hierarchy'. In the 2000s, it has been replaced by the word 'project'. Have you noticed this before? Everything is a project. If you don't have a project, goals, or objectives, it's like you don't exist.
That's something I plan to explore in an article of my own down the line, but I have such a huge backlog to go through... I need to stop hurrying and take the time 😁
"Victim of your own success" is a very real phenomena in the workplace, with respect to both being given more tasks once you complete your assignments and the productivity of American workers. If we had strong labor sentiments in this country, the increase in productivity would have come with demands for decreased hours. Instead, the bosses kept pushing and pushing, getting more and more from workers while giving less and less.
I wonder if the illness you had was ME/CFS (you don’t have to say). I busted my ass for decades until COVID (and then long COVID) took me down and disabled me, rendering me unable to do my part to keep the capitalist machine turning. I too am learning similar lessons to you now. I’m relieved to hear you’ve learned them before that hustle life caught up to you (again?).
Here’s a piece I wrote on this recently if you’re interested: https://open.substack.com/pub/amythetonic/p/say-hello-to-saul-my-overachiever?r=o3zsi&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
I didn't have ME/CFS, but my condition resulted in a very similar outcome — unable to participate in life, tired all the time, and I'm sure the trailing effects of depression.
I'm so sorry you were struck by long COVID! It's a terrible disease. I'm going to read your article, and I hope to hear of your recovery sometime soon.
Thank you, Joe!
Hell yeah brother
✊🏻
Thank you for opening up and sharing your personal outlook on life. It's the truest form of communication and I have no doubt you will help center others struggling with purpose. Accumulation (money, power, things) seems to be our higher power and whether one envisions a ladder or a treadmill to get more of it, we are all suffocating under the strain. Yes, the time to ask "why?" is past due but it's not too late. It's never too late to change course, and find the gifts in small and ordinary things. Joy can be found when you know where to look.
Thank you, Tina. I wanted to share my story because I'm sure others are struggling with the same issues (I know the singers of Alabama were!).
Thanks for getting this song stuck in my head. Alabama wrote some ear worms.
As the kids say, Alabama is "bangers only."
The closer you get, buddy...the further I fall.
We don't live in a meritocracy.
We're very far from one, and yet people keep telling themselves we're a merit-based society because it's all they know.
❤️❤️❤️
Oh man, 19 is a tough age without chronic illness. I can only imagine how much harder it was with an illness.
While I'm sure it was difficult, I'm glad to hear you've overcome! What do you think it was that helped you recover and move forward?