When people say they want to keep their job, they are actually...
David Shapiro (L/0)@DaveShapi
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May 08, 2025
~1 min read
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When people say they want to keep their job, they are actually saying they want a way to meet several underlying psychological needs:
ECONOMIC AGENCY: Freedom is tied to your wallet, so what you really want is money. Money can come from multiple sources. But you want a sense of control, autonomy, and authority over your financial situation.
SENSE OF MASTERY: Careers give you a real life gamified ladder system. Skill progression, novel challenges, and visible rewards for progress. We thrive on struggles and challenges.
CONNECTION TO OTHERS: Many people get a lot of their social needs met through work. Friends, colleagues, peers. Relateful connection, tribal belonging, and a circle of peers are critical for mental health.
It's true that if work as we know it gets nuked, there will be an adaptation period. However, all of these needs can be met outside of your career or job.
Post-Labor Economics is just one part of it. The rest is what we call The Great Decoupling.
Stay tuned for more.
ECONOMIC AGENCY: Freedom is tied to your wallet, so what you really want is money. Money can come from multiple sources. But you want a sense of control, autonomy, and authority over your financial situation.
SENSE OF MASTERY: Careers give you a real life gamified ladder system. Skill progression, novel challenges, and visible rewards for progress. We thrive on struggles and challenges.
CONNECTION TO OTHERS: Many people get a lot of their social needs met through work. Friends, colleagues, peers. Relateful connection, tribal belonging, and a circle of peers are critical for mental health.
It's true that if work as we know it gets nuked, there will be an adaptation period. However, all of these needs can be met outside of your career or job.
Post-Labor Economics is just one part of it. The rest is what we call The Great Decoupling.
Stay tuned for more.
