Friday, August 7, 2020

Do You Ever Get Sick of It All?

Do you ever just get sick of ...everyone? Like, you don't wish that people would just stop existing, but you wish that their existence didn't intersect with yours in any way. What if I told you there was a solution to this problem?

grayscale photography of woman sitting on a bench

Problem

To quote Vonnegut, the world is "round and wet and crowded." When we make mistakes, it can be difficult to navigate this densely-packed sphere hurtling through space to create the life we were on track to create before our fallible human nature took us off course and threw our fragile imaginings against the unforgiving topography of physicality. They are dashed and bounced around, ultimately breaking against some sharp edge into a thousand pieces, leaving us standing alone (always alone) to pick up the pieces. Part of the problem is there are countless humans trudging upon the surface that holds these pieces and it's easy to perceive the job as that much more difficult when they are inadvertently or purposely kicking the pieces about every time they walk through. Just when it seems we are about to grasp one, it's sent careening off in a random direction and we're lost again.

Sometimes you just wish life had a pause button so you had the time and space to get your life back on track. 

selective focus photography of woman surrounded by people in the street

Solution

Whether it's ending a relationship, or having a kid, or losing a job, sometimes things don't go as we planned. As if life were not unforgiving enough, society does not and cannot care when disruptive events befall individuals. It doesn't have to be this way. If we implemented a basic income, there would be a permanent safety net available whenever someone needed it. When things went wrong, we could move into the basic income. When we got back on our feet, we could move out of it.

This pandemic is a perfect example why this would be a fantastic idea to have in place. Not everyone lost their jobs due to the pandemic. Social media companies and video game creators are thriving right now. Millions of restaurant workers? Not so much. Instead of stopgap measures such as stimulus checks or even the unemployment top-up provided by the federal government, which are somehow always given to political fighting and falling frustratingly short of being sufficient, if we just had a basic income in place, people could apply for it themselves whatever type of tragedy or disruption blindsides them. Or maybe we just need or want a break from the sound and the fury.

Pedestrians, People, Busy, Movement

Reward

People needing a break from the cutthroat nature of the world we have come to accept as our reality should have the benefit of doing so simply as a function of their being a human being who deserves compassion. But, a basic income also bolsters arguments for freedom; if most of us are locked in to some sort of career that doesn't exactly line up with our wildest dreams, and our only option is to choose a different, equally ill-suited career, or break our backs attempting to climb the ladder within the one we've chosen, how is that really embodying the idea of freedom? I'm not disparaging the idea of work: I think meaning can and should be found by people through their career. But, I don't think that wasting precious time and resources working in a career that isn't what we really want to be doing but pays the bills is an efficient way to pair people with their aspirations. Even people who are in their dream profession need a break every once in a while to catch their breath and refill their creative canteens before they are ready to continue on their journey. And the most wildly successful people might want to get off at some point, if only due to old age, and still have something left to contribute but need time to refocus and choose a different direction. Giving all these people the option to step back from their lives, turn inwards, focus on their families and loved ones, and take a break may unleash untold-of potentials we would all be better for.

Desteni.org

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