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[AstroLad]

Agreed. It would be a peaceful utopia where all sicknesses and diseases have been cured. War hasn't been known to human kind in a millenia and human kind revolves around love, tranquility, and the betterment of all life.

How would you even define the terms of peace without lawyers? It would literally be a lawless environment -- total anarchy if that's what you're into.

 

[Zaptruder]

Funny that I should be thinking the same thing for a few weeks now.

Personally, I find no meaning in the work that I do or could do since the vast majority of all work is basically meaningless oiling of the cog that allows enough leeway for the 1% or less that explore and expand frontiers.

It really doesn't matter where I work really. I don't look at Blue collar work as any less than White collar work, it's all just 'work' to me and I'm like some sort of paid mercenary coldly executing that task with indifference and a look to the bottom line.

We spend decades of our youth in schools training toward paying vocations to spend decades paying of basic necessities whose costs always inflate to consume the majority of our earnings (for most people), just so we can have enough when we're seniors to support ourselves when retiring in the scant few years between the retirement age and the average age of death, assuming our own genetics are not especially different.

This... is living? It's root is not biological, that's for certain. It's synthetic, created by us and for us to... just grease the gears of this complex but artificial mechanism with our own personal capital. We certainly aren't efficiently redistributing talent and labor or capitalizing on potential as best we can, it's more a crude 'what works' kind of mechanism that tries to trivialize our lives with pointless distractions until we're too dead to notice.

I've spent my time trying to limit the amount of impact this has on my life. I've basically played this 'game' pretty well. I've gone places, met people, and even negated almost all of the financial burden of living (except for extraordinary circumstances) but what else is there really?

I'll be forced to work now because by the time I retire I will need a specific amount of capital to last the rest of my life without work. But it seems a giant waste of time to dither with things I'm indifferent to now for some future point where after I won't even be certain for how long I'll live for. Even so what then? Will it all just be pointless personal adventure to see how one hill may be different than another? Will I be tending to my lawn? Bouncing my grandchildren and prepping them for the same crass cycle of life?

I find this to be an indignity. I was born and trained to be able to handle more than everybody else. I was trained to push myself harder and bend to nothing. I was trained to be emotionally resilient and to sacrifice everything of myself to complete my mission or task and all for... the same shit that everyone else is bound to.

I've not received any answer from those on the other end of life who are retiring or dying. Just an acceptance of how that is the way this structure 'is' at a time when frontiers themselves are limited to a special few.

What areas have you been trained in?

 

[The Technomancer]

Doctors, Teachers, Engineers and Scientists, Farmers and Ranchers, Artists, Parents

 

[dluu13]

Everything feels a bit meaningless if I am not working for my family/dependents.

Feels like the only thing I've got figured out is school...

 

[JaseMath]

Graphic design - we influence, brainwash, elicit emotional responses (good and bad) and inspire. Not a lot of professions can say they do that on the regular.

 

[NEOPARADIGM]

Philanthropist.

 

[Scrow]

Civil engineer - the basis of all civilization

mathematics is the basis of all civilisation, so mathematicians. engineers are just an extension of that.

 

[number47]

Parent.

 

[Zaptruder]

mathematics is the basis of all civilisation, so mathematicians. engineers are just an extension of that.

While I can kinda see the logic behind that, it's also way too broad sweeping a claim man.

 

[ElectricBlue187]

Engineer. Physicist. Astronomer. Designer. Programmer.

 

[XMonkey]

If I picked just one: teacher. Without them, you wouldn't have competent people in most of these other professions people have listed.

 

[LightOfTruth]

forum moderators

 

[Loki]

Funny that I should be thinking the same thing for a few weeks now.

Personally, I find no meaning in the work that I do or could do since the vast majority of all work is basically meaningless oiling of the cog that allows enough leeway for the 1% or less that explore and expand frontiers.

It really doesn't matter where I work really. I don't look at Blue collar work as any less than White collar work, it's all just 'work' to me and I'm like some sort of paid mercenary coldly executing that task with indifference and a look to the bottom line.

We spend decades of our youth in schools training toward paying vocations to spend decades paying of basic necessities whose costs always inflate to consume the majority of our earnings (for most people), just so we can have enough when we're seniors to support ourselves when retiring in the scant few years between the retirement age and the average age of death, assuming our own genetics are not especially different.

This... is living? It's root is not biological, that's for certain. It's synthetic, created by us and for us to... just grease the gears of this complex but artificial mechanism with our own personal capital. We certainly aren't efficiently redistributing talent and labor or capitalizing on potential as best we can, it's more a crude 'what works' kind of mechanism that tries to trivialize our lives with pointless distractions until we're too dead to notice.

I've spent my time trying to limit the amount of impact this has on my life. I've basically played this 'game' pretty well. I've gone places, met people, and even negated almost all of the financial burden of living (except for extraordinary circumstances) but what else is there really?

I'll be forced to work now because by the time I retire I will need a specific amount of capital to last the rest of my life without work. But it seems a giant waste of time to dither with things I'm indifferent to now for some future point where after I won't even be certain for how long I'll live for. Even so what then? Will it all just be pointless personal adventure to see how one hill may be different than another? Will I be tending to my lawn? Bouncing my grandchildren and prepping them for the same crass cycle of life?

I find this to be an indignity. I was born and trained to be able to handle more than everybody else. I was trained to push myself harder and bend to nothing. I was trained to be emotionally resilient and to sacrifice everything of myself to complete my mission or task and all for... the same shit that everyone else is bound to.

I've not received any answer from those on the other end of life who are retiring or dying. Just an acceptance of how that is the way this structure 'is' at a time when frontiers themselves are limited to a special few.

Great post. Ours is a lamentable system; I've thought many of these same things for years. Until we achieve a paradigm shift in the way society is structured, however, little will change. And that won't be for a long time, nor will it come at little cost.

 

[ElectricBlue187]

If I picked just one: teacher. Without them, you wouldn't have competent people in most of these other professions people have listed.

Those who can't do, teach.

 

[Monocle]

Teachers/Professors
Scientists
Mathematicians
Politicians (yes, I'm serious)
Police Officers
Investigative Journalists
Doctors
Farmers

This is all assuming they are good at their job, and truly understand why they're doing it and how it benefits society.

This is a good list.

Those who can't do, teach.

What about all the doers who are also teachers?

 

[Missle59]

Charity worker, might not qualify as a job since a lot of people do it for nothing, but still very meaningful.

 

[Zaptruder]

Great post. Ours is a lamentable system; I've thought many of these same things for years. Until we achieve a paradigm shift in the way society is structured, however, little will change. And that won't be for a long time, nor will it come at little cost.

The solution is post-scarcity (nano-replication, VR, robotics manufacturing, green energy).

The question is; can we fully exploit post-scarcity technology even when we've invented it?

Current society would suggest, no. We have the technology to be completely green already. But the political and economic willpower continues to tie our hands behind our backs.

It's not that we can't afford green energy that could completely replace our fossil fuel mix - it's just that we as a species won't.

 

[Trent Strong]

Construction worker.

 

[TheKyle07]

Great (and sad, because so real) post, Atrus.



Not downplaying anyone´s job here, but I think I would differ between *meaningful jobs* and "*jobs that have to be done*. We need farmers, because we need food, but unless my picture of a farmer´s work is completely off, it´s not a very meaningful work in itself. You can tell yourself that what you do keeps the world going, but the specific work you do on a farm, meaningful? I don´t know about that.

The same goes for other jobs mentioned so far. When I think of a *meaningful job*, I think of something where what I as an individual do has a direct impact, not some abstract impact. And these jobs seem to be rare.

Impact on what? I'm having a hard time understanding your definition of the word meaningful.

 

[Acheron]

Investment Bankers and Management Consultants

 

[Rorschach]

Illuminati

Spoiler

And bending units.

 

[AdventureRacing]

I'm a nurse whos going to do teaching so i think i'm doing alright.

Personally whilst my immediate answer would be doctors and the like i also think that artists have a very meaningful job. Some artists have been able to bring joy into the lives of millions of people and i consider that meaningful. Inventors or scientists as well for similar reasons.

The solution is post-scarcity (nano-replication, VR, robotics manufacturing, green energy).

The question is; can we fully exploit post-scarcity technology even when we've invented it?

Current society would suggest, no. We have the technology to be completely green already. But the political and economic willpower continues to tie our hands behind our backs.

It's not that we can't afford green energy that could completely replace our fossil fuel mix - it's just that we as a species won't.

This may be the solution for society but for me personally the solution has been to find a line of work that brings me enjoyment and fulfillment. I don't feel like a rat on a treadmill because i chose something i like and actually enjoy doing the work. I'm not out to answer lifes questions, i found a way to enjoy my life and help out others and in the end to me that's enough.

I probably should have quoted atrus with my reply.

 

[Staccat0]

Most government jobs

 

[Scrow]

While I can kinda see the logic behind that, it's also way too broad sweeping a claim man.

yes, it's a broad sweeping claim. but it's also true.

mathematics is absolutely fundamental to our entire civilisation.

The solution is post-scarcity (nano-replication, VR, robotics manufacturing, green energy).

The question is; can we fully exploit post-scarcity technology even when we've invented it?

Current society would suggest, no. We have the technology to be completely green already. But the political and economic willpower continues to tie our hands behind our backs.

It's not that we can't afford green energy that could completely replace our fossil fuel mix - it's just that we as a species won't.

basically, this. people have invested a lot of money into old technology and fossil fuel commodities, and they will do everything they can to protect those investments, even at the cost of society and the environment. only when investing in green tech becomes more profitable and old tech too costly will we see a paradigm shift in civilisation.

frustrating, but that's how it is.

 

[Zaptruder]

This may be the solution for society but for me personally the solution has been to find a line of work that brings me enjoyment and fulfillment. I don't feel like a rat on a treadmill because i chose something i like and actually enjoy doing the work. I'm not out to answer lifes questions, i found a way to enjoy my life and help out others and in the end to me that's enough.

The idea that there's nothing left to do in post-scarcity is a fallacious one.

Actually, post-scarcity isn't the technological singularity. Indeed, even upon achieving the necessary AI that can self iterate - there are bottle necks to the rate of improvement, including but not limited to the speed and amount at which rare materials that can advance functionality can be sourced, located and used.

More to the point - in a post-scarcity environment, you have enough resources to do pursue whatever endeavour you find meaningful, without judgement from anyone else - at worst, if your aim is to be the best serial killer, you can carry it out in a virtualized environment and hone the craft of murder to your liking.

For many, I can imagine that they'd spend their days wiling away on virtual sky castles - like Minecraft, except creating far more detailed spaces that you can actually inhabit and traverse with your senses.

 

[3N16MA]

Paramedic. Always gets overlooked.

 

[BorkBork]

Meaning is created by the individual, is it not?

If someone finds meaning in scrapping gunk off of bus seats, who am I to argue?
Conversely, if a high paying suit feels like their soul is being sucked out by their job, then maybe it's not meaningful work (to them).

 

[way more]

I say the ones that have existed since antiquity. Doctor, hunter, fire brigade, senator, tax collector, dungeon master, etc.


The jobs that we created from the outset of civilization.

 

[TUSR]

Civil engineer - the basis of all civilization

Can't build buildings without equipment,

Mechanical Engineer

 

[The_Inquisitor]

I work in the semiconductor industry as a tool owner. I am in charge of testing the chips that go into your cars and many electronics.

EE's and CSE's will be super useful this century.

 

[X26]

doctor, nurse, homemaker, soldier, law enforcement, search and rescue, civil engineers, teacher, social worker

 

[Entropia]

Farmer.

You know, I was driving the other day and I completely forgot how meaningful Farmers are to our lives.

 

[Plumbob]

Meteorologists. They predict the weather, and sometimes they're right. Where would we be without them

Spoiler

I imagine they're vital to timely evacuations during hurricanes and other disasters

 

[Salsa]

being a Teacher of any sort is the most respectable job in the world.

 

[Bulbo Urethral Baggins]

I say the ones that have existed since antiquity. Doctor, hunter, fire brigade, senator, tax collector, dungeon master, etc.


The jobs that we created from the outset of civilization.

Don't forget the world's oldest profession.

 

[leadbelly]

Tightrope walker.
Unicyclist.
Juggler.
A combination of all of the above.

 

[The_Inquisitor]

Don't forget the world's oldest profession.

Piss bucket boy?

 

[Conciliator]

You could be a journalist, just to say something that I don't see on this page anywhere. If we define 'meaningful' as having a positive impact on the lives of other people, almost any job is potentially meaningful if you do it honestly and to the best of your ability. Some jobs are more meaningful in the regard, but if a 'regular' job doesn't seem meaningful enough, maybe you're actually looking for something different? If you're just looking to have a larger impact, well, good luck with that. You've got a lot of competition. Being really really great at something or having a Phd helps.

 

[Sennorin]

Had an appointment today, and my doctor (after I mentioned this thread) also threw in: development aid worker/volunteer in Africa. Maybe I could combine that with a little bit of photo journalism? Hm. Well, I´ll have another appointment, before I decide anything.

Still, any more recommendations for, in your opinion, important/meaningful jobs? Thx to all the responses in here, really helped.

 

[freenudemacusers]

A friend of mine a few years ago taught math in Africa (can't recall where) as part of the Peace Corps and enjoyed it immensely, though it was tough at times. She obviously didn't make any money but it is something to consider if you feel you need to push the 'reset' button on your life a bit.