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Bullshit Jobs

Bullshit Jobs: A Theory is a book published in 2018 by David Graeber, who constantly argues for the existence and encroachment of societal harm of bullshit and meaningless occupations. In his text, the author believes that more than half of societal professions and employment opportunities are pointless and turns psychologically destructive, especially when combined with a work ethic associating work description and self-worth (Botz-Bornstein 42). The author mentions five subcategories meaningless as the workforce pretends that their placement is not as pointless or harmful as the society understands it to be; taskmasters, flunkies, box tickers, goons, and duct tapers (Botz-Bornstein 42). Labor is dynamically associated with virtuous suffering and unnecessary toxicities, and most of these spaces process universal basic income as compensation and the potential solution to this high-level suffering. 

Anthropologist David Graeber is a Professor at the London School of Economics and a top influencer of the early Occupy Wall Street movement who authored a book known as Bullshit Jobs: A Theory. In his assertions, Graeber argues that thousands of populations worldwide are swamped in low-compensating jobs such as telemarketers, administrators, clerical workers, service personnel, corporate lawyers, and several other descriptions toil away in unnecessary jobs (Botz-Bornstein 43). However, the trend did not have to turn out this way. There has been enormous advancement in technology to an era where even the toughest and labor-intensive jobs can be managed easily by machines. However, instead of people considering to free themselves from the suffocating and draining 40-hour workweek, they have invented an entire universe of futile job occupations that are spiritually empty and professionally unsatisfying (Botz-Bornstein 43). This is pretty much the story he addresses in his text.

Bullshit jobs refer to any occupations that even the employee or the worker cannot adequately fulfill their existence, but they are pushed to act as if there is a reason for it to be in the picture or exist. David Graeber considers this as the bullshit element of the whole scenario (Rudolph 81). Many individuals confuse the concept of shit jobs and bullshit jobs, although they entirely mean something different (Lambert 270). Bad jobs are considered toxic because they are either tough to handle or are offered in terrible conditions that make the worker nervous, although they are essentially useful (Botz-Bornstein 42). In fact, in contemporary society, the more useful a task is, the lesser the compensation rates. On the other hand, bullshit jobs are societally praised and highly respected because they are well paying and compensating. Still, most of them are pointless, and even the workers understand this bitter fact. 

In his book, David Graeber cites different examples of jobs that fit in this bullshit category. Theoretically, he believes that most corporate lawyers underneath believe that if they did not exist, then the world would be a better space to live and thrive in. the same concept is true for public relations consultants, brand managers, countless administrative specialists, and telemarketers who get compensated to stay around, respond to phone calls, rely upon meaningless emails, and pretend to be essentially useful or of value (Botz-Bornstein 43). The theorist believes that so many of these bullshit occupations are manufactured middle-management positions, lacking actual utility in the world. Still, they somehow have to exist purposely to satisfy the career needs of individuals undertaking them. Nonetheless, if they faded tomorrow, there will not be any difference in the space at all. Graeber insists that this is the best strategy for knowing whether a job is a bullshit or not. For instance, if teachers were eliminated suddenly or garbage collectors denied a chance to do their work, it would be a concern as people would immediately notice the gap (Lambert 269). But if a bullshit job fades, the population is not any worse off.  

The theory describes bullshit jobs as morally and spiritually corrosive. Society has made it clear that individuals want something for nothing, rendering it quite easy to shame the economically disadvantaged groups by denigrating the welfare system since all persons are lazy at heart and intentionally mooches off other individuals (Botz-Bornstein 43). But the plain truth is that most individuals in these top organizations are handed a lot of money to do nothing, and the scenario is true for most of these middle-management positions. However, in most cases, one finds that the people undertaking those jobs are totally unhappy because they equally understand that their work is meaningless, bullshit, and of less value (Botz-Bornstein 42). It is human nature to believe that one is positively and adequately contributing positively to the world somehow. When this element is denied to them, some turn out crazy or quietly miserable. Such outcomes are not expected in a capitalist system. However, that is the plain truth of whether a free market is meant to erase inefficient and unnecessary occupations and to reverse any form of dissatisfaction or uncertainty at work. 

Contrary to this opinion, most cities are characterized by jobs that should not exist in the first place, and this may be the case because people require something to do to make them feel somehow productive (Lambert 269). To create a balance, most organizations end up creating bullshit jobs to keep the business. Such outcomes should only exist in a Soviet-style system, where organizations require full employment, so managers end up making up additional job descriptions, whether essentially necessary or not (Rudolph 80). However, such trends are not expected in a free market system. However, David Graeber further blames these toxic trends in the work environment for negative political pressure to develop job vacancies from diverse directions. Populations have been molded to believe that the rich are automatic job creators, and the more employment opportunities they get, the better for survival (Rudolph 79). Most of them do not necessarily care whether the jobs add value or are useful as they assume that more jobs are better no matter the situation. 

Plato relates the concept of free will in his essay in Allegory of the Cave, where he suggested that people’s decisions lie in the hands of each own, and the opportunities to utilize each aspect of the decisions is free will (Rudolph 79). Humans are accorded the power to determine whether their decision-making freedom is extreme or requires some bit of adjusting. Sometimes, such freedom pushes people to their ultimate limits, forcing them to partake in things that they are not accustomed to doing (Lambert 267). Although individuals have the chance to showcase their free will, certain limitations exist. For instance, bullshit jobs are regulated on law bases that set significant barriers by limiting the capacity for individualized decision making on whether to exit the toxic working space or stay. 

However, Plato still insists that people are accorded the power o challenge their limits on their free will and escape into caves to visualize the real world and live a meaningful life. The author related this scenario to an example of a prisoner, where he proclaimed, “At first, when any of them is liberated and compelled suddenly to stand up and turn his neck round and walk and look towards the light, he will suffer sharp pains; the glare will distress him, and will be unable to see the realities of which in his former state he had seen the shadows;” (Plato 10). The textual evidence suggests that although people may desire to change their current state of job environments, it is practically hard to achieve that due t societal pressures and the fear of lacking a basic income to facilitate their livelihoods (Rudolph 79). 

Society has created an entire class of flunkies that essentially survive to facilitate people’s lives, especially the rich (Lambert 269). Most rich people throw their hard-earned money to individuals who merely sit around, glorify them, and focus on perceiving the world from an executive class angle. Further several of the non-bullshit jobs- essential occupations- are useful and necessary. However, they require a high automation input as they are far more tedious and hard than today’s bullshit jobs (Lambert 266). Great economic analysts like John Maynard Keynes predicted that technological advancement would trigger significant changes in the workspace. It was anticipated that organizations would achieve a 15- hour workweek by the end of the century. However, this did not come into effect because populations instead focused on inventing additional bullshit jobs (Botz-Bornstein 43). Today’s market space should embrace technological growth and advancement by accepting that 80% of the essential jobs can be done technologically. People would have to work less due to the reduced input (Rudolph 79). Employees should be left to spend more time engaging in what they wish to do as opposed o sitting in an office space, pretending to do tasks for 40 hours a week. 

The bullshit theory put forth by David Graeber is further supported by Max’s critic established in the 19th century. In his understanding, Marx argued that unjust and perverse systems are mainly propped up by the existing perverse and unjust values. However, the system persists as most individuals who are suffering are mad at the wrong people (Lambert 267). Instead, they could spend their time doing other engagements that would make them happier. The key theme apparent in Graeber’s system is the idea that the system has a unique way of reproducing itself majorly because it prioritizes or focuses much on the ruling class’s interests. The conspiracy theory suggests that people should conspire to get rid of such trends. Graeber further suggests that the system has developed absurd ways of resentment where individuals are pushed into actually resenting those who have actual jobs (Lambert 269). Such trends are apparent in Europe with all the austerity programs after the financial hitch. There is this aspect about tightening belts, apart from the individuals who caused the accident or crash as they still receive their bonuses. Yet, the ambulance drivers, nurses, and teachers are left to sacrifice and save lives (Rudolph 80). The logic behind this whole bullshit jobs concept remains sane, and the vulnerable people suffer the most as they do the tougher yet necessary jobs. 

The theorist advocates for a world where people do not have to rely on their basic income to access basic needs. The goal is to free people to decide how they want to run their lives and how they would wish to contribute to society, with obviously lesser bullshit jobs (Lambert 269). The most value produced in communities is delivered by individuals who are not compensated for it, as the current economic system does not recognize their rewards. Individuals will still receive rewards and compensations for handling significant engineering projects, medical duties, scientific jobs, and other essential jobs. Still, society requires a high-level readjustment in terms of contributing to society (Lambert 269). However, the world is put up so that it has complex economic systems requiring enormously complex bureaucracy to prop it up. Human beings have also embraced a culture that reinforces such practices in diverse ways, and most cultures do not adjust frequently or swiftly (Botz-Bornstein 42). Thus, it is practically possible to shift from the current world system to the anticipated world without enabling a complete paradigm shift. 

However, revolutionists counter-attack the above argument by suggesting a need for a significant paradigm shift, and populations are progressively coming to terms with this notion. They are frustrated after thousands of years of working as laborers without value or unfulfilling the status quo, although most do not see a clear path to a different world system (Rudolph 79). Although it is difficult to start from scratch and completely turn the system over, David Graeber still believes there is a practical way out of this bullshit (Botz-Bornstein 42). Several successful revolutionaries are characterized by deep traditions to draw upon, but it is essential to think about fundamentally different and organized systems critically. Shifts happen in human history, and most of them are for a good course. Society has taught people for the last 40 or more ears that imagination lacks space in economic and political arenas, and this notion is bullshit (Lambert 269).  

It is vital to change what people value, just as highlighted in Occupy Wall Street. In those times, so many people felt like waking up and realizing it was time to venture into a more useful entity and work collaboratively to transform the norm. With time, societies have realized a huge gap in professions such as education and social services as these professionals are treated poorly and compensated with very little money. Society requires a rebellion of what they consider the “caring class” and people who care about justice. Strategies should be put in place by societies and other significant policy enforcers to dynamically create new social environments and adjust what they value in their work and lives. Further, bullshit jobs can only be eradicated if individuals develop a sense of what makes a profession worthwhile. Otherwise, it would be practically impossible to notice that whatever they are currently engaging in is total bullshit. Thus, society should guarantee more articulation to this shift and create unity among people who yearn to focus on the same things. It is a significant political project that even David Graeber, in his understanding, feels can all get behind.