Well we indeed are speaking from coexisting realities. Neither is weirder than the other. It's tautologically the case that if you have good working conditions you relationship will be different. That said, if you still have to work for a living and not for your own capital, it's still the case that much of your life blood goes into making someone else wealthier independently of whether or not you enjoy the work. Therefore, it's still necessary to some extent to keep the power relation in mind, even though it can be less obvious in good working conditions and even if you do receive capital in addition to your salary.
For me HN is an invaluable resource since it has allowed me to take a peek into some realities that were hitherto unimaginable.
This sort of reality clash will only become more poignant in the future as the gap between highly skilled workers and the rest deepens to become a canyon. It's already the case that you find my perspective weird, so imagine how weird it will be to future HN posters when the inequality has reached even higher levels and they can't even conceive of someone having to apply for jobs to get one.
> For me HN is an invaluable resource since it has allowed me to take a peek into some realities that were hitherto unimaginable.
Just wanted to say - that's awesome.
> This sort of reality clash will only become more poignant in the future as the gap between highly skilled workers and the rest deepens to become a canyon. It's already the case that you find my perspective weird, so imagine how weird it will be to future HN posters when the inequality has reached even higher levels and they can't even conceive of someone having to apply for jobs to get one.
I think the chasm is not as wide as you think - at least for me. It's easy for me to relate to the difficulty of a job search, and at least intellectually to connect to the difficulty of scraping by in a low skill/low wage situation. I grew up poor so it's not that hard to see it actually.
The reason I reacted to your post is that the attitude it espouses is poison to those who embrace it. Here's what I mean - if one believes that all employers are abusers out there to fleece you like a feudal lord (from your analogy) then one doesn't actually try to find working dynamics that are better than that so they pass up opportunities. Small example - my in-laws run a small business that treats employees very well (like, health insurance for unskilled workers type well) - but if someone believes all employers are evil then folks don't go and seek out their type.
That's an excellent point. I am aware of the bitterness trap, and it's something I have take into account in life as it is a very potent danger, especially for people with my personality type.
In this case, I made the analogy with feudalism because the perspective seemed to fall in the diagonally opposite trap, that of just-world or bootstrap thinking. I believe the equilibrium lies in trying to see power relations as they are, which is obviously a difficult task that I don't claim to be proficient at. These power relations are wrapped in so many social constructs that my intuition tells me to be extra-critical to correct for these hidden influences.
Another aspect is that I don't have an outlet to discuss intense topics in real life, so I jump at the chance online. I hope other posters can relate to this ;)
>> Another aspect is that I don't have an outlet to discuss intense topics in real life, so I jump at the chance online. I hope other posters can relate to this ;)
Dito! I have to say, I really enjoy your thinking and posting (except for the first one) style. You seem incredibly self aware and able to instantly contextualize yourself within a broader framework. Very rare skill - I hope you are putting it to lucrative use with a great employer :)
For me HN is an invaluable resource since it has allowed me to take a peek into some realities that were hitherto unimaginable.
This sort of reality clash will only become more poignant in the future as the gap between highly skilled workers and the rest deepens to become a canyon. It's already the case that you find my perspective weird, so imagine how weird it will be to future HN posters when the inequality has reached even higher levels and they can't even conceive of someone having to apply for jobs to get one.