[jauntywundrkind]

I think America used to have a closer relationship with agency. We were part of building the world around us, making businesses, homes, farms, whatever. Having role models around who did visible clear work was a powerful way to see & experience the world, was a lesson in how we could shape ourselves.

Now that America is more scut jobs at impersonal chains or other far off companies, or being lost in some small sector of the massive organizational chain of command, I truly fear for Americans. The advantage of being work based comes with none of the fulfilment, leads to far far fewer people becoming community role models. We've been swallowed by the beast, are in the belly of the giants, many go which we have created (and let endlessly consolidate/amass in size).

The question supposes an individual balance, of what's better for a person. But what's good for a society, what happens to a society over time: I think there's an interesting and very strong virtue America used to get, that helped grow our people, helped keep us agentic, that kept us engaged with & shaping the world about us in a really powerful & amazing way. And losing that fire, and now just being anonymous & low agency in a huge grind, that's a brutal & scary new path for us, one where yeah of course if this is so pointless we'd pick time & leisure.