[__MatrixMan__]

In Accelerando it was necessary to make drastic alterations to oneself in order to keep up with that pressure (or an analogous one). Those who decided not to had to flee the planet because they just weren't nimble enough to participate in Economics 2.0

It sounds outlandish but I think the path away from scarcity based economics must eventually traverse a zone where the only scarcity-driven careers left aren't substantial enough to commit a lifetime to, so being dual- or triple-specialized will be a necessity.

And as much of a hassle that may be, letting scarcity continue to drive despite its inability to avoid hazards seems much worse.