I was listening to a blog recently put out by the World Economic Forum "historian" Yuval Noah Harari asking what are we going to do with all these "useless humans" when AI (Artificial Intelligence) takes over the jobs currently being performed by humans.
I scrolled down a little more and there was a second article about a fast food restaurant that has gone completely AI serving up bowls of prepackaged meals to awaiting customers. Not an employee in sight.
In another article, the photo to the left showed The evolution of the employee as if the future holds more opportunity for humanity and not less. It points out all the positives and possibilities, but does not explain WHO is going to hire this person or what type of jobs will be available for this type of work. When I see this comparison I see the certainty of the past versus the uncertainty of the future.
Working in a job outside of your home does so much more for your life than just provide financial gain. It teaches you how to perform to someone else's standards, how to learn from others, how to grow in your personal expertise, and it allows you to bring value to the workplace. The economy thrives when people are at work. Removing the people from their livelihoods means the economy will not thrive, will not grow, and people cannot earn more than what is assigned them. Upward mobility becomes impossible as you get placed into a box you cannot get out of as honest work is replaced by forced labor. You become like the robots who have replaced you doing a dead-end job with no hope of a better future.
When children learn financial competency, face struggles, and learn to overcome those struggles, they build emotional resilience which increases personal value and self-esteem over time. When you have opportunity to learn, grow, and develop into the best you can be, your life has meaning and purpose which is necessary to feel joy. When someone else determines your purpose, your life has no personal meaning and you will experience burnout and depression. Working for money has never brought joy. Work rooted in your own inspiration and accomplished with one's own perspiration brings joy. Personal growth brings knowledge, experience, and lifelong learning gives one hope of a better future.
When I was 8 years old, I began saving my milk money, 10 cents a day, fifty cents a week, and would exchange the coin for dollars when my mom needed the change for next week's lunches.
When I was 11 years old I began delivering newspapers riding my bicycle and made over $200 a month.
When I was 15 years old, I was hired to pump gas at a local gas station and made $500 month.
When I was 16, I worked at McDonald's and within 4 months was promoted to store manager supervising shift managers twice my age making $1500 a month.
At 18, I worked as an assistant to president of a manufacturing company and made $2000 month.
At 20, I went into the field of law enforcement and doubled my income working in that career for 25 years. At 45 years old, I was injured on the job, forced to retire, and my income was immediately cut in half. I had to find another way to make money, so I worked multiple jobs as a background investigator, private investigator, and security guard. I returned to school to obtain my BS and MS in Counseling Psychology at the age of 52 years old.
I then worked for the next 3 years in residential addiction, residential foster care, as an Equine Therapist, for a nonprofit, and eventually received enough hours to apply for and receive my license as a Marriage and Family Therapist May 2014. November 16, 2014, at 55 years old, I opened Encouragers Counseling & Training Centers, a 501c3. Encouragers has recently expanded to the Commonwealth of Virginia and provides mental health services to approximately 150 clients a week.
What do I attribute the success of Encouragers to? I had a constant desire to learn, to grow, to evolve, and to be the best I could be, but there also was opportunity where I could find the tools and learn the skills. How many of the jobs I worked are still around? School lunch programs replaced the 10 cent milk carton. Newspapers have been replaced by technology. Gas stations are all self-serve. Fast-food restaurants will soon replace employees with AI and manufacturing has been shipped overseas.
I fear for our children's future. There needs to be new opportunities for the next generation or they will learn to sit on the couch waiting for someone to tell them what to do, where to go, and how to perform so they will not be considered a useless human.
"Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in forced labor."
Proverbs 14:23
Vicki Coffman LMFT83503
If you'd like to learn how to live intentional, check out my book of the same name: Live Intention. Live the life you always wanted, but never believed you could. Available at Barns and Noble, Amazon, and iTunes https://www.christianfaithpublishing.com/books/?book=live-intentional