📚 books summary (Bullshit Jobs)

David Graeber identified five significant BS work categories: • Flunkies • Goons • Duct tapers • Box tickers • Taskmasters Graeber derived these categories from collecting firsthand testimonies and analyzing each person's experience. Let’s explore each type in more detail. Flunkies are primarily designed to cater to the needs and desires of wealthy and influential individuals, aiming to create an impressive image for those they serve. For example, in the Victorian era, footmen dressed in elaborate uniforms were hired by affluent English households to chase carriages on foot, enhancing the status of their employers. Their tasks were to check for bumps on the road and clear the way for the carriage. Contemporary examples may include office receptionists or cold callers for brokers, whose primary purpose is to make their superiors feel valued and supported. Goons include aggressive jobs such as positions in the national armed forces, lobbyists, and corporate lawyers. While these jobs may serve their intended purpose, they often have a negative impact. Although goons may resemble Mafia hitmen, Graeber classifies the latter as pointless because the workers often feel their work has no social value and are better off non-existent. Duct tapers are individuals hired to temporarily fix or alleviate organizational problems without addressing the root cause. They provide quick but temporary solutions to maintain the illusion of progress. For example, an IT technician may constantly fix computer systems without addressing the underlying issue, such as replacing damaged parts or the computers themselves. Box tickers exist primarily to make an organization appear to be doing something it's not. They engage in paperwork and bureaucratic tasks that only create the appearance of progress or compliance. Taskmasters can fall into two types. The first are managers or supervisors who oversee subordinates capable of working independently, rendering the supervisor’s role meaningless. The second type consists of people who assign meaningless tasks to others. However, this type is tricky because the worker’s perception plays a significant role. If the subordinate finds satisfaction in the assignment, it may no longer be considered meaningless. Let’s explore these nuances in more detail.

Anthropologist David Graeber spent countless hours pondering the purpose of work, leading to his concept known as “Bullshit jobs” (disclaimer: we will refer to these as BS jobs throughout this summary). According to him, these roles have little or no meaningful impact or contribution to the greater good. They often involve unnecessary bureaucracy, excessive paperwork, or redundant tasks, typically with less-than-remarkable pay. To illustrate, suppose Kurt works for a company that provides human resources for a logistics organization. This entity is a subcontractor for an IT firm supporting the German military. But Kurt’s role is miles from being called a military job. When the military needs IT deliveries, they go through the IT company, which reads and approves the application, then passes it to the logistics team. They would contract Kurt's organization for personnel, and Kurt's boss would send him to run the deliveries. There are thousands, if not millions, of people worldwide who face some variation of Kurt's situation — working where their absence would have little effect on their company's productivity or output. Of course, as you will soon see, not all BS work involves subcontractors. As the lines between necessary work and superfluous employment become increasingly blurred, questions about the true essence of meaningful labor, its impact on individuals, and the broader implications for society have come to the forefront. Stick around to learn more about BS jobs. Discover how to free yourself and supercharge your productivity, no matter where you work.

You might assume getting paid to do nothing would bring joy to anyone, but individuals with such jobs often experience feelings of worthlessness and depression. Curiously, these employees struggle to articulate the precise reasons behind their inevitable unhappiness, amplifying their misery. The absence of a clear explanation further compounds their distress, creating a sense of confusion and discontent. Let’s explore an example. After graduation, Eric secured a job as an “interface administrator” for a design firm. But he soon discovered the position existed solely because of organizational inefficiencies and interpersonal conflicts within the company. Consequently, he spent most of his time on menial tasks that contributed little to the actual design work and the firm's overall success. Feeling unmotivated, Eric started showing up late, reading novels during work hours, taking lengthy lunch breaks, and leaving early. He even started showing up drunk but still got paid. Eric deliberately engaged in unwelcome behaviors to get fired, but to his surprise, the organization rewarded him with a raise because they needed someone to fill that role. This realization left him feeling trapped until he eventually resigned. There are many other reasons why BS roles lead to unhappiness: • Lack of meaningful work: Most people crave meaningful activities and jobs with social value and reputable status, which BS jobs often lack. • Alienation: BS positions can cause a rift between your career and yourself, causing a loss of motivation and belonging • Devaluation of skills and talents: BS roles make you perform tasks that do not align with your talents and abilities, leaving your skills dormant and depreciating due to a lack of continuous practice. • Lack of autonomy and control: BS jobs involve micromanagement, where superiors or supervisors closely monitor and control individuals.

Besides unhappiness, there are other dangers of BS jobs. These include: • The misery of ambiguity and forced pretense: These positions often leave workers unsure of their roles and expectations, leading to frustration and dissatisfaction due to the absence of clear rules. • The misery of lacking a sense of purpose: BS jobs deprive individuals of meaning and impact, leaving them thinking that their work is pointless and lacks meaningful value. • The misery of knowing your job causes harm: Those in certain roles, like active service and government positions, may know that their jobs harm others. They may be involved in practices that go against their ethics, causing guilt and distress. This misery arises when they realize they are hurting rather than helping those they should serve. For example, a therapist named Shihi worked in a community mental health center in the 1990s and 2000s. Her job was to provide therapy to individuals, but she later discovered that many of her clients were not receiving the help they needed, and the company was benefitting more. Most of her clients were funneled into the system after losing their jobs or suffering incarceration. Some came because they needed to prove to welfare security offices that they required financial assistance or other subsidies (mostly food and rent) due to their mental illness. And only a fraction of the patients needed therapy. For Shihi, the worst part of her job was that the NGO exploited people. The organization would encourage therapy patients to visit regularly so they could bill their Medicaid. They did this by sending patients' medical records to the Social Security office to be reviewed for disability payments. Shihi eventually left as she couldn't cope with the guilt of knowing the NGO profited from others' misery.

Aside from BS jobs, there are two other common job types: • Useful jobs: These roles have a clear purpose and significantly add value to people and society, involving tasks that have practical use. Examples include nurses, bus drivers, military and paramilitary positions, musicians, engineers, and developers. • Jobs held by selfish individuals: This category includes gangsters, criminals, cartels, barons, and slumlords. Individuals in these roles prioritize their selfish interests over the security and welfare of society, promoting exploitation, denial of rights, and objectification. When discussing BS work, some common misconceptions arise. One is that they exist only in the public sector, but our hypothetical story about Kurt shows that even the private sector is not exempt. BS positions aren’t always low-skilled or involve minimal training; they refer to positions without meaning or purpose to society, whose elimination would have no significant impact. Thus, any job serving a purpose or achieving specific goals can’t be considered a BS job. The second misconception is that administrative positions, especially those filled by women, are considered BS jobs. This notion is sexist and misunderstands how offices operate. Another misconception comes from Douglas Adams' novel, "The Restaurant at the End of the Universe,” where a particular planet decides to rid itself of useless inhabitants, including hairdressers. Yet, hairdressing has never been useless, as many people require the service. If you're unsure whether a role is important, ask yourself whether the job serves a clear purpose and if it can be eliminated without the organization or society being affected. By continuously reflecting on the significance of our roles and seeking work that truly resonates with us, we can find greater fulfillment and lead more productive, meaningful lives in our professional journeys. Did you know? BS jobs can be detrimental to mental health and well-being. For example, an employee in a data entry position may experience demoralization and stress due to the repetitive nature of the job.

In the past, governments intentionally generated superfluous roles as part of their comprehensive employment strategies. Moreover, numerous economic policies have focused on attaining full employment. However, complete job utilization leads to wage increases, which are undesirable within a capitalist framework. Thus, politicians have advocated for job creation, without emphasizing the purpose of those positions, as long as they keep idle youth off the streets. In addition, misunderstandings about private sector roles contribute to the problem. Some claim that these seemingly meaningless jobs are necessary for managing complex processes. Yet, this argument has failed to address or justify such jobs. Some people blame the government for the escalation of BS jobs, citing that any misconduct or irregularities in the market result from government mishandling and carelessness, but that’s not always true. For example, the financial industry escalates the creation of BS jobs because it creates and handles complicated financial tools like derivatives, which require notable roles to manage them. Yet, not all of these roles add value to society. Speculation and trading also play a role. The financial industry emphasizes “high-frequency trading and arbitrage,” which involve quick buying and selling for short-term profits. While some positions in trading are needed, an excessive number of specialized jobs are unnecessary. The financial industry also grapples with extensive regulations and compliance requirements, which cause hiring officers to help firms comply with standard practices, such as risk analysts and legal professionals. The complexity and abundance of these roles create redundancy in the economy. The financial industry's perception of fraud and scams, driven by self-interest, has faced much criticism. It has led many people to believe that many roles in the financial system exist because of selfish interests rather than creating real value. Still, some roles in the financial sector remain indispensable, such as risk management and financial advisory services.

There has been widespread acceptance and little resistance toward the growth of pointless work. Despite the extensive distress they cause, the distinct lack of political and social movements against their creation raises questions about why society has not taken action to address the issue. Various factors may contribute to this, which we’ll now discuss. Labor and wages are deeply rooted in religious, moral, and economic traditions, such as measuring value regarding where you work and what you earn. Work as a sacred duty traces back to religious texts and teachings. For example, in the monastic tradition, monks and nuns engage in various forms of labor as a means of spiritual cleansing and discipline in serving God. Their work, whether farming, cleaning, crafting, or copying manuscripts, is integral to their spiritual practice and a way to fulfill their religious duties. The Judeo-Christian tradition views work as both punishment and redemption from sin, evident in Adam and Eve's banishment from the Garden of Eden and their condemnation to sweat for survival. Following this, work became a moral virtue and a means to fulfill humanity's duties to God in society. Another reason for the poor resistance to BS work is capitalism's influence on the theory of work. With the rise of capitalism, work became a means of social reform and a virtue in itself. It emphasizes the moral value of hard work and economic success. It also promotes the agenda or self-belief that diligent work would lead to personal and societal development, which many people have embraced. The next reason relates to the concept that full employment is crucial for becoming a full-fledged adult. Many people grew up believing having a full-time job is a necessity of adulthood, as if not having one leaves you incomplete. Whether that’s true is debatable, but it’s a notion many believe in. Since BS roles have become ingrained in societal perception, it will take social awareness to show people the necessity of demanding more from their jobs. Hopefully, this summary has been a step in that direction.

There has been widespread acceptance and little resistance toward the growth of pointless work. Despite the extensive distress they cause, the distinct lack of political and social movements against their creation raises questions about why society has not taken action to address the issue. Various factors may contribute to this, which we’ll now discuss. Labor and wages are deeply rooted in religious, moral, and economic traditions, such as measuring value regarding where you work and what you earn. Work as a sacred duty traces back to religious texts and teachings. For example, in the monastic tradition, monks and nuns engage in various forms of labor as a means of spiritual cleansing and discipline in serving God. Their work, whether farming, cleaning, crafting, or copying manuscripts, is integral to their spiritual practice and a way to fulfill their religious duties. The Judeo-Christian tradition views work as both punishment and redemption from sin, evident in Adam and Eve's banishment from the Garden of Eden and their condemnation to sweat for survival. Following this, work became a moral virtue and a means to fulfill humanity's duties to God in society. Another reason for the poor resistance to BS work is capitalism's influence on the theory of work. With the rise of capitalism, work became a means of social reform and a virtue in itself. It emphasizes the moral value of hard work and economic success. It also promotes the agenda or self-belief that diligent work would lead to personal and societal development, which many people have embraced. The next reason relates to the concept that full employment is crucial for becoming a full-fledged adult. Many people grew up believing having a full-time job is a necessity of adulthood, as if not having one leaves you incomplete. Whether that’s true is debatable, but it’s a notion many believe in. Since BS roles have become ingrained in societal perception, it will take social awareness to show people the necessity of demanding more from their jobs. Hopefully, this summary has been a step in that direction.