(The Atlantic, July 2019)
Nowadays, it seems that all organizations are asking their employees to do more with less, replacing specialized workers with problem-solving generalists. This article ponders whether this is actually a good idea, looking at it through the lens of a new class of US Navy ship that turned away from specialists in favor of “hybrid sailors” who have the ability to acquire skills rapidly. One obvious observation: much fewer people are required on board because of “mental agility”; but is the pursuit of efficiency resulting in the knowledge economy devaluing knowledge? An interesting read to understand what the future of work will look like (reads in around 10 min).
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An Open Letter to the 2020 Presidential Candidates: It’s Time to Tax Us More
(Medium, June 24, 2019)
This open letter in which a group of significant American billionaires argue for a wealth tax made a bit of a stir. Most likely, the chorus will grow stronger. It is a telling sign that an increasing number of people among “the 1%” consider it a necessity to address the issue of economic inequality that is eroding the social fabric of their country. Many others around the world are in a similar situation (reads in 4-5 min).
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Bonnie Tsui, You Are Doing Something Important When You Aren’t Doing Anything
(The New York Times, June 21, 2019)
As this op-ed argues, protecting and practicing fallow time is an act of resistance against our ‘always-on work culture’ dominated by constant accessibility and obsessed with productivity (“If you aren’t visibly producing, you aren’t worthy”). Fallow time is not boredom – it’s about resting, reading, reconnecting; “it is the invisible labor that makes creative life possible” (reads in 6-7 min).
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