David Graeber

Bullshit jobs

so far a tedious read and not fully convincing, but he made points here

Soham Dasgupta

In fact, if we are simply talking about teaching students about efficient work habits, the best thing would be to leave them to their studies [...] Schoolwork has real content. One must attend classes, do the readings, write exercises or papers, and be judged on the results. But in practical terms, this appears to be exactly what makes schoolwork appear inadequate to those authorities—parents, teachers, governments. administrators—who have all come to feel that they must also teach students about the real world. It’s 

 results-oriented. You can study any way you want to so long as you pass the test. A successful student has to learn self-discipline, but this is not the same as learning how to operate under orders.

The idea that half the working class (those with bullshit jobs) hate autoworkers and teachers due to moral envy is just kind of assumed to be true here with no evidence because it's convenient to Graeber's thesis. I honestly feel like the reality is the exact opposite of what he's saying here.

Unionized autoworkers and teachers perform a vitally necessary function, yet have the temerity to demand middle-class lifestyles. They are objects of a special ire, I suspect, by those trapped in soul-destroying low- and middle-level bullshit jobs.

Bullshit jobs quotes

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