What if you were offered a sufficient salary for life - enough that you never have to worry about money - on the condition that you never contribute productively to society again? You can do what is necessary to take care of yourself and your household, and indulge yourself hedonistically as much as you want, but you cannot, at all, ever contribute to society or the economy or the greater good. Would you take the offer?
My first thought is that I would, because I don't have any grand abstract need to contribute to society. But then I think of the specific things I wouldn't be able to do. Would that mean I couldn't walk dogs at the Human Society? Would that mean I can't engage in political activism? Would that mean I couldn't do little informational translations for family and friends?
Would giving up these things be worth lifetime financial security? Maybe, maybe not. I don't know.
2 comments:
Not.
Now that I think about it, I think I would take up that offer. Not being able to contribute when there's an opportunity, and taking shit from people for not contributing, would simply be the sacrifice I'd have to make to support myself, like the sacrifice I make now is that I have to wake up earlier than I'd prefer and spend 1/3 of my day translating stuff that is often boring or stressful (or both).
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