Keep Good Company — Irrelevance Is Public Enemy Number One
How we’re slowly losing our identities
The twenty-first century has so far not been shy of throwing curveballs. In fact, this might be the generation having to deal with more changes, developments, alterations, adaptations and — well, curveballs than any other before it. Technological advancements gain grounds at the speed of light, while ecological decline might just go as fast. These colossal forces are pulling and pushing us back and forth on the altruist-egoist-scale, not to mention the forces exerting pressure within our own small bubble. Friendship, love, family and work all battle each other to gain just a small portion of our scarce attention.
Juggling all these balls while keeping a straight face is hard sometimes. Not only for the individual this is a hell of a job, for society in general to deal with all of today’s pressures is slowly taking its toll. To top it all off, the online-offline-war is raging on. We keep comparing ourselves to the minority — that 1 percent of insanely successful top-tier managers, ripped yoga guru’s, fitgirls and -boys or die-hard travelers. Blogging, vlogging, sharing and connecting like crazy, while — let’s face it — probably not being able to see their families over the weekend, party with friends or have a lazy Sunday afternoon. Nobody is able to juggle all the balls; you’ll keep dropping some of them. And of course, you’ll never spot the dropped balls on Instagram.
The loss of our identity
This facade of online perfection — strengthened by the fear of failure — seems to be fundamentally reshaping common values, identity and the meaning of life. We often derive our identity from the things we value most in life, including our work. But what then if this major factor is not only hard to live up to, it might actually be slipping through our fingers. When we find AI-writers that do a better job than us, simply because we are burdened by the flaw of being human. When we have bots to do our cleaning, algorithms that build houses. What then will we be worth when an algorithm can perform a job better than any human could ever do?
Artificial Intelligence is affecting the labor market to its very core. Workers are pushed out of their positions due to inefficiency, high costs and durable alternatives: machines. Tech-savvy companies are busy doing the unthinkable without ethical restrictions to worry about — that’s a job to be dealt with by politicians and institutions well after the consequences of these new technologies have become apparent.
The consequence of these dynamics might, however, not be what you’d expect.
When AI is taking over
What used to be ‘just’ an expanding gap between rich and poor expressed in big cars, watches and houses now seems to incline to an even more troubling picture; people we need and do not need in life. Those with a scholarly degree (preferably in information sciences) are asked to contribute to the rapid technological developments — those without end up replaced by more efficient and cost saving algorithms. The software engineer versus the factory worker. When one is no longer of value within the labor market, what then? Might the stable position of the working class be in danger? The backbone of countless nations and a reliable indicator for social stability. The ongoing struggle of the working class seems to shift from improved working conditions to a struggle against irrelevance.
Power of humanity: turning our human burden into an asset.
While irrelevance is slowly creeping into our society — affecting the way we look at jobs — a change of strategy might be the answer.
Defence against irrelevance
Now, more than ever, the concept of ‘humanity’ seems of incredible worth in the battle against irrelevance. Where algorithms are flawlessly capable of running the numbers on what professional would suit what company, they would never be able to simulate a crucial step in this process: humanity. Just as algorithms would probably never be able to simulate the human side in workforce such as personality, gut instinct or ethical awareness. Turning our human burden into an asset.
So when you’re doubting your role in society — whether it’s because of the high standards you think you have to live up to or the threat of being replaced by non-human efficiency — don’t let good advice ever be irrelevant. Don’t let the human touch ever be replaced by clinical rationality. The warmth of a hug, the impact of a high five, working through a setback or celebrating success.
Keep Good company. Always. And treasure the ones you hold close. Keep in mind that the ones that will possibly bring you the most in life aren’t the ones you’ll find on Instagram. They’re the ones you wake up to every day, the ones you kiss goodbye, the ones that stand by you when you’re down, that make you smile, that challenge you at work. They’re the ones that bring out your very best. Never let anyone ever be irrelevant.
