We’ve all been there, you’re about 15 or 16, thinking “what am I going to do for my entire life?”
If that’s you right now, then use our handy guide below to simulate a conversation of what it might be like to actually speak to a 16-year-old.
We have good news about your life, it’s already been decided for you!
You get to take part in a society that you didn’t choose to be part of and you have to work up to, and in some cases beyond 40 hours a week, just to survive!
Seriously?
Yep, and you’re going to love it or else we’ll call you a traitor and a loser.
But what if we worked for only maybe 30 hours a week instead?
Blasphemy.
You will work now until you are old and then maybe you can enjoy the latter end of your life, just maybe though. That isn’t a guarantee.
But what if I don’t want to do that?
Tough, if you don’t we won’t give you access to basic necessities. Necessities that we ourselves wrote into a declaration that no human should ever live without, well white western lives at least.
That seems quite unfair.
Well, yes. Life is unfair. It has been unfair to me and I have personally suffered over my lifetime so everyone who is born after me should also have to suffer as well. We shouldn’t try to make improvements to the quality of life.
I must say I can’t really see your point of view. Isn’t there a way we could build a society and working economy where we don’t have to do all of that and we can spread resources fairly?
Yes, absolutely. We could make that happen.
Oh, fantastic! I must say that does sound much more appealing to me, a child, just starting out in the working world.
Could.
I’m sorry, what was that. I didn’t hear you properly.
I said could.
Okay, I’m not sure I follow?
I said, “Yes, absolutely. We could make that happen”. Could do, not ‘will do’. It’s of course entirely possible to shift societal norms to whatever we like. Hell, we invented the entire system. But we won’t because I like the things I have accumulated throughout my life. Lots of bits of metal and paper and I don’t want to share.
Well…that seems very unreasonable. Are these nice bits of metal and paper?
*scoffs* they are very nice bits of metal, and the paper ooooh you should feel it! All those bits of paper with different numbers on them. When I had them it felt so good!
What do you mean had?
Well I suppose I don’t use them much anymore, it’s all on my plastic card now.
So the paper and metal are irrelevant now?
Well…yes but it’s still there. It’s still mine. I earned it through my hard work. I put in decades of hard work for it.
Okay, but did you enjoy doing that?
I guess not…
So don’t you think it’s worth changing the structure of society so that others can enjoy their lives and have a respectable balance between what they put into a system and what they get out?
…
NO BECAUSE IT’S MINE AND I CAN’T POSSIBLY CONSIDER CHANGE BECAUSE I HAD TO SUFFER AND SO DO YOU. WORK TILL YOU BECOME BITTER AND OLD LIKE ME.
Ah well, now you have put it like that hand me my shitty 9-5 job and let me work myself to the bone for 60 years. I cannot even wait for even one more day.
