This question comes courtesy of a comment by glitchinthematrix:
As for me, the answer is easy.
1. Make more music. A LOT MORE
2. Spend more quality time with my family
3. More time on Hubski
4. Paint
That's about it.
I would probably find things to build and work on, even if it's not "work". I can't imagine not working and don't think I would want it. A lot of people I know quit their minimum wage restaurant jobs for the summer and dick around and party for 3 months. I could never do that for more than a couple days. It might be relaxing but deeply unsatisfying and unproductive. Even the month of traveling was almost too much. The last seven days in Sri Lanka, I found myself getting ahead on projects I knew I would have to work on when I got back simply because I was so sick of not doing anything. I would probably travel more but I am currently lucky enough that I can travel pretty much whenever I want as it is. We did 30 days in Asia in January and are about to do 14 more in the Curacao.
Work on the free software projects I keep wanting to then being too burned out from the work that pays the bills to do anything with. SBCL could use a good graphics toolkit and editing environment. Free graphics and audio production software all need more love, as does CAD. It still baffles me that the free 3d graphics package that won is Blender, when enough users want Houdini to make it a successful commercial product. A computer algebra system that could work with hand-written expressions, for tablets and those interactive whiteboard things, would be very handy. Axiom and Reduce would both be decent CASes to build on, are free software, and would benefit from having a decent environment built on them. I keep thinking it's a shame that these great communities form around extending videogames, then fall apart after a few years when they're no longer the cool new thing, and it would be nice to have a free platform that could be kept graphically modern for people who want to do things with games but don't want to build one from the ground up. There have been attempts to do things like that in the past, but they're either deliberately primitive to limit their scope or never reach a usable state because they're too ambitious for a hobby project.
FreeNet seems to be dead and without successors, which is a shame because it or something like it would be better than Tor hidden services for some applications.
I work (no, actually, I play) in Ableton and it's still my favorite piece of software in any vein that I've sampled. I run CAD software too, and I can tell you that the industry standard 3D CAD functionality doesn't even come close to what Ableton does in the audio world: overall application stability, plug-in capabilities, sleekness of GUI, recovery of crashed sessions, etc. Much respect for working in software, it's an under-appreciated corner of tech.audio production software
Proprietary software for scientists and engineers all tends to have the same problem; their users aren't (primarily) programmers, so they'll only write their own tools if it doesn't take too long or there's nothing close to what they need available, but they will figure out a way to solve their problems with whatever they can find. It's really, really hard to write software so shitty those guys won't be able to make it work, and as long as they can make it work they'll be content. That makes it hard to make a commercial case for doing any better than just good enough.
Yeah, buncha my coworkers have built up personal libraries that they are loath to share with anyone. Not that it would do you much good anyway... doesn't matter how well it's commented, you're going to end up trudging through the mud to figure out what's going on, and you might as well have just written your own program to begin with. Most ridiculous piece of software in my industry has to be SIMION, for that exact reason. C'mon, even the website is straight out of the 90's.That makes it hard to make a commercial case for doing any better than just good enough.
Not a conditional; I'm in between jobs at the moment and have about two months of absolutely guilt-free time ahead of me. My two responsibilities during that time are and have been recovering from tooth surgery and planning a move to Wisconsin. Life's even better than usual. The answer to the "but how could we possibly spend our time without work?!!?" question continues to be, travel and self-educate. Followed by an incredulous look at the stupidity demonstrated by anyone who could ever think those two things weren't enough from life. Painting sounds like a really brilliant hobby and a way to get to know a new place more intimately and quickly than I may otherwise be able to accomplish when I move. I wonder if I'm any good at it, and how to go about painting without looking like an idiot. I'll think on that.
I'm one of those assholes who would actually keep working their job because I was stupid lucky enough to land something that engages me and matches with my particular types of intelligence. Honestly, I'd probably just end up working the same amount that I do now, but I'd ditch every bit of paperwork and focus on more educational/technical pursuits. Luckily, I have solved the problem by quitting this nice job to pursue a higher degree that very well may kill me, but ehh, I'm all in. None of this would have changed had basic income been (or was going to be) instituted. I doubt many people could say the same thing. Honestly, and I don't mean to point fingers, but far too many people would opt into spending time on more "artistic expression" endeavors. I've been there. I was just there moments ago, guitar around my neck, it's a Sunday night with a Monday holiday, I wrote a simple little chord progression, because feels. No joke. I have long since argued with some of the most respectable Hubski users about basic income's promise, but I just don't think we're quite there yet in terms of automation capacity. We're not quite ready to replace truck drivers, taxis, delivery drivers, etc., but soon, yes. People argue that we'll see automation of many other lines of work shortly thereafter, but I've grown so used to being disappointed by slow rates of technological progress. When increasingly larger numbers of folks are put out of work with no corresponding creation of jobs in the "information" and "technician" sectors (or call them what you will), there may be no choice but to implement a basic income policy, save some other kind of socioeconomic revolution. Similarly, a basic income that necessarily taxes the wealthy most heavily may be one of the only ways to compensate for the fact that capital operates more efficiently with increased automation, hence a decreased need for human labor. Edit: and none of this tax loophole offshore account portfolio divestment discount PAC fund 100% deduction bullshit. I made some of that up to account for the other 3,629 methods that I don't know about. I think the pro- and eventual-basic income crowds are mostly at odds in their estimates on the current climate of readiness for basic income and the rates at which automation will see adoption in various industries. As for the anti-basic income crowd, I would like to hear any and all arguments. wasoxygen & theadvancedapes, because you guys are great, and I'd love to hear you answer newgreen's original question as well, but no pressure if you're busy and all, I know how it can get. :)
I have learned that when asked what I would do in a given situation, the most accurate answer is "I don't know." But I can say what I would like to think I would do. My answer would be similar to thenewgreen's, except I would aspire to play music other people made, and draw rather than paint. I also fantasize about reading a lot more and being more serious in studying foreign languages, mathematics, economics and programming. Writing letters too. Oh, and cooking, TNG left that out. Maybe socializing. My revealed preference is revealing. I already have some free time, so the best dispassionate answer is that I would probably do more of what I do now: reading short easy things online, reading and arguing on Hubski, spending time with family, slowly reading books, with some little time spent biking, running, traveling, playing piano and studying.
I agree. We're at an awkward in-between phase, and have been for 150 years, really. We have enough automation and mass production to destabilise the labour-based economy, but not enough yet that no one need work unless they want to. We'll get there, but it might take another 20–100 years. But I still think now is a good time to implement BI. If we implement BI today, most people will keep their jobs out of fear it'll be repealed when it's unsustainable. For at least one generation. Twenty years from now, the next generation grows up expecting BI, and we have say 20% less workforce, which is counterbalanced by increased automation. Fast forward 100 years, and we see a logarithmic decrease of involuntary work and increase of automation, until we achieve Star Trek utopia. That's the theory anyway. If it doesn't work, we can always repeal it, right?I just don't think we're quite there yet in terms of automation capacity.
I disagree. I think many people would quit their jobs immediately, knowing that they'd receive a comparable amount of money without having to go to work at all. Nevermind the fact that they could keep their jobs and make twice as much money. Enough people would throw their hands up and say "fuck it!" that we'd have a serious disruption of business, were this implemented now. No, I don't subscribe to the belief that all or even most members of lower socioeconomic status don't work hard or don't want to work hard. But I think there are more of those folks than Hubski is willing to acknowledge. That 20% estimate seems high to me. Were we to immediately replace all truckers, cab drivers, food delivery service workers, etc. with self-driving automobiles, that's only ~5% of the national workforce. And the transition won't be immediate. There will be other automations taking place concurrently, sure, but I'd wager that we'll only see a 10% workforce reduction for the next twenty years. Then maybe 15% for the twenty years after that, and then maybe 20%, but who knows what things will look like 40 years from now? Pshh, I hope that's how it'll go. And I don't expect for basic income to work at first. It will be a rough process that could send the global economy into free fall. I'm interested in making the transition as smooth as possible, because it does seem increasingly necessary.If we implement BI today, most people will keep their jobs out of fear it'll be repealed when it's unsustainable.
Twenty years from now, the next generation grows up expecting BI, and we have say 20% less workforce, which is counterbalanced by increased automation.
Fast forward 100 years, and we see a logarithmic decrease of involuntary work and increase of automation, until we achieve Star Trek utopia. That's the theory anyway. If it doesn't work, we can always repeal it, right?
Why should there be any reduction? In the past, technological advancement has always led to higher employment, higher wages, and higher standard of living. Why are we so cynical that we expect different this time around? Note that this is isn't directly specifically at you, but at the general notion that automation can only displace workers, which seems to be pervasive.
You raise a valid point. The Industrial Revolution certainly didn't kill any large-scall economies, after all. I think there absolutely WILL be a significant reduction of jobs, even for automated vehicles alone. And yeah, some displaced workers will go into technician roles to support our new robot overlords, but I'm having trouble imagining new job creation on the scale of several million, in the U.S. alone. I wouldn't say automation can only displace workers, but I anticipate a net reduction of jobs, especially in the minimum wage and unskilled labor market. Do you not believe there will be a net reduction? And if you see millions of new jobs on the horizon, what are they?
I believe that many current industries will be obsolete. We need only to look to the fate of agriculture and rail roads to know that no industry, no matter how blue chip, is invincible to the advance of better technologies. There will no doubt be a giant reduction in the number of people who work as mailmen and dry cleaners. Hopefully even lawyers will be reduced. That said, if I knew where all of these jobs would be made up, then I'd be a fortune teller, or at the very least a very wealthy investor. I haven't a clue, but experience tells us that given the space to innovate, create, and improve, we will do so. It's less optimistic naïveté, and more inductive reasoning, but I'll not venture a guess about mechanism.
I applaud you for this. There is an almost unlimited need for parents... and such a limited supply of willing/able parents. EDIT: maybe I have that supply and demand reversed... endless supply of kids who need the love... and a limited supply of willing/able parents.... but I guess it works both ways. Either way - we've got too much of one thing and not quite enough of another.adopt kids
I would too. It's in my blood. However, I would get to choose that which I work towards in a far more specific way.
Here's the groups of people I think might form when work no longer becomes compulsory for survival (and these groups would likely overlap): - Those who still work, but now as more of a form of leisure/entertainment - Those who fully immerse themselves in fun and entertainment, taking on more adventurous opportunities - Those who get into self-reflection and cultivation, improving themselves in skill and spirit - Those who engage in more altruistic acts to help others, now that their own basic needs can be satisfied easily But as mentioned, automation does need to come in to take the brunt of the industrial load off the people's backs, or the demand for human labor would still be too strong to allow everybody the option to survive without work. And even then, it would be a bumpy ride trying to accommodate the people with skills made redundant because of the automation of the affected industries.
I'd keep practicing, maybe put on some concerts for charity.
I did two charity concerts with The New Green and with the help of other acts on the bills, was able to raise over $10k. I have always been proud of that. I also donated proceeds from my second album to Operation Smile It's pretty cool when your art can help people.
I spend a lot of time thinking about this question, especially in the last few weeks as I was recently promoted and have to deal with more company politics than I really care for. In moments of exasperation I find myself staring off into the middle distance and contemplating what life could be like... I think I would travel more, read more, have more fun, cook, drink, run, play etc; the same thing everyone else would do if they suddenly found themselves with 40+ hours of free time BUT I would still need to DO something. The desire to leave a mark or to do something of note would leave me feeling frustrated if I didn't have an outlet for it. So I'd get heavily involved in open source software projects, something I already dabble in lightly but not as much as I would like. After that I'd love to volunteer my time to help fundraising for good causes like cancer research. I have kids and they have a safe, happy and healthy life, if I had to opportunity to adopt other children and give them the same I would.
Congrats on your recent promotion. I understand where you are coming from regarding your desire to leave a mark. I have the same desire. I have my children, whom I love dearly and I have no doubt that they'll do magnificent things, but I'm not ready to cash in my chips and claim them as my only legacy. I want to build something monumental. What? Hubski? A business? A work of art? All of the above? time will tell...
I would work on loads of projects and start as many businesses as i can. I just love learning stuff and I find you learn the most by taking action. Unfortunately, now that I have an awesome internship, I have less time for my side business projects. This, and travel. I've been wanting to get into more outdoorsy type things lately, and nice camping trips are a bit long sometimes. Not something that's very possible when you have to work full time.
Get rid of my car and bike more. Move to warmer climates. Write more. Work on furthering my education.
The only reason I would stop working is if I had enough money to satisfy every whim I might have. With that in mind... Idk, probably buy an island or some shit. I finally got my quadcopter airborne, and have quickly built up a largish wishlist of things I want for it, so I'd probably do that, too. Honestly, I would probably just sell them ready to fly around my city, building them was so much fun and it'd be cool to see the hobby spread.
Travel around the world as many rounds as I can before I drink and drug myself to death.
I have the savings and lifestyle that I could technically retire now. Yet I work. I'm sure that I could come up with something to do, some cause to work on, but I like working, I love my job, and can't see quitting anytime soon. So, I'd say keep working.
If you don't mind me asking, how did you come across/find such a job?
A combo of hard work, lots of study and a ton of luck. I found an industry that I am good at and then lucked into a job with incredible coworkers. I would like to say that this was all part of some master plan, but eh, not really. Find something that you are good at, get great at it, and go where you are wanted/needed.
Travel, first of all. There's a ton of this earth that I want to see. Then once I'd scratched that itch enough, figure out the most efficacious use of my time in order to work on combating some of the big problems that bother me, interspersed with music-making and family/friend time.
Exercise, relax, read, spend time with friends and family, travel. I don't think I'd want to stop working altogether, I'd just like a shorter schedule.
The academic roster here makes it so that I have a 2-3 month summer holiday every year. I usually travel (this summer I'll go to California and Sweden) if I can. The rest of the time I need to start my own projects / have a lot to read or else I'm bored two weeks in. Gaming and browsing is fun for a bit but just not fulfilling enough for a long period of time.
Well, a big part of my motivation for working is providing for my retirement, so assuming that an income enough to cover basic necessities was assured, it would be quite liberating to not have to worry about it (I admit, it's not quite a worry as much as an abstract anxiety, I'm soon to be 24). It's funny to me that what I do generally is volunteering (getting paid a tiny stipend and expenses provided for) and what the world would like after a basic income is universal volunteerism, which is a goal of mine. Because it's a goal to expand service opportunities, I'd have to change gears a bit. That said, I would continue to work at this summer camp doing facility improvement and upkeep for the rest of the summer. I'd read and write a lot more. The money I'd make in excess of what I need to travel I would give to worthy causes. I've lived a life where I've had nothing to do, and it got too boring within a matter of days. I wonder though how generations born after a basic income would behave. I love work and travel because I appreciate it after being more or less forced to do it -- I appreciate the rejuvenating quality of work. Here is Tolsoy's take on work's effect.
I would do a lot of travel and meet a lot of groups of people to try and see and experience as many things as the world has to offer. Fortunately I'll be doing a little bit of that in about a month. I would record a lot more music and play more often too, and I'd take up photography (but that might start soon too!).
I would like to change my answer to "Watch Top Gun every day".