Are you in a relationship? Why? What is your reasoning for choosing to be with someone? Is it to satisfy your needs, theirs, or an exchange? Do you want to be with someone completely independent or, would you want them to need you for something? Do you feel indispensable or expendable?
In the morning I had a lesson with a client and as often is the case with many of my particular customers, the future of employment and opportunities as automation of tasks is a pretty big component of what they do. We discussed many things including provided income and he asked the question, "What would you do if you didn't have to do anything?" I like this question a lot but, there is a more important question that is rarely considered.
What would you do if all you did, didn't feel needed by anyone?
I find this question very interesting in regards to the relationships we form and our wider community as a result because as we are replaced by automation, what we do becomes increasingly less needed. Even though this frees us to do essentially what we want, does this mean that we start to drift apart from the social contracts between each other where we essentially trade our resources for other's resources?
For example, I am a husband and a father and a large part of my experience is providing for my family and even though I can be replaced, while I am there it gives me purpose in many facets of what I do. What happens if I don't need to earn for my family or, hold my sick daughter as she cries at night? What happens if my wife prefers her online social life to talking to me or, what about the sexbots that are increasingly being publicized?
If all of mine and all of my family's needs are met without us needing to do anything together or work for them, what happens? Even though what I do can be satisfying for me and I can choose and improve however I want, what happens when I recognize that no matter what I do, no one needs what I have to offer as, all of their needs are met too?
Have you thought about this much? Everyone wants to be independent but, what happens if we are completely independent as what we used to trade in relationships is no longer required from us as a machine can do it better? Do we feel fulfilled, is there meaning in anything we do or does the pleasure of doing become the only reason, a hedonists dream?
A large part of our feedback system is based on social confirmation, praise for a job well done and acceptance. Even though these things have been taken to extremes in many cases where people become pathologically needy and reliant on the acceptance of society, in all relationships there is an element of need required as the purpose of any relationship is a trading of commodities of some kind or another. Skills, information, conversation, love, something. As we make ourselves redundant in various ways through technology, we are cutting into our personal resources and ability to trade.
For some, they may see this as a good thing where we no longer have to rely on each other but, that same reliance is what brings a great deal of beauty into this world as well as the space for compassion and humanity to flourish. If we no longer need each other for anything, we no longer need be grateful or say thank you, we no longer need any relationship at all.
What happens to a community of people who only provide what they want without any in the community requiring it? What happens to a community that no longer considers each other but is only interested in having individual needs met? A community by definition is one of give and take, provision and extraction and once if that exchange of thought, ideas and discussions to approach things together doesn't take place, the community no longer serves a purpose as, there is no longer a reason to engage, interact or be a part of it at all.
Do you feel needed? Do you think about what others need?
Taraz
[ a Steem original ]