If we assume the best in people, we can radically redesign our democracy and welfare states.
Rutger BregmanRead
Employees have been worrying about the rising tide of automation for 200 years now, and for 200 years employers have been assuring them that new jobs will naturally materialize to take their place.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the ongoing concern about automation replacing jobs while emphasizing the historical reassurance from employers about job creation.
Rutger Bregman's quote reflects the long-standing anxiety among employees regarding the impact of automation on their jobs. It suggests a cyclical pattern where, despite fears of job loss due to technological advancements, there has always been a belief or hope that new job opportunities will emerge to counterbalance this loss. The quote invites reflection on the evolution of work and the dynamics between technology and employment.
Themes
AutomationJobsEmploymentTechnologyChange
In practice
Example use cases
During a conference on the future of work, this quote can be used to prompt discussion on technological impacts.
More from Rutger Bregman
All quotes →Since long workdays lead to more errors, shorter workdays could reduce accidents. Overtime is deadly. Tired surgeons have been found to be more prone to slip'ups, and soldiers who get too little shuteye are more prone to miss targets.
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My hope is that the corona crisis will help bring us into a new age of cooperation and solidarity and a realization that we're in this together.
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This is what a crisis does: It makes you question the status quo. That doesn't mean that after a crisis we move into some kind of utopia. But it is an opportunity for political change.
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While it won't solve all the world's ills - and ideas such as a rent cap and more social housing are necessary in places where housing is scarce - a basic income would work like venture capital for the people.
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Believing in the good of humanity is a revolutionary act - it means that we don't need all those managers and CEO's, kings and generals. That we can trust people to govern themselves and make their own decisions.
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