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#1 Podcast on "Total Work": As you can tell from these very reads, I've shared quite a bit of Andrew Taggart's writing over the last year on total work and our modern crisis (my view) of our relationship with work. I had a conversation with him about his own approach to work and life as well as his views on how to overcome "total work" in our own lives. Check out the episode and links to download here
#2 Platforms & Freelancers: This essay from the European Freelancers Movement was quite thoughtful (in contrast to a lot of the articles on the gig economy from the US) and poses a good central thought: "We shouldn’t complain that Uber drivers don’t receive full-time benefits; we should reconsider why benefits and security come attached only to full-time jobs."
#3 Solitude: As I'm now living in a country where I cannot read or speak the native language, I've been thinking a lot about solitude. I stumbled again upon this article from the Atlantic:
"When people remove themselves from the social context of their lives, they are better able to see how they’re shaped by that context."
However, the article also argues that there is a thin line between solitude and loneliness. In addition, the article argues that a society that runs away from solitude seeks comfort in identifying as part of groups (ahem, politics). Perhaps we need a bit more solitude and a little less political ideology. Solitude sounds like hard work:
"The difference between solitude as rejuvenation and solitude as suffering is the quality of self-reflection that one can generate while in it, and the ability to come back to social groups when one wants to."
#4 Renting vs. Owning: When I tell people I have little to no interest in owning a home, I get one of two reactions. A calm "yeah, I'm on board," or a deep stare trying to determine if I am insane. Khe Hy writes a good summary of some of the hidden benefits of renting.
#5 Running Away: This beautiful essay by Sophie Kleeman highlights the feelings of leaving a life that makes sense: "It made perfect sense in my mind, but it felt as though most of the people around me were baffled. Friends wondered what would happen once I got back. The explanations I gave my boyfriend were never enough. My bosses asked if I was sure. Everyone wanted answers, but they didn’t seem to grasp that I did, too."
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