The assumptions underpinning our modern economy – that we are competitive by nature, that our desires will always exceed our means – were wrong. And second, it meant that for the vast majority of our history, while we roamed the Earth as hunter-gatherers, we enjoyed more leisure time than we do today.
Lots of these things that we think we are hostage to are actually not a part of our nature.
In a 2015 YouGov survey, 37% of Britons said their work did not meaningfully contribute to the world.
In 2017, a Gallup poll of 155 counties found that only one in 10 western Europeans described themselves as engaged by their jobs.
Though labour productivity has increased roughly four- or five-fold in industrialised nations since post-WWII, average weekly working hours have remained stubborn at just under 40 hours a week.
A recent report by Tax Justice found that Britons think accumulating wealth is positive and morally right, and are broadly supportive of the ultra-rich, believing them to have been rewarded for sacrifice and ambition.
We now spend most of our energy doing utterly pointless things” – which is damaging not only to our health but to that of the planet through emissions.
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