The Corporate Farce
Bullshit Jobs: A Theory is a 2018 book by the American anthropologist David Graeber that postulates the existence of meaningless jobs which cause psychological harm. He contends that over half of societal work is pointless and becomes psychologically destructive (when paired with a work ethic that associates work with self-worth) because workers are required to pretend their role is not as pointless or harmful as they know it to be.
I'm not alone! This idea that modern corporate work is a farce, a delusion that we all implicitly agree upon and never mention out loud, has been in the back of my mind for many years. I've always written it off as just another expression of existential angst and suburban boredom. Stumbling upon Graeber's book was incredibly validating. To me, it reads like a modern, psychological update to Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels’s theory of alienation (Entfremdung).
Let's take my own situation as a perfect example. I have a degree in philosophy and my work experience ranges from fighting illegal wars to leading global M&A transactions, with all kinds of random nonsense in between. I'm not a specialist in anything. I've landed most of my jobs because I can BS with the best of them. The gift of gab. I know the role to play in the dog and pony show. What do I actually produce? What value do I bring to these companies that hire me? Nothing. My time is the commodity.
For nearly a decade now, I've been working various corporate roles at a multinational O&G company. I make good money. I'm not filthy rich like an executive, but I do very well. Not a day goes by that I don't marvel at the fact that I haven't been laid off or fired. Why? I do absolutely nothing of value.
I'm not exaggerating. The projects run on rails. I wander around, spin in my chair, smile, and shake hands. I'll occasionally hop on a Teams call to utter the usual corporate incantations: "No, nothing on my end," or, "I'll action that and follow up." I make tea, talk about the weather, and call it a day around lunchtime.
Graeber calls the psychological toll of situations like mine "spiritual violence." He’s echoing Marx, who suggested that what makes us uniquely human, our species-essence, is our innate drive to consciously and creatively shape our world. When work is reduced to a mindless, mechanical performance just to secure a paycheck, we are stripped of that humanity.
So while the boredom might be slowly killing me, I think I avoid both Graeber's spiritual violence and Marx's alienation. Why?
My self-worth is not tied to my job.
That's the key. I've checked out. My labor is not separate from myself because I simply do not labor (beyond showing up). My job title doesn't define me and their paychecks don't control me. I wonder if it's all just a matter of perspective. Like Freddy Kruger, they can only hurt you if you fear them.