Matthew B. Crawford is the author of the upcoming book Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry Into the Value of Work, as well as this fascinating essay in The New York Times.The essay is an exploration of his careers, jobs, trades, and missions. Crawford holds a Ph.D. in political philosophy from a prestigious university and is currently employed as a motorcycle mechanic. He contrasts the unreality of work in the information age with the objective physical realities of manual trades. Success is less subjective and more tangible when repairing a motorcycle.
This is not your typical I-was-dying-in-my-cubicle story. Crawford is writing about the need to do important, or at least useful things; tasks that make the world a better place, even in a very small way.
I went through a phase like that during, well, most of my life, I suppose. But I've outgrown it. Now I only care about getting a paycheck, whether or not the work is consequential. I'm more Tyler Durden than Matthew Crawford.
Well, maybe not Tyler Durden. I don't seek to sabotage society; I just don't care about it. Still, I can understand Crawford's point of view and the mental space that he presently occupies. And it's always a good idea to learn a trade, anyway.HT: Arts Journal
2 comments:
In my work, I do a lot of "tinkering" around in a digital world. I can rely on my simulation programs to be close enough to real life to do a lot of "work" in a virtual world. I find this just as satisfying as any trade work. I think it has more to do with whether what somebody is doing is activating the brains reward system to release the chemicals that signal a "feel good" response.
I suppose it can be fun to fix my car. And for it to function after I'm done. That can have a satisfying feel.
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