Are you in a relationship? Why? What is your reasoning for choosing to be with someone? Is it to satisfy your needs, theirs, or an exchange? Do you want to be with someone completely independent or, would you want them to need you for something? Do you feel indispensable or expendable?
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In the morning I had a lesson with a client and as often is the case with many of my particular customers, the future of employment and opportunities as automation of tasks is a pretty big component of what they do. We discussed many things including provided income and he asked the question, "What would you do if you didn't have to do anything?" I like this question a lot but, there is a more important question that is rarely considered.
What would you do if all you did, didn't feel needed by anyone?
I find this question very interesting in regards to the relationships we form and our wider community as a result because as we are replaced by automation, what we do becomes increasingly less needed. Even though this frees us to do essentially what we want, does this mean that we start to drift apart from the social contracts between each other where we essentially trade our resources for other's resources?
For example, I am a husband and a father and a large part of my experience is providing for my family and even though I can be replaced, while I am there it gives me purpose in many facets of what I do. What happens if I don't need to earn for my family or, hold my sick daughter as she cries at night? What happens if my wife prefers her online social life to talking to me or, what about the sexbots that are increasingly being publicized?
If all of mine and all of my family's needs are met without us needing to do anything together or work for them, what happens? Even though what I do can be satisfying for me and I can choose and improve however I want, what happens when I recognize that no matter what I do, no one needs what I have to offer as, all of their needs are met too?
Have you thought about this much? Everyone wants to be independent but, what happens if we are completely independent as what we used to trade in relationships is no longer required from us as a machine can do it better? Do we feel fulfilled, is there meaning in anything we do or does the pleasure of doing become the only reason, a hedonists dream?
A large part of our feedback system is based on social confirmation, praise for a job well done and acceptance. Even though these things have been taken to extremes in many cases where people become pathologically needy and reliant on the acceptance of society, in all relationships there is an element of need required as the purpose of any relationship is a trading of commodities of some kind or another. Skills, information, conversation, love, something. As we make ourselves redundant in various ways through technology, we are cutting into our personal resources and ability to trade.
For some, they may see this as a good thing where we no longer have to rely on each other but, that same reliance is what brings a great deal of beauty into this world as well as the space for compassion and humanity to flourish. If we no longer need each other for anything, we no longer need be grateful or say thank you, we no longer need any relationship at all.
What happens to a community of people who only provide what they want without any in the community requiring it? What happens to a community that no longer considers each other but is only interested in having individual needs met? A community by definition is one of give and take, provision and extraction and once if that exchange of thought, ideas and discussions to approach things together doesn't take place, the community no longer serves a purpose as, there is no longer a reason to engage, interact or be a part of it at all.
Do you feel needed? Do you think about what others need?
Taraz
[ a Steem original ]
The more I think about this...
•What would you do if all you did, didn't feel needed by anyone?
The more I want to be needed and wanted. The more calling myself a loner doesn't even make sense 😵
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Only when you get what you wish may you realise what you miss.
Everyone wants to feel needed. Look at relationships where one side is completely independent, as you say, or at least tries - they usually don't work because the other part feels like crap. They equate love with need.
I think most of us do, I mean, I know I do. You don't want to feel not needed, because that means you're easily replaceable, at least in your head.
Besides, a lot of our relationships are based on an exchange of sorts. I'm not saying you don't care about your friends/family, but they give you something - they listen to you, they give security, love, support.
And you give something in exchange. If you don't need anything from you, then all I'm left with is your love. And how reliable is that?
There is always a return. perhaps it is cause and effect as energy pushed one way will eventually meet resistance and form a relationship with something else. Maybe our relationships are the energy that drives us and without them our energy doesn't meet the resistance required to do something of value.
People need each other in relationships. There wouldn't be fulfillment if there is no exchange on interactions.
This is slowly happening to our world. the bottom 60% so of workings are being pushed out of the way by better efficiently and automation. Soon we will not be able to exchange work for pay and will not be needed. but what then? does the top 40% support the former workers. If a massive portion of the world is no longer needed as workers then we will eventually, will fall into even further economic downfall and will again rely on support (money, food, shelter) just to survive.
it can be a scary thought. Just as waking up and finding that my son no longer needs a father of my wife a husband or my employer no longer needs a worker. Even if I can fill my other needs of food, shelter ect... I would still feel an emptiness if I could no longer be a supportive part of somebodies life. All this reminds me of a saying on a TV show I use to watch "If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy"
@deadmoonwrites The impending transition that you refer to is intriguing to contemplate. In my view, it is simply a continuation of the process beginning many thousands of years ago when hunter-and-gatherer societies became more agrarian. The further evolution of humans involves greater and greater amounts of leisure, with simpler tasks becoming automated by technology. I do not believe this implies mass unemployment, or the need for the working class to rely upon the upper class. Instead, it signifies a paradigm shift in which
The wealth of the entire planet "increases" in a manner which will eventually obsolete poverty [as we know it presently] due to the fact that there will be so much abundance.
Individuals, families, and organizations will have much greater ability to pursue that which they are passionate about without so much fear of financial failure.
The world becomes gradually more humanitarian and there is a growing consciousness that "We're all on the same team" which allows people to be of even greater service to each other.
In short, I believe that while there will be many growing pains as much of our labor becomes able to be performed by robots and other automatons, humans will have the chance to become greater visionaries, leaders, thinkers, and faithful stewards of a beautiful planet which we have often taken for granted and/or mistreated. There will always be a way for people to be useful and helpful. We will all discover new skills and talents previously unknown as our lives change drastically over the next century.
P.S. Important to mention is the pressure inherent in this change. Humans must discover and embrace our competitive advantage over machines. That does mean that, in general, low-skill labor becomes depreciated in value. In order to compensate for this, we must develop much better education to cultivate the inherent genius of every human being. Right now, much "education" is mere propaganda and enslavement. Here's an article that presents an interesting take on the Economic and Social Consequences of Robotization written in 2016.
While I agree with this it is the 'paradigm shift' that is going to cause the largest hurdle due to well, humans and their penchant for greed. However, it is also possible that an AI could create an argument and simulation so compelling that almost no matter who one is, the shift would be possible. It doesn't take all to understand, just a super majority perhaps.
As much as I want freedom to do 'as I please', I also have the view that a life of purpose is constrained by responsibility and there is no greater than understanding the self enough to realize it requires building healthy relationships with others.
On the female side is mostly for security on their future why they want to marry. But attraction to the physical appearance drives men to get the women they want. When those factors begin to fade , relationship also begins to crumble.
Building relationships on looks is a losing game and always will be in the long-term. Everything changes.
My mum would say don't make your presence to be notice just make your absence to be felt! That's has always been my watchword but this post open my eyes to the fact that it can comes to the extent your absence won't be felt at all. What if it comes to that? Will everything still matters? Hmmmmmm still thinking......
I do not know. For some at first it may feel like freedom but in time?
I do not know. For
Some at first it may feel like
Freedom but in time?
- tarazkp
I'm a bot. I detect haiku.
This is hard to answer because scarcely any of us have experience of being utterly unneeded. There are different levels of resource trading in different types of relationships. Intimate relationships between the sexes are very much driven by our instincts to be about resource trading. A woman trades her youth, health, of which her beauty are indicators, for resources provided by a man in the form of labor, status and so on. Male-female relationships tend to be rewarding but also complicated and very consuming.
The simplest type of relationship is a good conversation with a stranger you will never meet again. Some of those relationships can have very high return on investment. The only investment may be a bit of time that very would very often be completely wasted on the phone anyway. No drama, no conflict, no potential fallout.
I agree but, are they fulfilling enough long-term to satisfy the needs? Will it be a driving force or a point of interest? It is an interesting question I think because as I see it, we need each other but if in some future we are fooled into thinking we do not, we may all live isolated in a group, none happy but none willing to make concession for others as that would mean conflict and a reduction of pleasure.
I don't think that kind of relationships can fulfill all our social needs. Not by any means. And I also agree that that scenario you present seems quite likely.
Very deep question. I've thought about this on all fronts. The truth is that man is wired to never stay in isolation and that no matter how independent we say we are, we would always need someone.
No wonder we were not made one person per planet.
So back to the question, we keep doing what we need to do, someone out there is dying to meet you even if people around don't seem to need your services.
Now but, at what point are my skills no longer able to compete with or improve those of machines?
The moment we stop improving, the moment we stop developing and creating alternative solutions to ever dynamic challenges of life..
They say human men can be made obsolete in around 10 years which is an interesting thought . The female of the species will be able to obtain whatever she needs from all you said above and everything required to reproduce. So there will be no need for us. So we ought to be a little bit nicer to the opposite sex and slow down the AI technology!
On the community aspect .
I live in Ireland and a great deal of social interaction hasn't gone down hill yet. The pub at night is still a pillar of our community and we all get together to have a laugh and a good craic or laugh that you cannot replace with anything. The local retailers are all a bit poorer from ebay and amazon but we get by. The other night we were at a table quiz for the local football team. They were raffling off spot prizes. Really lousy spot prizes like a tin of biscuits. One young guy won a football and then he won a football pump. Everyone was crying laughing. The guy giving out the prizes won the best prize and the pub exploded in expletives which was hilarious. You cannot replace this kind of social experience. The new world laughs less and loneliness creeps in quietly.
Until, it is replaced as a generation, two, three, four from now are slowly lured away by the ever increasing and improving experiences that can replicate the emotions without the feelings of being unfairly treated by an unscrupulous raffler :D
😂😂😂
I think this period in existence will mark the beginning of the end. A period in time where the human life becomes worthless. This, in my opinion, is inevitable. However, thinking about this deeply, man cannot exist in a void, thus, if we eventually reach this period in time I think humans will create new set of problems for themselves. How this will be done I am not sure.
To the question: what will happen if one is no longer needed? Well, We've seen examples when people lose their jobs and feel no longer needed in the society. They opt for some form of gratification: drugs, gambling etc. This goes to support my point which is that a life cannot exist in a void, something must fill up the space.
Despite what we say, we need conflict and complication, problems to solve. The issue is that as the crush continues, less and less are able to solve the problems we face until some point, nothing can be done.
I think that on a deeper level than resource accumulation and trading, humans have needs that only other humans can provide.
A deep connection and social understanding of one another cannot be replaced by an automated machine of any kind.
Though AI may one day be able to think and adapt for itself, it will likely run on an algorithm of response to likely scenarios. Can it really replace that deep "human to human" interaction? Only time will tell.
Great read, I love the concept that you presented here!
It may not need to actually replace it, just reframe what it means to have a deep connection. That way, it can sculpt a human to respond to what it is capable to do perhaps. We may not actually be fulfilled but, we might think we are. Just another life of illusion :)
You are welcome
This is deep, and interestingly enough, it may be possible in the future. A different frame of thinking may be all some people will need! Great follow up!
To the question in your title, my Magic 8-Ball says:
Hi! I'm a bot, and this answer was posted automatically. Check this post out for more information.
Lol
Sometimes our needs can get fulfilled we can do everything but I really don't know how to express it in words but some people are irreplaceable they have a special place in your heart .
You got a 39.53% upvote from @ocdb courtesy of @tarazkp!