The Pie of the Unknown

Division of labor has probably destroyed some degree of robustness in men and women. It has allowed creation of a world for everyone, where people produce something very specific and take for granted, everything else. That everything else is the incalculable variety of fields and the scale of benefits that come from others' labor. As we know, the narrower things get, the more fragile they become. As the pie of the division of labor became narrower, the pie of the unknown for an individual became larger. Only in such complex societies can one imagine basic necessities become thriving recreational businesses such as workshops to build a hut, to grow a garden, to cook food. We all know the benefits of division of labor and have adopted this lifestyle but nevertheless, it would be interesting to ponder about the disadvantages of division of labor and try to devise a better way forward.

Back in the days when division of labor was limited to local and obvious skills, there still was ample opportunity for men to empathise and see the exploits of other professions. Men used to get a fairly 360 degree view of what it takes to live on this earth. In primitive worlds there was less information to assimilate and more scope to imagine (as is evident in the vivid imagination of prehistoric texts). And in spite of it, men did not naturally expect their means to exponentially grow in order to satisfy their needs (note that the concept of 'needs' has become a subjective term and is not limited to existential needs anymore).

Mutual benefiting from each other's skill is naturally efficient, however we also need to be aware of the exploits happening in other professions. Remember, we have one earth and we have to earn every pleasure we want sanely. It is because we can't do it all ourselves, we take the benefit from others' produce and professions, by fair trade. On a deserted island, one would have to work and earn every meal. But there, one would not exploit one particular resource in order to exponentially and disproportionately earn short term benefits.

Rather than compartmentalised thinking, we need more 'systemic' thinking (the system here being the earth). Think of the whole, like a CEO of the world would, not a mere cog in the wheel who has less or no control over the direction the organisation is taking. Ask questions about the whole system even as, you specialise in your niche field. As the world gets more complex, let's not just create more niche professions but also encourage every man to think of the whole. Don't let the labor of thinking about the whole be delegated only to ivory tower intellectuals. Keep and enhance the habit of thinking fully and living and self sufficiently.