So much of what's heavily moralized as effort is just what people *are* when they're able-bodied enough and mentally well enough tbh. It's why I call wages a subsidy for abled people, because working is something abled people do when left to their own devices--and often put more effort into than they are paid for, a well-known phenomenon that puzzled Marx and others. That paradox of work is neatly solved when you realize that work is not just an economic transaction but part of the ways many people exist and relate.
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L.J. is reading the Daodejing (ljwrites@rage.love)'s status on Monday, 27-Mar-2023 07:32:06 JST L.J. is reading the Daodejing -
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L.J. is reading the Daodejing (ljwrites@rage.love)'s status on Monday, 27-Mar-2023 07:32:07 JST L.J. is reading the Daodejing For me the essence of wuwei (無爲) in the #Daodejing is not literally "doing nothing," but rather acknowledging the reality that a lot of things in life are not brought about by virtuous, heroic effort but part of the way things are. Like, you got a university education and a well-paid job? Good for you. Chances are, though, that your background and privileges set you up for success and it's not anything special you did. It's therefore worth it to remember that meritocracy is a construct that upholds the status quo, and to avoid the trap of thinking your fortunes are morally mandated results. #Taoism
Valerie Aurora repeated this.
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