I read a statistic that really shocked me today. It’s a pretty simple one, but I think it speaks to a depth we don’t talk about enough.
The worldwide average for hours worked per year is 1,764. In the US, that number is 1,780. In South Korea, that number is 2,069.
In SK, they have a term for overworked to death — Gwarosa
In Japan, the term is Karōshi.
In China, the term is Guolaosi.
They all mean the same thing — devotion to a company to the point of death, or near it.
So, why do I bring this up under the context of cryptocurrency?
Well, I think it’s alarming to see a culture of overworking when there’s been an unstoppable proliferation of technology over the past half century. Specifically, the kind of technology that is meant to help us work less by being more efficient.
Instead, workplace productivity is declining, the average employee is less engaged, sleep deprivation is common, employees have to choose between sick days and vacation days, and worst of all wages have stagnated.
All of this is not meant to be a critique of capitalism or political divide or any of that. Instead, what I am taking aim at is how we talk about what we’re building. If we well and truly believe in a better system, I think we need to remember that there’s more to achieve than just better transactions and faster settlement.
So, it is my hope that we can reduce this unhealthy trend of working ourselves to death by continuing to improve the technology people use every day. Technology is meant to change our lives for the better, not add weight to our shoulders.
When we give people the ability to spend more time with their families and outside, instead of grinding themselves into dust, then we start to foster real innovation instead of a race to the bottom.
It’s time to fix our system in more ways than just technology. We don’t want to just offer a cure, we want to offer a better way.
I think as we continue to flirt with another recession and worldwide economic collapse, people will be looking for answers and solutions.
Blockchain is an answer. Blockchain is a solution.
The principles of decentralization aim to free humanity from what is clearly a disease. The worldwide economy is being held back by short-term thinking and archaic solutions.
So, let’s change the game.