Crisis of Meaning in Work
Facing the Crisis: Society as a Game of Rules
In the contemporary work environment, we find ourselves immersed in what Yuval Noah Harari has described as the “Crisis of Meaning in Work.” This phenomenon, which is shaking the foundations of our labor and social structures, poses significant challenges for individuals and organizations alike.
Society as a Game of Rules
Society is a game of rules. As Yuval Noah Harari says, we are organized around fictions (gods, corporations, countries, money itself) that are neither objective nor subjective; they are intersubjective. They exist because we all believe in them. This is how humans manage to cooperate flexibly in large numbers. We are the only animals on the planet capable of this.
Yet, we remain herd animals. Work provides us, on the one hand, with material sustenance, but it also gives us fictional values, in the sense mentioned, such as dignity and meaning. Ultimately, from a collective point of view, it gives us belonging to a role in society. A class, a caste, an identity.
This gives us meaning. Significance and direction. When I find meaning, I know (“know”) who I am and where I am going or should go. It’s like if in a soccer game, they tell me I play as a midfielder. I already know what my place and my role are. Thus, it used to be that whoever worked was a worker. Some jobs were called professions, distinguishing a place, a role, different in the game of society. This game is in crisis. It’s as if in that soccer game suddenly four robots enter, five people with a racket, one on horseback, and they change a goal for a hotdog stand. Meaning is in crisis. The meaning of our everyday reality is crumbling, revealing that it is nothing more than fiction. This occasionally happens. It happened in the industrial revolution. We struggle to deal with these voids of meaning. We try to reorganize, create new rules… and we wage wars.
Impact on Modern Society
The crisis of meaning in work, described by Yuval Noah Harari, is profoundly affecting modern society. We find ourselves at a moment where the old structures of work and social roles are crumbling, leaving many with a sense of emptiness and lack of purpose.
Technological Evolution and Identity
The unprecedented technological evolution we are witnessing only exacerbates this situation. With automation and artificial intelligence taking on roles previously held by humans, many people face uncertainty about their identity and purpose in the current labor world. The useless class, Harari predicts.
Existential Anguish and Meaning
It’s no surprise, then, the growth of the entertainment industry. Entertainment… being held between two moments of consciousness, of lucidity, of being present. Entertainment numbs us, dulls us. In this sense, it’s dangerous and addictive. Until 200 years ago, peoples fulfilled functions of workforce and army (wars were everyday occurrences). Today, both of these are increasingly taken care of by technology. Robots, AI, IoT, etc. The question is, who am I? It’s not a new question, it’s millennia old. But the context puts it back in the spotlight.
After the industrial revolution, we achieved unprecedented levels of productivity and well-being (or, rather, comfort). In that process, everything is reduced to one indicator: profitability. How does this or that contribute to the bottom line? It made sense. But this meaning is also in crisis, which is why B corporations emerge; this is what the new generations express. They are searches for something more.
All this generates anguish. A well existential anguish. Who am I? Are we perhaps homo economicus? Cogs in a productive machinery? What is the meaning of life?
In the pursuit of productivity and efficiency, we have forgotten the why.
Why do we work?
To produce.
Why do we produce?
To consume.
Why do we consume?
Generally, to achieve a peak of dopamine, of instant pleasure.
But we have forgotten inner development, the pursuit of happiness (not pleasure), the growth of consciousness. We have put productivity in the center, the client in the center… we have taken ourselves out of the scene. Because, let’s be clear, when we say the client, we are not referring to anything other than the subject of consumption and the next transaction of goods or services for legal tender.
The Search for True Purpose
In the face of this panorama, we need to recover freedom (existential), autonomy, fullness, and evolutionary purpose. We need to be people who play, love, grow, suffer, connect, evolve, cry, laugh, create, believe, develop, and yes, produce. It is crucial to reflect on our motivations and deepest aspirations. Who are we beyond our job roles? What truly drives us in life? These existential questions take on new relevance in a context where work no longer provides the same sense of identity and belonging as it used to.
That’s why teal companies emerge. Gandhi said: “Be the change you want to see in the world.” So, to work with people, we have to start with ourselves. Evidence of this direction in the business world includes the inclusion of mindfulness, wellness programs, the rise of conscious leadership, the leader as a coach, B corporations, the foregrounding of the organization’s purpose. Leadership ceases to be technical and becomes empathetic. To be a leader, one must look at oneself before others. Ready for the journey?
A Transformative Future: The Importance of Purpose in HR Performance
At HR Performance, we understand the importance of addressing this crisis of meaning in work. Our recruitment, coaching, and personal development services are designed to help people find meaning and purpose in their careers. We believe that by reconnecting with our true passions and values, we can transcend the limitations imposed by traditional work structures and create a more satisfying and meaningful future for all.
Join us in this exploration of the crisis of meaning in work and discover how we can transform this adversity into an opportunity for personal and professional growth.
CEO and Founder of HR Performance
