An interesting observation from John Kenneth Galbraith:
“The organization man has been a subject of much sorrow. But all who weep should recall that he surrenders to organization because organization does more for him than he can do for himself….the mature corporation has the prestige which induces and encourages the individual to accept its goals in place of his own.”–The New Industrial State (1967)
So this is where the unemployed suffer hugely. Not only do they have no paychecks–after years of accepting organizational goals in place of their own, they have no goals and often, no way to create new ones. They look for work, but it is really a purpose in life that they miss most severely.
Thanks for this! Yesteryear’s bread lines were awful; silent suffering solo in today’s isolated electronic cottages, though, might just feel even worse. I’d add “co-workers” to the list of loss.