An obsession with work is a colonial, patriarchal, and capitalist construct.

As such, the anti-work movement is an important part of decolonization, feminism, and anti-capitalism.

By anti-work, I don’t mean that no one ever works. That’s preposterous of course. There are things that need to get done, and people need to do them.

But this obsession with hard work as a virtue, as a good and righteous thing to do, the glorification of toil and sweat and labor… that’s a tool the wealthy who don’t work for a living use to oppress those who do.

If you grew up in a capitalist society (ie. everyone), that mindset is deeply indoctrinated in you basically from birth.

The indoctrination of work

Asking kindergartners what they want to be when they grow up is weird, if you really think about it.

Because we don’t mean…

What kind of person do you want to be?

We mean…

What kind of labor do you want to do?

At five years old. That’s weird!

It’s hard to unlearn this fetishization of labor. It sinks its roots deep into your brain.

Do less. Have more.

The truth is, without the “need” for never ending growth and manufactured consumption under capitalism, we could all work much, much less and have a better quality of life.

If we put the labor that we do participate in towards making sure everyone was housed and clothed and fed and healthy, we would have a happier, healthier society.

This isn’t a utopian fantasy.

Pre-colonization, many indigenous societies operated like this. Egalitarian divisions of labor. Growth balanced with the needs of society and the environment. A focus on the many over the few.

Not all indigenous societies, of course. And humans being humans, pre-colonial cultures had their own problems to contend with.

But the idea that “this would never work” is patently absurd. It already has. We destroyed it!

What I want

I want to live in a world where everyone has…

• Delicious food
• A safe and inviting home
• Comfortable clothes they feel good in
• Access to healthcare whenever they need it
• Ample time for leisure and pursuits of passion
• The opportunity to contribute to the betterment of society
• The freedom to opt-out

I don’t think any of this is particularly radical, either.

That our brains often reflexively think these are radical, far-out ideas is proof that the brainwashing we’re all subjected to by the rich under capitalism has been wildly successful.