This is a hard concept for many, including me. But here it is: as we move toward a future where autonomous workers provide us a life of abundance and freedom, most will lose their jobs. That’s… the point?

As a 46-year-old in tech with a family to provide for, I stress about this a lot (ask my wife). It’s basically my sole source of anxiety and I can’t shake it.

I am supposed to continue making an income for at least 20 years.

(Probably more like 30 or 40 years thanks to the financially-incompetent people at every level of government borrowing and spending like drunken idiots with no ability to run balanced budgets, a subject for another post.)

But I also can see my role (perhaps entire departments like B2B marketing!) being totally obsoleted before then.

On the one hand: AWESOME!!!

I am SO excited for technology to liberate humans from the necessities of generating an income to provide a life for themselves and their dependents.

Especially energy abundance, which, when it comes, will do wondrous things for our species. Once we have limitless energy, much will change and, I believe, for the better.

On the other hand: F&$%!!!!

I am SO terrified that all of the benefits will flow to the top and leave 99% of humanity (incl me) with no ability to provide a life for themselves and their dependents.

Regardless, I have to soldier on. As does everyone else in a position of needing to provide for themselves and others.

Every day, I read about more layoffs in my industry. I know what it’s like to be laid off. In the past, when RIFs were about fat trimming, I used to be more simple about this:

don’t be the fat, and you won’t get cut.

But now, I am a believer that this is it. Things have truly changed. I might actually live to see the “end of work” in my lifetime. (!!!)

And so now I am more empathetic as this isn’t:

“Lose your cushy job at CompanyX, take a vacation, enter free agency, get a new cushy job at CompanyY”

but more:

“Lose your cushy job at CompanyX and that’s it because your role is being obsoleted across all companies in the industry and due to <isms> you’re not likely to get a new one”

And that’s an entire bottle of hard-to-swallow pills.

So hey, do what you can, while you can, to stay in the game.

Continue to refine your skills, stay on the front edge of the curve.

Keep your sword as sharp as a lightsaber.

Because it’s coming for you, for me, eventually, for us all.

And given how things are trending now, it’s not going to be a very fun ride for most of us.