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bonoboTPtoday at 7:39 PM1 replyview on HN

No. The "only value" is the one that people decide to give you, based on their choice. This can be coordinated via taxation and redistribution, but it's still paid from someone to you. Someone has to decide that you doing this thing is something that they like so much that they pay you a token, which you can use to redeem useful work from other citizens, such as repairing you car, or remodeling your bathroom.

Many many people enjoy various things in life, such as eating nice meals (quite spiritual to do it in good mood in friends' circle), go camping, or play music. But they don't get paid to do this.

It's very simple to understand. It doesn't depend on deserve. It depends on a concrete person or group of persons having to specifically decide that you get things in return to your time (such as your washing machine repaired, or getting petrol at the gas station) for your efforts at something that they appreciate. It's not God who gives you these things. It's not the universe and it's not Mother Nature. It's concrete people. You have to think about how what you do is actually appreciated by concrete people. You have to do something that people appreciate, whether you agree with their assessment of appreciation or not, it will be that way. You can't simply expect people to give you gas at the gas station simply because you yourself appreciate your own way of spending your time.


Replies

pillefitztoday at 8:45 PM

Not everything in life is a transactional zero-sum game. We as society can afford people to work on beauty, without anything else in return. I'd even argue that this should be one of mankind's ultimate goals.

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