Comment:

Orb Twofeather is an insightful person, at times. That's why they're a good spouse and a good teacher. They definitely value being a good spouse over being a good teacher, though they do take both roles seriously.

I think we've all experienced the situation of trying to do something nice for someone or trying to help them with their work, only to inadvertently make more work for them. It sucks, doesn't it? Trying to be a boon, trying to be an asset, trying to be a diligent worker or a generous lover or a helpful friend or a spontaneously creative wellspring of joy, and just winding up as a chore that someone else has to mop up. You almost wish they would get mad, don't you, rather than just seeing them calmly clean up your mistake and reassure you that it's fine? At least then you could withstand a yelling and feel properly bad, rather than just internally punishing yourself.

Our society has a preoccupation with being of value to society, a preoccupation that is as malleable as it is pervasive. Conservative types love to insist that they're hard workers who pay taxes, and that therefore tax money mustn't be wasted on layabouts who can't be bothered to do likewise (while, strangely, not idolizing poor people with multiple jobs, nor criticizing wealthy people whose income comes entirely from investments (and I don't care how closely you manage your portfolio, owning something is not a job)). Similarly, lefty types love to insist that they, of course, are the actual workers - the proletariat whose labour is being exploited and who deserve to own and control the means of its production (often while also insisting that the drive to wring productivity out of humans is some sort of capitalist plot, completely unrelated to this exaltation of labour).

Much like "middle class", "working class" is a term that far more people apply to themselves without thinking than who actually fit the dictionary definition, and therefore they reassure themselves that politicians were talking about them, just now. After all, there's someone above you and someone below you, so you must be in the middle, right? You do hard work, and you have what success you have because of that work, therefore you're a worker, right?

Are you of value to society? Has society, as a whole, benefited from your existence? Do you want to be of benefit to society? Would a politician pose alongside you, proudly proclaiming that hard-working folks like you are what make your designated electoral area great? Have you produced more than you've consumed? Have you helped more than you've harmed? Does your answer change, depending on how we tweak the radius of "society"?

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HIGAI Show

Transcript:

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0406– 2167/07/07/12:11 - Orb’s office
OT [electronic communication]: So why are you really here, Bastacia?
BM [electronic communication]: Can it not just be that I’m bringing you lunch and I want to suck your dick?
OT [electronic communication]: It can be that, sure.
OT [electronic communication]: But we’re married and “married” means communication.
OT [electronic communication]: So why are you really here, Bas? Really?
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BM [electronic communication]: Can it not just be about me sucking your dick?
OT [electronic communication]: Oh, I have no doubt you do want to suck my dick, you’ve demonstrated your appetite in that regard quite definitively over the years. I also know it’s a comfort and loneliness thing, and I also know that you don’t typically get that kind of lonely in the middle of a work day.
OT [electronic communication]: Also, if we wanted special lunches (with or without sex) to become a more regular occurrence, I could, in theory, do that, but that would require me to completely redo my work schedule, so I’d rather confront your emotional needs, if you don’t mind. Less paperwork.
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BM [electronic communication]: I’m fine. I’m sorry you cancelled out a class early. I didn’t mean to make you do that.
OT [electronic communication]: It’s okay, babe, you know I’d do it for you any time. You’re worth it.
BM [electronic communication]: Yeah, but I don’t want you to compromise your career on my behalf! That’s the opposite of what I want to do!
OT [electronic communication]: The opposite?
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BM [electronic communication]: You may not have caught this part of the conversation, but I did kinda tell your boss that I support you, that my support helps you be a better teacher, and that’s why I feel like I contribute something to society.
OT [electronic communication]: Ah, of course, society. I should have figured this was all society’s fault, once again.
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