"None of this is how the future was supposed to feel. In 1930, in a speech titled “Economic Possibilities for Our Grandchildren,” the economist [[John Maynard Keynes]] **made a famous prediction: Within a century, thanks to the growth of wealth and the advance of technology, no one would have to work more than about fifteen hours a wee**k. "The challenge would be how to fill all our newfound leisure time without going crazy. “**For the first time since his creation**,” [[John Maynard Keynes|Keynes]] told his audience, “**man will be faced with his real, his permanent problem—how to use his freedom from pressing economic cares**.” "But [[John Maynard Keynes|Keynes]] was wrong. **It turns out that when people make enough money to meet their needs, they just find new things to need and new lifestyles to aspire to**; they never quite manage to keep up with the Joneses, because whenever they’re in danger of getting close, they nominate new and better Joneses with whom to try to keep up. As a result, they work harder and harder, **and soon busyness becomes an emblem of prestige**." --- **Tags** -- [[quotes]], [[clustering-illusion]], [[effort-justification]], [[groupthink]], [[mimetic-theory]], [[peer-group-effect]], [[social-comparison-bias]], **Source** -- [[202410130434 - B - Four Thousand Weeks]]