Resisting Serfdom

The next big wave of career path: directly serving the ultra-rich.

Are we going to pretend that this is not already happening? That we all are already serving the ultra rich?

Amazon’s founder Jeff Bezos said it best when he sent his rocket into space; that it was only possible because of the billions of customers spending billions of dollars on products off of Amazon.

We are the machines in their capitalistic playground.

I am not trying to say we should overthrow the system, but I am saying that I don’t believe we need to participate. The more we do, the thinner the veil gets between the system we believe we are in and the one we actually are in: a feudal system where we are the serfs, bound to the land by crushing inescapable debt.

We need to reevaluate our values and then honestly pursue them. Most people say they value community, then refuse to join in on communal gatherings that they may spend time on their phone. Most people say they value being healthy but will not eat health foods or taker the time to move their bodies, opting instead for fast and convenient. Most will say they like to learn, but choose to mindlessly watch Netflix rather than read. Most value authenticity while using a filter on instagram. And most want financial freedom while simultaneously taking out a second mortgage to go on an unnecessary vacation.

Perhaps one of the greatest tragedies of the modern world is the chasm between stated values and lived behavior. We are self-deceived into believing we are doing our best. In reality, we have lost our integrity.

When I was a kid digging a tunnel in the snow, one of the crazy phenomenon is losing which way is up and out. The snow takes away the sensation of gravity, so by continuing to dig in one direction, what I think “out” is actually “down”.

We have lost gravity in our culture. We have lost our roots. We have lost our cultural story. Rather than seeking to find it, some will inevitably choose to serve the rich. After all, these are the winners in the current system, and in serving the winners there is security.

But security is a mirage in a system built on extraction. The ultra-rich don't need more servants; they need a stable base to keep the game running. By stepping in to clean their yachts or pick up after the dog, you're not climbing a ladder—you're reinforcing the castle walls that keep everyone else out.

The real career path isn't "serving the ultra-rich." It's reclaiming the ground beneath our feet.

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