Incentive to do... Anything at all in the 'Trek universe.

[Graham Kennedy]

What we have seen once or twice is people who are basically a bit useless... try things, fail, move on, come up with schemes and plans but never really accomplish much. Bashir's dad was like that, and I imagine most "lazy" people are something along those lines. Don't sit home all day, do something but just don't do it too well.

[Mikey]

As I had mentioned, the difference in this scenario between profession and avocation is essentially non-existent; in the situation we're discussing, people would have the ability to take what they would do in their "down time" and pursue it to its fullest and most useful end without having to worry about their "real" job to provide a means of support.

[Teaos]

I see no reason why people would do work in the future when so many people now are happy to do nothing.

[Mikey]

Well there are a lot of people who are pretty unhappy about doing nothing, also.

[Graham Kennedy]

I see no reason why people would do work in the future when so many people now are happy to do nothing.

Are there really, though? How many people actually do nothing, all the time? Not too many I'll wager. There may be people who have no job for a very long time, but I bet they will have hobbies, interests.

One of the huge differences in Trek, assuming this is actually how it works, is not just that you only work if you want to; it's that if you do choose to work, you can do whatever you like. How many people would still sit home and do nothing if they could do their hobby as a job, working with other people who all loved it too and wanted to be there and do it really well?

For instance, if I lived in the Federation I'd probably become a web designer. I'd work up a Babylon 5 site... a Battlestar Galactica site... a Space : Above and Beyond site... you name it. And the thought that I might go to work in some office somewhere with a whole bunch of other sci-fi nerds and just spend my days chatting about sci-fi while working up websites... sign me up, I'd do that in a heartbeat.

[stitch626]

Kinda like me and teaching. I'm certainly not becoming a teacher for the money.

[Teaos]

Are there really, though? How many people actually do nothing, all the time? Not too many I'll wager. There may be people who have no job for a very long time, but I bet they will have hobbies, interests.

Firstly we have to define "nothing" since everything is something.

But I know probably over a dozen people who are on the benifit and do nothgin but sit at home and watch the TV or be on the computer. And I know of lots more through friends. I guess its the people you know. Most people here are professionals thus hang out with others in the same class.

I sued to work in a lower class area and thus know lots of useless people, people who choose to do nothing.

[stitch626]

Firstly we have to define "nothing" since everything is something.

Even nothing is something, which is paradoxical... but that's besides the point.
Don't we love the English language.

I feel that doing nothing would get really old really fast, but that's just my opinion.

[Aaron]

Firstly we have to define "nothing" since everything is something.

But I know probably over a dozen people who are on the benifit and do nothgin but sit at home and watch the TV or be on the computer. And I know of lots more through friends. I guess its the people you know. Most people here are professionals thus hang out with others in the same class.

I sued to work in a lower class area and thus know lots of useless people, people who choose to do nothing.

It seems that this only applies to Earth anyways. We've seen a fair number of colonies and a few member worlds (Vulcan, Risa) where people do have to work (really a colony wouldn't be able to survive without everyone pulling their own weight) and their not doing things like running a restuarant on a planet where food appears to be free.

In RL I know a fair number of people that are on disability through Veterans Affairs (myself included) and everyone does something, usually engaged in a hobby of some sort. A few guys work part-time or run a small business. Even the families on assistance here in town do something, volunteer usually. Seeing as there's little paying work here.

[Mikey]

That was exactly my point - even if someone doesn't have a "job" as we think of it, they would be able to devote themselves to an avocation or hobby full-time and actually have it become useful, without having to worry about fitting it in around their "job."

[Aaron]

That was exactly my point - even if someone doesn't have a "job" as we think of it, they would be able to devote themselves to an avocation or hobby full-time and actually have it become useful, without having to worry about fitting it in around their "job."

Yes at this point (where Earth itself is concerned) we're arguing semantics, job, hobby whatever you choose to call it. It's likely the same thing. As you yourself pointed out, after a while of doing "nothing" you'd start to go stir crazy.

[Duskofdead]

Are there really, though? How many people actually do nothing, all the time? Not too many I'll wager. There may be people who have no job for a very long time, but I bet they will have hobbies, interests.

Firstly we have to define "nothing" since everything is something.

But I know probably over a dozen people who are on the benifit and do nothgin but sit at home and watch the TV or be on the computer. And I know of lots more through friends. I guess its the people you know. Most people here are professionals thus hang out with others in the same class.

I sued to work in a lower class area and thus know lots of useless people, people who choose to do nothing.

So what if, in the future, you could think up 10,000 ways that "watching TV and being on the computer" could be put to some kind of constructive, enjoyable use? And so could your friends' families, and you all nudged them to do so? That seems to be the way Trek has resolved "unemployment" or "refusal to work." Most people in the Federation do not seem to regard what they do as drudgery. (That's what EMH's are for-- mine my dilithium, baby.)

I think the core given about our own present-day society that you're missing, Teaos, is that things are not paying jobs only based on having a meaningful or practical use. Things are paying jobs only if a market economy supports them being such. Why do good TV shows get dropped and crap ones stay on the air? Ratings, sale of commercial airtime, sponsorships. The people making TV shows are a business and need to make money. So what if they didn't need to make money? A lot of people would pursue a 'passion' if it wasn't a "pipedream" or "you can't make any real money doing that." So what happens when you take money out of the equation? You'd have a lot more motivated people. We don't have a perfect society, far from. The list of things you can "make money" doing is actually quite narrow. It all basically involves supplying a good or a service to substantial numbers of other people who need that good or service, or want it. There are thousands of abilities or skills or areas of interest which could move us forward but no one is perhaps willing to shell out money for.

Look at Jake... the kid was useless. He laid around all day people watching on the station. And that led fluidly into reporting. In today's society no such person would become a reporter, you have to be a pretty damn motivated and ambitious and aggressive person to cut it as a journalist. That is changing with blogging and such -- one of the ways we are moving more towards a "Federation like future" is the internet. People can use their free time to create or engage in something in a relatively inexpensive medium-- free, sometimes. Look at how much time all of us spend here discussing issues, not getting paid for it. Well, what if Societal Studies of the Federation approached us all and asked us to continue what we're doing as a think tank? Or the University of Betazed wanted us to continue as a model for personality conflict or conflict resolution?

[Mikey]

I'm game - what are they paying?

[Duskofdead]

I'm game - what are they paying?

A bullet point on your resume that you did work in psychological social studies for UB?

[Mikey]

Great - one more psych evaluation to add to the list.