Reflexions

Palanan, Isabella, 14^th of October 2014.

When I finished writing the “change” post I had become quite intrigued by the following question: why should I sit eight or more hours daily on this very same chair ever again? Do not get me wrong, I loved my job. Making smartphones just a fraction smarter is the easiest way to explain what I did for a living. I mean the ‘what’ side of my work was fascinating, more so if you are versed towards technology and telecom that is.  It’s rewarding to make life of many just a tiny winy bit easier. However, I am less happy of how it is done. So today I want to put it all into perspective by comparing it with the hunter-gatherers of Palanan.

Planet made from a bird's eye view.
 Kanaipang white beach at the top-left.

The Agta wake up with the rising sun. After a breakfast made of any leftover food in the house, he or she decides what he feels like doing. This depends on the conditions (e.g. tide), weather and his state of mind. Some are more into fishing, collecting shells, trapping lobsters… you name it. Some trips are as short, time to catch a 5kgs moray eel to feed the family for some days, some more than a week to gather lots of goods to trade later. Some are in groups, some alone. Or quite often whole families decide to go visit neighbours for a few nights. Once again no planning, texting or arranging. Just living a happy, fresh and mostly simple life.

After this necessarily simplified view on Hunter-Gatherer work, one can already see the major difference with office work. For example, where I was the day scheme was simple. 9 o’clock, morning meeting, today’s tasks are more or less discussed and imposed on members. I must admit proactivity has a tiny place, maybe because I am in a ‘tech’ company. So I am ‘free’ to come up with ideas for about 4% of my working time. After a discussion with a guy from the innovation department, he convinced me to invite fellow workers to meet over lunch once a month to discuss new technological ideas. As soon as I invited people for the first event, I got in return invited into my boss’s office, where he stood, looking angry. If I wanted to start a meeting with other people, and despite being outside working hours, I would need to organise something with management and HR. This of course takes months to setup, he said.  I agreed, only to realise this just meant I couldn’t do it. Apparently I needed to be free over my lunch break, to impress my boss for 18 more months. I know this is an isolated case, but what matters here aren’t the exact details but the mentality behind it all.

Here’s another instance, apparently part of my contract states that I don’t own any code I write during my time at the company. This includes naturally what I produce in the office, but strangely what’s done outside it too, even purely personal projects. Could this even be possible? I googled it today, not sure why not before. Maybe I fouled myself thinking this was just one more paper to sign, but I can tell that yes my memory is correct and yes, it can hinders the life of many. None of this felt right when I was working there. After 8 months in the wild, it still does not.

To try and make sense if this, my first reflex is to invoke Hobbes. I have given much of my freedom to the company, but in return I am entitled to superpowers right? The first which came to mind is security. What do I mean here by security? Well, working for a big company gave me the security to know that my salary is very likely to come into my bank account at the end of each month, on the 28^th to be precise. If I am sick I have a subscription to extra-public services which entitle me to a nicer room in the hospital and faster access to healthcare. All this comes in a 52 page document explaining all my entitlements. As everything is set down I am left with very little leeway. What if my disease is not on the list? What if I would like to be paid every other week? Then, too bad. What if they change the rules at a time of their convenience? Well again, nothing to do with me. Now, it is true, I am free not to take this job, but then I face all the other rules and networks which bind me to my society.

Planet made from a bird's eye view.

Let’s go back to the Hunter-gatherer perspective for a moment. I think I learned one of the most important lessons here in Palanan, where the mountain range protects the coming of roads and with it, a big part of modern society. Where some parts feels like living in the 50’s; there are no supermarkets and a big proportion of time is spent sourcing and preparing food. Some parts even feel like the 1850’s. Like the Agta’s camps without motors, water supply or electricity. They do it all with manual strength, animals, rivers, sun and moon light. But even more, the one element missing is security. They have no shoes and many poisonous snakes, no ropes and climb 30 meters trees, no food stored and unpredictable food sources. What then happens when things go astray? Most of the time, they don’t. To an extent, and through the times when I joined foraging trips, I can tell you how physically challenged I felt.  It is not that I am that unhealthy but more that they trained for this type of life. Their lifelong practice and skills goes a long way to protect people. But then, as unescapable as the finitely of life, accidents and difficult situations happen. For example, we met the first and only blind Agta of the region. His disability means he can’t do any daily activities nor provide for himself. Having an extra mouth to feed is demanding and the solution is for him to travel every now and then from one camp to another.  So the problem is solved by a strong community spirit sharing the burden.  Similarly, when a family don’t have enough food to provide for every mouth, their neighbours share their supplies. Sadly this security is not so prevalent in our communities anymore, for I believe the state and its rules are meant to replace it.

After all of these considerations, I can now come to the point of closure. But before this, I want to make it clear that, for me, freedom is never infinite as the freedom of one stops where the freedom of the other begins. Now, even if Mr Hobbes wasn’t completely wrong by stating that one must give some of his freedom in order for society to be possible at all, I am unsure of him agreeing with our present one. I understand the trade-off but it doesn’t mean I don’t feel a bit robbed under the current circumstances. I am, for example, very interested to know who really supports warlike state interventions? Or how much of our taxes we would like to see attributed for weapon design instead of school, education and health? The question of who should control the money making process is another good one to ask. As I’m pretty sure the results are contradictory to the current situation, why is it that we call our system democracy? Maybe the voice of society no longer belongs to the people. A democratic society is an equal partnership where each has the same power toward decisions, is it not possible to tend more towards this simple system?

I have now seen two opposite ways of allowing a group of individuals to live together. It’s difficult to tell which one I prefer, given the vast differences in settings, such as access to resources, healthcare, agriculture or even electricity. After these few months I am surer than ever that our system in Europe can be rethought and rehumanised.

Love to all,
Wasabi.