Let’s begin the week by admitting what far too many of us already know, but rarely say out loud.

Much of today’s employment consists of bullsh*t jobs and work that consumes our attention without nourishing anything human in return.

This is not simply a case of having a case of the Garfields or a personal aversion to alarm clocks after a relaxing weekend, although Mondays have repeatedly been shown to be the peak of the week for anxiety, lowered mood, and even acute health events (Chandola et al., 2025).

The late anthropologist David Graeber gave the phenomenon a name when he defined roles that even the people performing them believe should not exist as "bullsh*t jobs." In his research and public lectures, Graeber described a striking pattern where people would admit, when asked privately, that their work didn't contribute anything meaningful to society. What he discovered was that many of us feel that our labor is pointless if not actively obstructive.

What Graeber observed was not laziness or entitlement. Many of the workers who responded to his surveys were highly educated, conscientious, and well paid. Their distress came from a sense that their working hours were being traded for nothing real.

It has been years since Graeber’s original work, but there is little reason to believe the situation has improved. If anything, it has hardened to a chronic crisis of purpose.

Just look at how Gallup’s most recent global data shows that only 21 percent of employees feel engaged at........

© Psychology Today