logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2019
42m 54s

BS Jobs

Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam
About this episode
Have you ever had a job where you had to stop and ask yourself: what am I doing here? If I quit tomorrow, would anyone even notice? This week on Hidden Brain, we revisit our 2018 conversation with anthropologist David Graeber about the rise of what he calls "bullsh*t jobs," and how these positions affect the people who hold them. 
Up next
Jul 6
Waking Up Your Spiritual Brain: Part 2
Last week, we talked with psychologist Lisa Miller about the science of spirituality. Today, we explore what those ideas can look like in everyday life. Miller explains why moments of connection, spiritual practices, and even periods of suffering can sometimes open the door to de ... Show More
1h 33m
Jun 29
Waking Up Your Spiritual Brain: Part 1
Food, safety, and strong relationships are essential to our survival. Psychologist Lisa Miller says our brains also crave something else: transcendence. She suggests that spirituality is a universal human capacity, and that feeling connected to something larger than ourselves may ... Show More
50m 5s
Jun 22
Stepping Out of the Shadows
Why does one bad experience have the power to overshadow an otherwise good day? Psychologist Alison Ledgerwood explores the negativity bias, the deeply human tendency to hold on to what went wrong and overlook what went right. She explains why our minds are drawn to losses and th ... Show More
1h 28m
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2018
David Graeber: Bullshit Jobs
In 2015, I quit my bullshit job. It wasn’t a bad job or anything. I just felt that my job didn’t contribute to anything meaningful. And that’s the definition of a bullshit job—something I talk about with David Graeber on this podcast. I recently read his book with the same title ... Show More
1h 2m
Sep 2024
Fetishizing Jobs
<p>What if we're focusing on jobs too much?</p> <p>Guy Standing is the author of "The Politics of Time: Gaining Control in the Age of Uncertainty."</p> <p>He joins to discuss laborism, why GDP is a stupid economic indicator, and solutions to the economy's most vexing problems. </ ... Show More
1h 30m
Apr 2022
Episode 22: Bullshit jobs
<p>The bull shits it and we work it. Let&apos;s discuss the incredibly over saturated job market, modern alienation and the difference between jobs and work. </p><p>Episode 23: We are debate bros is now available 1 week early on <b>Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheDeprogram<br ... Show More
1h 25m
Apr 2022
Find Joy in Any Job: What Do I Really Love To Do?
At a time when 41% of us are considering quitting our jobs, it’s time for us to understand why and what we can do about it. In this special series from HBR, we’re looking at how to craft your current job around the work you really love. In this episode, we’ll explain how to ident ... Show More
30m 54s
Mar 2023
BS Jobs w/ David Graeber (2018)
The Wrong boys speak with David Graeber about his new book ‘Bullshit Jobs’, exploring the ever multiplicating ways our society makes up stuff for people to do. They also discuss the puritan&#46;&#46;&#46; 
1h 10m
Apr 2025
Daily Highlight: Is Your Career Your Identity?
Does your life revolve around your job? 'The Big Show' discusses what meaning our lives have outside the work place. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
9m 31s
Jul 2022
Is It Time To Quit Your Job? | 20
Are you tired of low pay, long commutes, lots of stress and feeling unappreciated and unfulfilled? Maybe it's time to quit your job! Many Americans are doing just that. It's being called "The Great Resignation." The post-pandemic exodus of workers moving away from unfulfilling jo ... Show More
45m 42s
Mar 2024
Shifting Careers
Ross and Natalie discuss the intricacies of making career pivots and what signs to look out for when it may be time to move on. They address the key factors when deciding if it’s time to make your side-hustle your full-time job. Stay tuned for some unfiltered takes on LinkedIn en ... Show More
47m 45s