From our friend Bard
The amount of time you can pretend to be working and get away with it depends on a number of factors, including your job, your boss, and your company culture.
If you have a job that allows you to work independently and doesn’t require you to be in constant contact with your boss, you may be able to get away with pretending to work for a longer period of time. However, if your job requires you to be in constant contact with your boss or other colleagues, it will be more difficult to get away with pretending to work.
Your boss’s personality and tolerance for slacking will also play a role in how long you can get away with pretending to work. Some bosses are more lenient than others, and may not notice if you’re not as productive as usual. However, other bosses may be more strict and may notice if you’re not working as hard as you should be.
Finally, your company culture will also play a role in how long you can get away with pretending to work. Some companies have a more relaxed culture, where employees are allowed to take breaks and slack off from time to time. Other companies have a more strict culture, where employees are expected to be working at all times.
Ultimately, the amount of time you can pretend to be working and get away with it depends on a number of factors. If you’re not sure how long you can get away with it, it’s best to err on the side of caution and be more productive.
Further Reading
Bullshit Jobs: A Theory is a 2018 book by anthropologist David Graeber that postulates the existence of meaningless jobs and analyzes their societal harm. He contends that over half of societal work is pointless, and becomes psychologically destructive when paired with a work ethic that associates work with self-worth. Graeber describes five types of meaningless jobs, in which workers pretend their role is not as pointless or harmful as they know it to be: flunkies, goons, duct tapers, box tickers, and taskmasters.
Graeber argues that the rise of bullshit jobs is a result of a number of factors, including the automation of many tasks, the growth of the financial sector, and the rise of corporate bureaucracy. He also argues that the rise of bullshit jobs has a number of negative consequences, including social alienation, psychological stress, and environmental damage.
The book has been praised by critics for its insightful analysis of the modern work world and its potential to spark a debate about the meaning of work. However, it has also been criticized for its lack of empirical evidence and its reliance on anecdotes.
Whether you agree with Graeber’s conclusions or not, Bullshit Jobs is a thought-provoking read that will make you question the nature of work.