Personal Agency

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I frequently feel a tinge of jealousy whenever I meet someone who can work with his hands. Is my jealousy a byproduct of regrets of past decisions or is it something deeper? As a white-collar worker in the knowledge economy, society instructed me to feel different, no better, than those who toil with their hands. Deep down, I always knew this was bullshit. As I age, this realization becomes increasingly vivid.

Why is it that so many of us feel uneasy in this world? We have our pedigrees and experience; there will always be a place for us as the world continually morphs. Or will there? The cold reality is that the connection between what we specifically do as a knowledge worker is disconnected from the physical world. How do we objectively define our value, or output, when so much of what we do is measured by arbitrary standards of a manager? How do we measure excellence? How do we take personal pride in what we do? How do I answer the question, what specifically do you do for a living? No clear answer. And to think we have an entitlement for a place in the future economy.

I recently met a fellow knowledge worker who works in IT for a major corporation. Although his profession is way outside my mental bandwidth, what really interested me were his skills in other areas. This person is a tinkerer of epic proportions. He is a self-taught horologist, a watch fixer. He buys vintage watches of value that no longer work, and repairs them for his own collection. By the look of the Rolex on his wrist, my guess is that his collection is worth a bundle. But wait, he does more! He tinkers with old tube amplifiers. Has anyone checked out the cost of vintage stereo amplifiers-receivers? Check out the cost to purchase an older Marantz amp. Crap, they’re selling for more than they cost new 30+ years ago. Oh, he also machines metal parts, like a firing pen for a vintage handgun. He also is a musician. This guy is a true renaissance man.

Something tells me that if the shit hit the fan, my new friend would not only survive, he would prosper. Why? Because pencil-pushing guys like me need guys like that to fix all the gadgets and technologies that we have acquired in our quest for superiority. As Robert Greene states, concept of self-reliance in an age of technology; is self-reliance glimmery technology or grimy tools? For me, it all comes down to personal agency, the sense of control over one’s life. Do you feel the same way or are you one of the lucky ones who actually can create with his hands? I need to buy a toolbox, load it with some tools, and stop being such a weenie every time something needs fixing. I may create a bigger problem but at least I’ll learn and demonstrate some sense of control over my life.

#tinkerer #independence