TED Talks Daily Sunday Pick: How to stop devoting yourself to your job (w/ Sarah Jaffe) | How to Be a Better Human
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Aug 31, 2025 Sarah Jaffe, a journalist and author of "Work Won’t Love You Back," discusses how modern work culture exploits our emotional investment. She highlights the toll that job devotion takes on personal lives and the importance of community in combating burnout. Jaffe introduces the concept of "disenfranchised grief," relating it to societal issues like climate change and economic inequality. By advocating for healthier relationships with work and recognizing collective mourning, she encourages listeners to seek fulfillment beyond their careers.
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Early Jobs Shaped Her Path
- Sarah Jaffe recounts many early jobs from trash pickup to waiting tables and a bike shop manager.
- These varied roles shaped practical skills and perspective that later helped her journalism career.
Love For Work Doesn’t Cancel Labor
- Loving a job doesn't remove its labor conditions or financial pressures.
- Work remains work; meaning shouldn't erase the right to demand better conditions.
Worker Demands As Public Good
- The Chicago teachers' strike reframed worker demands as community benefits.
- Better working conditions were argued as improving student learning and public good.
