Sumber ilustrasi: Pixabay
30 April 2026 14.10 WIB – Umum
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Desanomia [30.04.2026] The article on employment opportunities (Employment, desanomia.id, 28 April 2026) has invited further discussion. Is a transformation of society possible: from job seekers to a self-reliant society? What is meant is a condition in which all citizens, without exception, take part in “creating value,” such that all citizens are entitled to a fair distribution of that value. This aligns with the principle of “social justice for all citizens.” How should this issue be understood? What steps are worth considering in the future.
A job-seeking society begins from a quiet assumption: that life depends on the existence of another party that provides opportunities. Within this framework, humans are placed in the position of waiting—anticipating a call, adapting themselves, and accepting an existing structure. In contrast, an independent society begins from a different conviction: value does not need to be awaited, but can be created. This change is not merely technical, but touches upon how one views oneself in the world.
When most people are positioned as job seekers, social relations naturally form a hierarchy. Some determine direction, others follow. Even before the issue of distribution arises, imbalance is already embedded in the process. An independent society seeks to shift this starting point, from dependence toward equal participation.
Work in a job-seeking society is often narrowed to activities recognized by the formal market. Value is measured by what can be bought and sold. Yet human life is far broader: caring, creating, thinking, and building relationships are also forms of value creation. An independent society reopens space for a more complete meaning of work.
This transformation also shifts the understanding of justice. Justice no longer ends with the distribution of outcomes, but is rooted in involvement in the process of value creation. Rights do not stand alone as something received, but are connected to active presence in the shared world. In this sense, justice becomes something that lives within relationships and not merely figures in distribution.
The economic structure in an independent society must allow each person to have a real position within that process. Ownership, participation, and decision-making are not concentrated, but distributed. The forms may vary, but the principle remains the same: no one stands entirely outside the process of value creation.
Even so, not everyone is always in the same condition. There are times when capacity is limited, and it is at this point that the collective role becomes important. Assistance is present not as a permanent pattern, but as support so that each person can stand again and participate. In this way, solidarity does not create dependence, but restores independence.
An independent society also changes how humans are viewed. Humans are not understood as recipients whose needs must be fulfilled, but as beings who possess the capacity to contribute. A meaningful life is not only about survival, but about taking part in shaping something greater.
When participation becomes the foundation, relationships between individuals also change. No longer merely functional and temporary, but connections that arise from shared contribution. From this emerges a sense of ownership over collective outcomes, because each part contains the trace of participation.
In the long term, such a society will be more resilient and dignified. Excessive dependence often gives rise to vulnerability, both economically and socially. In contrast, distributed independence creates broader resilience, because many parties are able to sustain themselves while also contributing to others.
What do you think? (njd)
Note: This article was made as part of a dedicated effort to bring everyday life around us to our minds.
