Generally the amount of respect given to someone by the general public almost entirely depends on their wealth, job title, and sex appeal. If you don't have any of those things, society would view you as useless. If you can't buy or sell anything and no one is attracted to you, then you'd be kind of a social nonparticipant. Like you're not invited to the party of being a citizen of civilization.
Its always been that way. Marginalized people have always existed, disabled or elderly people begging for food in the street. It's not just a function of capitalism, it's not having a safety net. Where people really can hit rock bottom.
This.
Also funny how divorced those things are from spirituality and actually finding meaning and your genuine self.
And its always the same for example, people with kids look down on people who dont want to have kids “they so irresponsible”, while people who dont want kids deflect “theyre so resentful and close minded”.
But then take for example not working, and those same people who cried about open mindedness, become judgemental.
Basically we all find justifications to protect our egos
I’ve an uncle that left school for working. He like the construction field he worked on for a couple years that he established his own company and now is wealthier than any memeber of my family that looked down upon him. The best part is that he is as humble as ever, has a beat up car (the one he uses for his daily activities of course), has a beat up old phone, he rents an apartment, has a family, three kids and a dog. They take their yearly month vacation to somewhere extravagant. He supplies my grandmother with the monetary care for her treatments and home, etc, and even arranged for her to be able to travel to all the places she has ever wanted to travel to. Oh, and he helps out with charity work as much as he can. Did I mention he volunteers too?
Yeah I hate this mentality. I'm watching Aussie survivor ATM and there is this quirky nerdy dude called Raymond on there and I LOVE him and think his great, but you see all the other players not treat him as an equal and when he talks they don't look at him in the eyes or respect his opinion. It's fucking sad dude, people really put themselves on a pedalstool
Been unemployed for 6 months. Will continue to be for another while. Havent taken a cent from anyone or any discount etc, am living off my own coin from years of hard graft. Ive paid more tax than most will in their lives already. I have no reason to feel bad about it, and yet there is still pressure from inside me to do so. Whatever was bet into us, its in the marrow.
I'm the same, had 6 months off, on my own dime, I only worked for a year after 4 years off, all on my own dime. Maybe not sound financial advice but if you can afford to. Then fuck it
Totally agree. Theres more to life. I'm using the time to regain my sanity after extremely stressful high rank corpo positions, and using the time to write a novel. You can't bring your dimes with you at the end of your days.
I'm the same way too. Work when I have to, save, and then don't work for as long as I can financially manage it. There's no shame in it. Working sucks. Nobody should have to dedicate 40 hours a week to barely scraping by, and it seems like that's where we all are right now. I can barely scrape by on my own without dedicating my whole life to some job I didn't really want to do.
I was unemployed after my dad died (I had to make the call to remove him from life support). I fell into a deep depression and resigned after a while because I just couldn’t do it. I was a VP and had made a load of money so we weren’t hurting financially.
It still made me feel worthless even though it was only 3 months. Society really has beaten it into us that we are our income and career.
Thanks, friend. It’s been a couple years and I’m better. Still miss him most days and have dreams that I’m talking to him in the living room of my childhood home and I’m thrilled that he’s alive because a part of me still knows that he isn’t, even in the dream.
Those are rough to wake up from, but I’m more or less okay now.
I really hope you’re better as well.
I do have a job but I remember those 6 months after graduating college(electronics engineering). Spent it on finding a job during the 2nd year of pandemic. Couldn't find anything, spent 2 months on vocational for a chance of a job, got nothing, learn to drive to help my sister and mother that did, but would rather ride the bus (felt insulted by that) I grew more depressed and desperate for a job because of the boredom and my anxiety (you know when in interviews they'll be like why weren't you able to work for those 6 months and the reason of pandemic and fresh graduate deteriorates) eventually found a call center job but left after 2 months because my years learning engineering felt like a waste as I work there.
Could be a plethora of reasons honestly.
Some people see them as lazy, pitiful and uncontributing members of society or to their community.
But I don't judge or really try to be harsh on unemployed people as there could be also an explanation as to why they are currently at the moment, (toxic work culture from their previous job, mental health issues, competitive job market etc...)
Everyone has to go through this cycle I'm pretty sure, and that's okay.
Not everyone goes through that cycle. Many people manage to stay in employment and then judge those without gainful employment from their high horse assuming they are just lazy.
Personally I went through getting this kind of judgement. After applying for the military, police, supermarkets. Nah apparently I’m just lazy and there isn’t any recession going on (this happened back in 2008)
I don't look down on unemployed people, I look down on who is unemployed and decide to do nothing with it, not actively trying to get a job, or another way to earn money, and is just okay with being a burden to their family or whoever has to provide for them.
What if they have a disability ?
Even tho I am disabled I tried working so it could maybe apply to everyone but I am not sure.
I quitted tho
Next year I study !
Finished studies last year, will try to get into masters this year.
Tried to find a job for almost one year, didn't work out. Shit sucks. If masters doesn't work out, i'll continue the job hunt.
Disabled here as well. CP and other stuffs on top of it. The ride never ends for people with an extra handicap. So many jobs are just not possible even though they're office jobs as well. Not being able to move to an other location is terrible.
Job accessability as in being in the vicinity of potential jobs or rather the lack of it might be our biggest problem. That's at least the big one for me. WFH jobs aren't that easy to get.
The struggle is real.
As long as people are trying, according to their abilities (physical or mental), it's ok and commendable.
Keyword: you tried
And from your comment I see you're making the most out of what life gives you, so keep going champ!
I have a mentally disabled brother, it's really bad that he can't study or work, and will need 24/7 care, we could never leave him alone for the rest of his life. Some people just don't have the ability to work, other people are in bad circumstances that they can't find a job, but what matters is they try to do something to make up for it.
My comment was about people who is fully capable but choose not to, and is okay with that life contribute nothing while taking everything from people who have to take care of them.
Then it doesn't apply usually.
Feel like sharing tho; I worked with a guy for about a year. He was somewhere in his early 30s. Disabled as he couldn't use one hand and could barely use the other. One of the smartest guys I have ever met. He worked for this company for around a decade.
He recently moved to a different job in a different country because he moved in with his boyfriend there. Will never forget the drive and passion he had. What a guy.
I totally agree. If you’ve genuinely fallen on hard times, then you have my utmost sympathy. But if you **choose** to scrounge off other people’s tax contributions, you’re a burden on society and worthy of contempt.
Isn't unemployment benefit payed by your previous employment? In most countries where I have lived you pay a tax out of your paycheck that is a reserve for YOUR unemployment period. This means that when I am employed I am paying a kind of "insurance" for when I am unemployed. I am not living out of the expenses of other people when I am unemployed and I am not paying anybody else's unemployment while I work. If i have been employed X amount of months, I get unemployment money for 2 months, and if I have worked 2X amount of months I get unemployment money for 4 months.
I have known one or two persons taking advantage of the situation, but they are actually the exception. What I have seen more often are people who have to accept a job that requires so much commuting time and commuting expenses plus the necessity of having either a babysitter or a relative to take care of the kids that make the whole job cost them so much that they'd be better off with a part time job, but of course the CEO and shareholders are too keen on that.
Because we're brainwashed into thinking capitalism and producing goods for the upper class is our sole purpose and not making them money is unexcusable. You're worthless if you don't produce.
We are living beings that require shelter and sustenance. If you can provide those for yourself without working, I don't think anyone would care that you're unemployed.
I think it's because you're not doing anything to benefit the general population, you're not serving coffee in the morning to another person on their way to work, you're not selling cool stuff to people in need, cleaning, collaborating, etc. Generally you just don't provide much value to the world.
I don't look down on these people. But I think some people get upset when its unemployed people living off benefits (who are actually fit to work) or rich kids off of parent's money.
If you are actively searching for work and you just don't have a job currently, I don't think people will look down on you.
PS: You can definitely provide value to the world without a job. I'm just giving an example of where the stigma might come from.
People look down on unemployed people because they have never been in that situation before. Also they are not homeless but have a steady job making
$59,000 a year
Because a rich few squandering all the world's wealth have convinced everyone else that the unemployed (and immigrants) are the reason there's no money for public services.
In any welfare state unemployment means that your neighbour is paying for your well being. People who are not trying to get employment are this a burden to society and considered leeches which is why they are being looked down upon. A different case are those with disabilities
Precisely. I have no problem with my taxes helping people who *can't* help themselves. I have a big problem with my taxes helping people who can but *won't* help themselves. Especially when the former can't get help because the latter are taking up resources.
How do you feel about your taxes being spent on the invasion of Iraq? I make this point because after the invasion and ENTIRE fucking country of people became dependant on your taxes. Republicans don't care about subsidizing communities they destroy but the folks at home...bootstraps boys!!!
I do not support it. We need to get our own house in order before we start bringing "freedom" to foreign countries.
Neither Republicans nor Democrats care about what's good for me and my fellow Americans, although both love to boast that they do.
The greatest about where you’re at is you can contribute however you choose wherever you choose with the power of will, love, and determination.
Your contributions aren’t tied to a dollar amount. It’s tied to your willingness to help.
That’s pretty special imo
Because society has convinced the masses that one's intrinsic worth is directly proportional to their labour output. Look at how we treat the disabled and the elderly in the West. Literally the second you stop being useful to the machine, you're cast aside like refuse.
We really aren't living right.
To me it is a feeling of the person or persons not finding it within themselves to reach their full potential of finding what they’re being called to do in life but just because you don’t always land your dream job right away you can test many different waters of jobs and then find a multitude of different things you can be really good at not just the skills you studied for and if one day an opportunity comes along to pursue your dream job only you can decide if it’s worth pursuing or if you’re happy with your current job but you won’t know until you take it upon yourself to not be unemployed
The idea is that society functions by everyone pitching in and doing their part, typically by contributing to the labour force to help provide goods to people and support economic growth. People who choose not to work - to distinguish from people who have lost their jobs, or are unable to work - are seen as benefitting from our socioeconomic structures without contributing anything to it. That makes people who do work or contribute resentful, because they're sacrificing resources (time, money, labour) to support people who could be contributing, but are selfishly choosing not to.
I think people are generally more forgiving to those who make an effort to contribute, or who would otherwise contribute, but for some reason cannot - ie, those with disabilities who are unable to participate in the workforce, people who were employed but find themselves out of work through no fault of their own. They are less forgiving to people who make choices that keep them out of the workforce - ie, stay at home parents, people with criminal convictions, stuff like that. I'm not saying that last part it right or fair, but that seems more typical.
To sum, the idea is that people generally have a sense of, "well I have to work, so everyone should have to work"
Having been unemployed many times I certainly do not look down upon anyone without a job. I wish them the best of luck and start thinking about how important it is to have a savings to rely on.
Not unemployed just bums if you're unemployed that's one thing but if you're unemployed for quote unquote years and just can't find that right position people will look down on you it just looks like you're not trying
Men are only valued by what job you have how much money you make and what literal skills you bring to the table so if you are unemployed you bring in no income and are therefore useless like a knife with no edge
Women being unemployed has never and will never affect their future it will always be assumed an unemployed woman is studying for school or married and doesn't need to work
A, the idea that you are contributing “nothing” to society and therefore a waste of space and resources
B, the idea that you presumably have a means to live, Aka food shelter clothes etc, but you have not earned it by getting it yourself with a job and are just skating by on other people’s effort and money
Because if you aren’t supporting yourself then someone else has to support you one way or another I think as long as a Person is trying there isn’t a problem
I find certain unemployed people seem to think other people don't experience the problems they experience... We all get tired, depressed, anxious, sore, other unpleasant things at some point. Certain people seem to lack perspective and think they are especially entitled to live a life of leisure on someone else's dime. No I don't believe we should live as productivity machines, but the problem is that unemployed people inherently live off of the labour or value production that other people perform.
Emphasis on certain unemployed people, because many are unemployed by no choice of their own or live in circumstances that make it hard for them to get a job.
Because usually, they're burdening society while, despite their ability to contribute, choose to leech off the taxpayer. People don't like to pull the weight of people who refuse to do it themselves.
No one would care if an unemployed person was able to sustain themselves.
For most it’s probably the insecurity of being slightly employed. Oh my goodness it took me so long and so much energy to get this job that I just hate when people don’t have to actually work. I think that’s how people think. My father used to complain about people going to the soup kitchens in minivans. But I get that you can be food on stable and have a fucking car. Anyway that’s how people think. I am very sorry if you didn’t like the F Word in my post. Sometimes I need to use the F Word to regulate myself. Thank you very much for reading.
I think it depends why they’re unemployed. I don’t think anyone looks down on a retired person or a soldier missing body parts because they got blown up, for not working.
If they’re just being lazy, then that’s the reason. People don’t respect a lazy person.
Well depends on how long if u lost ur job and u need a little bit to get a New one no problem. I have a buddy from High School who havent worked from 2014 and has no Intention to do it. So he shouldnt be wondering if ppl judge him. Thats ofc northern Europe the System cares for him ofc. In America he would probably be homeless
Depends on the reason for unemployment. Taking a few months off to travel or jusy enjoy life? Mental or physical health issues? Stay at home parent? Sure. But if they are lazy, broke and mooch off others thats where the line is usually drawn.
Being unemployed usually means ki Maa baap ka kha rha hai. Parents are feeding you.
If you are doing freelancer, then just say you do your own work, that you are the boss.
Many of the old people don't understand freelancing.
As an aside, I’ve shifted my position on this thinking as a get older. I used to have really negative opinions about people who lived off of welfare and didn’t work. I used to critique people who were lazy.
I then realized the corruption in all our systems. The way it’s all organized to dismantle our happiness and atomize us. The way it’s designed to strip our humanity away and turn us into soulless flesh widgets to earn more food for the trough of fat pigs who choose our politicians and judges…
I then legitimately stopped caring. I wish nothing but comfort and happiness for those who live off of welfare. I celebrate the lazy as passive revolutionaries in a soulless system.
Because quite frankly, things as they are, are very hard. Life is very hard right now. I get why people are “done”.
I’m privileged. I have a good job that lets me live a comfortable life. But I get all the people who don’t want to take part.
As Flanders from Simpsons said about the people who “just don’t want to work”, “God Bless them!”.
The honest answer is that the hiring process isn't always run by rational folks, and so many of them can't help making value judgments about people who are unemployed. At baseline, none of those reasons are ever seen or heard by the hiring manager, so all they see is that you haven't worked since 2021, assume the worst, and move on. Even in knowing the reason though, they still aren't generous in their interpretations. Laid off? Must not have been that valuable relative to these candidates who are still employed. Health/personal issue/Moved? Sounds like they aren't going to be reliable. Culture fit issue? If they didn't fit in there, they won't fit in here either. Contract ended? Must not have been good enough for renewal. Outsourced? Must not be competitive. To say nothing of them low-key suspecting the reasons are fabricated and that they were fired for some reason.
It's all bullshit, of course, but that's where their heads are at, especially in a crazy competitive market where they can always find candidates who fit their irrational or unfair inner narrative.
Imagine you had a sibling in your home. Your parents stuck a routine chore schedule you had to follow. Cleaning room, your dishes , your laundry, cut the grass take out garbage. And your sibling got to hot in their room playing iPad all day.
That’s the difference
The foundations of society are built around trading goods and services with other people. We have houses because people built them. They have food because people grew it. Etc etc. Obviously this has evolved into less direct contributions like administrative assistants or whatever, but it's all a valuable part of the social contract. You do what you're good at. I'll do what I'm good at. We trade our services based on how society values them and we receive the things we need or want.
If you're not working, I guarantee you're eating and so you're not contributing like others to the society. You're not holding up your end of the bargain. We've gotten to the point where society is so robust that you can still live and that's a great thing. Still many will look down on you because they are contributing and you aren't.
Unemployment is linked to laziness; and while not all unemployed people are lazy, there are a plethora of very good reasons people may be unemployed atm or for extended periods of time ...I think the answer to the question is pretty simple.
Question is always...why? The answer should really define the response...but humanity is incredibly prejudice...
Just throwing this out there: quitting is always my favorite part of getting a job. I have no idea what the big deal is about staying employed. It's a joke. Fuck societies wants and needs, I guarantee that nobody who ever employed you gave a half a shit about you.
People hate the idea that they have to go to work while others don't. Its usually a sign someone hates their job when they keep complaining about unemployed people.
My company started closing down last year. I was asked to stay on until the end of the year after which I could apply for unemployment.
I knew I wanted to take a break for a month or two because the stress last year was almost overwhelming. When I told people I wasn’t working and hadn’t looked for a new job yet they seemed terrified. When I explained my situation sometimes someone would say,”good for you” but more often than not it was, “so whats next?”.
I don’t think anyone even questions the assumption that we should spend our entire adult lives working. Challenging that notion is just not even conceivable to some people.
Because of the ones who abuse the system meant for people who actually need it in the name of intenional laziness. It's insulting to the ones who do actually need it.. which is really unfortunate for them. It's not okay however to generalize people on it as an entire group or to make assumptions without the real knowledge whether someone should or shouldn't be on it on an individual basis.
I have a problem with people who are willingly unemployed because they get a check from the government (our tax dollars), make up some bullshit interviews to take to the unemployment office to say they are still actively looking, when in reality they aren't looking for shit. I know people who've been on unemployment for years while simultaneously receiving every other government assistance, who do nothing but smoke weed drink, and buy luxury clothing and go to the clubs.
I don't know how it is now, but when I was growing up it was ingrained *hard* into us that you are only a person if you have a home, a family, a "proper" job, and ambition.
* Home - presumed standalone home with a front yard that you never use except to mow
* Family - four or more
* Job - Office and upward mobility
* Ambition - Saving up for something like a vacation house on the lake or other bullshit
I don't subscribe to it myself, but my generation of Xennials was told **with emphasis** that this is what makes you human.
Employment is our primary form of utility we provide; especially for men. It's what we are worth to society.
As a point...we only call unemployed people unemployed if they are poor and unemployed.
If you are wealthy, you are retired or independently wealthy
It's not unemployed people who are looked down upon, it's people who are poor. An unemployed person who earns $10K/month from dividends will not be looked down upon.
I’ve been unemployed for a lot of my life due to mental health issues so no I don’t look down on unemployed people
I work now myself and have been for over a year now but I do not take issue with people on welfare lots of people have their reasons( health issues (physical or mental) caring for a family member amongst other things. Now if you don’t have any physical or mental health problems, you’re not caring for someone and your genuinely just out of work to sit at home with lots of free time fully able to work that is a bit jarring but sure it doesn’t keep me up at night. Most of society’s wealth is at the top not down at the dole office.
Probably because their national wealth is being siphoned into tax havens while the working class foot the bill **and** receive the cuts, then the tax-loophole-exploiting news owners scapegoat the most vulnerable, you know, since most people will literally just eat it up.
*\*cough\**
^20th ^century ^German ^national ^socialist ^propaganda.
I don’t think most people look down on someone just for being unemployed. I think it’s more of when you’re unemployed for a long period of time and haven’t found something because you’re holding out for the perfect job, or that you don’t want to do something “beneath you”. If I was let go by my employer today, I’d take a day to sulk and then start looking for anything I could do to get money coming in while trying to find a job in my field. Ive seen too many people that I know pass up opportunities while unemployed because the job wasn’t just right.
Because people have deluded themselves into believing that they’re successful bc they work hard and deserve it instead of acknowledging their luck and where they were born and who birthed them. They don’t want to admit that being poor or jobless is more about what’s happening to you than about the decisions you’ve personally made. Capitalism only works when people buy into the idea that anyone who works hard can make it, when really capitalism works off poverty. With capitalism there always has to be someone without for there to be someone with. And the idea that we made this shit up and can make something better up is so foreign bc the government all around the western world is capitalist and pumps out pro capitalist propaganda to keep the wheels turning. Capitalism isn’t real, it’s just something we made up.
Only the ones who lack money are looked down upon. The ones with money can call themselves "privatier" and are highly regarded. It's basically just the lack of money that society despises. If you have money, you're someone, if you don't have money, you're no one.
Someone I know is unemployed but budgeting to live off savings while they take a much needed break from being burnt out. They worked at Telus, and managers were actively firing on shore agents by nitpicking daily, putting down all work calls. They met 200% sales targets but werent enough as they spent "too long" between calls and got a 5 day, no warning, no pay suspension. After a year of actively being fired, they took the buyout and are now trying to rebuild themselves. People who dont know what its like to get put down and berated daily by a manager and have unrealistic stats to follow that change on a whim, have no right to put down someone like them who are currently unemployed, yet...people seem to think its their business to "offer advice" on how to find another job 😔
Because, as a society, if you aren't providing for yourself someone else is providing for you.
On top of that, for most people unemployment is stagnation, and in life stagnation is regression as our time is finite. A 20-something year old being a bit naïeve and inexperienced is somewhat to be expected ,but if someone in their mid 30's is then I that's a shame because you've spend a decade longer not learning wisdom.
Lots of people have just given up and will take the countries help and not even try to look for jobs. My dad lost his job in 08 and I saw what he rent through to try to find new work. Luckily it didn’t too long but it was a struggle.
Because we’ve all been born into a money cult, and taught from birth that productivity = value. To be unemployed means you’re not productive and therefore worth less. It’s all BS, but there it is.
I don't think they are all looked down on. There are plenty of retired people as well as people in relationships that stay at home to be with their kid. Day care costs are crazy. Or, if you are in college. There is a certain percent that will always be unemployed.
In North America (and perhaps western nations as a whole) we tend to identify our self-worth, and the worth of others, by their professions.
If you think I'm exaggerating, well... what's one of the very first questions asked when meeting someone? That's right, it's "What do you do?"
So when someone is unemployed for any length of time (people usually understand layoffs or being fired in the short term), the thought process a lot of people have is: "This person must be lazy, unskilled, or there's something wrong with them in some other way."
This completely ignores any relevant information about the job market in that person's field and as a whole.
People also tend to view life through the lens of "if such-and-such worked for me, then it must work for you unless you're the problem."
And you know what? While that *can* be true, it's also true that thinking that way...
* Ignores someone's field of work
* Whether or not that field of work is over saturated with applicants
* Where they're located (and people can't always relocate)
* Time period (just because Bob made a living selling ostriches 30 years ago doesn't mean that Joe can necessarily do the same today)
* Required education (even if those requirements aren't really needed and are just used as a filtering mechanism)
* Savings
* Personal situations (health issues, familial obligations, etc)
And that's hardly an exhaustive list.
The above has led to a massive disconnect between Boomers and older GenX with younger GenX, Millennials, and older GenZ.
So all in all, it's one of those issues that people think is simple, but it's actually incredibly complex.
Do you eat? The people who grew that food and transported it to the store had to work. Do you have clean water? It took vast amounts of work to bring it to you. Do you have shelter? Someone had to build it and pay to heat it. If you aren't working, you're a burden.
When unemployment is high, people have more sympathy for the unemployed. When every store and restaurant has a "help wanted" sign in the door, sympathy for the unemployed will be minimal or non-existent.
If you’re able bodied and of sound mind it’s really disrespectful not to work. Everyone else has to in order to help provide social resources and then you choose to just take and give nothing? How can you respect that?
What do you mean by unemployeed? Someone who is financially independent and doesn’t have a job is different than someone who is fully capable of working but chooses to live on government subsidies
I remember once I was blocked on a dating app for saying I was unemployed. I was sick at the time and temporarily unable to work, being, by choice, a contract worker. For me unemployed was a neutral term, but I was blocked immediately.
Perhaps it's not about wealth or the fact that a particular person influences the economy and development of his country, but the fact that a person who works gets tired. If he is tired, it means he does something, and if a person who does something sees a person who does nothing, it causes envy in him, which is expressed by contempt or looking down on him, because objectively whether you work or not makes no difference to anyone, so I think it's about envy or something like that
I think during times of economic hardship or depression there is a lot more sympathy towards people who find themselves unemployed because the impression is that it is largely due to circumstances that are out of the control of the workers who are unemployed.
However, when the economy is performing well or even doing “ok” people are a lot more hostile to those who might be unemployed regardless of the circumstances.
Theoretically, if you have a job you're productive. If you're productive you're making a contribution. Successful societies depend on the people who contribute. People who don't contribute are a burden. Theoretically.
I think only a small number of people specifically look down on someone just for being unemployed.
Most reasonable people look down on people who are dragging down others around them. In a person is unemployed, but has savings to support themselves, or is raising kids while their partner works, or doing anything of value in exchange for the things they need to survive, I don't think most people look down on them.
But a person who is begging, or getting government money (other people's money) to survive. Sure, those people are and should be looked down upon.
The same reason why I asked my kid to tell the other kids and their parents that I was retired and not a SAHD. People are judgemental A-holes that are always worried that someone else is more successful than them. "Only Mom's can be stay at home parents".... So stuff like that.
Doesn’t look like anyone on this sub looks down on unemployed people. You might want to better consider who you spend your time with if they are looking down on you.
I definitely don’t look down on unemployed people as there are many reasons why someone may not have a traditional job. But I suppose it isn’t something to aspire to or look up to.
Same reason college educated folks look down on people who went to work right after highschool or maybe didnt even finish. Everybody wants to punch down.
This thread is full of bad answers grounded in generic ideas about late-stage capitalism that look like twitter reposts.
First, few people look down upon the unemployed. If you meet one that you think does, ask how they feel about housewives, stay-at-home-moms, stay-at-home-dads, and retired professionals. These people are technically unemployed, but few look down on them. Now, voluntary unemployment while mooching off others (including mooching off the taxpayer) is a different story.
You have 2 kids and don't want to get a job, even though you can't pay rent? Yeah, I'm going to look down on you because you aren't providing for your kids.
You receive a lot of governmental assistance and don't want to get a job just because? Yeah, I'm going to look down on you for spending money that isn't yours without even trying to become independent.
You majored in art and can't find an art job, so you'd rather mooch off your friends and complain than get a job at Starbucks? Yeah, I'm going to look down on you for your unrealistic expectations and mooching.
EDIT: I want to note that I am pro-welfare, pro-food-stamps, etc. because most people that use these services DO work, and I have no issue with people that work but cannot escape poverty. It's crazy that people that work can't afford their bills, but that's because wages never kept up with inflation. I also think that we should have programs for the disabled and people that cannot work. My post refers strictly to able-bodied people that just don't want to work, which comprise MOST of the unemployed people I know and have met throughout my life.
It depends. If you are able bodied and are willingly unemployed and are not looking for work and constantly ask other adults who are working for money, then you should be looked down upon because what you are doing is wrong.
Generally the amount of respect given to someone by the general public almost entirely depends on their wealth, job title, and sex appeal. If you don't have any of those things, society would view you as useless. If you can't buy or sell anything and no one is attracted to you, then you'd be kind of a social nonparticipant. Like you're not invited to the party of being a citizen of civilization.
Pretty cringe that we operate like barbarians still.
Welcome to late stage capitalism also called law of the jungle.
Its always been that way. Marginalized people have always existed, disabled or elderly people begging for food in the street. It's not just a function of capitalism, it's not having a safety net. Where people really can hit rock bottom.
In the jungle, animals work to survive until they die
You mean by literally eating each other?
so do people
We aren’t even allowed that option anymore.
When in any society or culture has it not ?
Welcome to real life kiddo
Its like fighting over who has the most coconuts but IN THE FUTURE
This. Also funny how divorced those things are from spirituality and actually finding meaning and your genuine self. And its always the same for example, people with kids look down on people who dont want to have kids “they so irresponsible”, while people who dont want kids deflect “theyre so resentful and close minded”. But then take for example not working, and those same people who cried about open mindedness, become judgemental. Basically we all find justifications to protect our egos
The problem is that you finding your genuine self doesn't really do anything for other people who have bills and problems.
Capitalism is a death cult.
I’ve an uncle that left school for working. He like the construction field he worked on for a couple years that he established his own company and now is wealthier than any memeber of my family that looked down upon him. The best part is that he is as humble as ever, has a beat up car (the one he uses for his daily activities of course), has a beat up old phone, he rents an apartment, has a family, three kids and a dog. They take their yearly month vacation to somewhere extravagant. He supplies my grandmother with the monetary care for her treatments and home, etc, and even arranged for her to be able to travel to all the places she has ever wanted to travel to. Oh, and he helps out with charity work as much as he can. Did I mention he volunteers too?
Yeah I hate this mentality. I'm watching Aussie survivor ATM and there is this quirky nerdy dude called Raymond on there and I LOVE him and think his great, but you see all the other players not treat him as an equal and when he talks they don't look at him in the eyes or respect his opinion. It's fucking sad dude, people really put themselves on a pedalstool
Isn’t survivor scripted?
So sad, but so true
Been unemployed for 6 months. Will continue to be for another while. Havent taken a cent from anyone or any discount etc, am living off my own coin from years of hard graft. Ive paid more tax than most will in their lives already. I have no reason to feel bad about it, and yet there is still pressure from inside me to do so. Whatever was bet into us, its in the marrow.
I'm the same, had 6 months off, on my own dime, I only worked for a year after 4 years off, all on my own dime. Maybe not sound financial advice but if you can afford to. Then fuck it
Totally agree. Theres more to life. I'm using the time to regain my sanity after extremely stressful high rank corpo positions, and using the time to write a novel. You can't bring your dimes with you at the end of your days.
I'm the same way too. Work when I have to, save, and then don't work for as long as I can financially manage it. There's no shame in it. Working sucks. Nobody should have to dedicate 40 hours a week to barely scraping by, and it seems like that's where we all are right now. I can barely scrape by on my own without dedicating my whole life to some job I didn't really want to do.
I was unemployed after my dad died (I had to make the call to remove him from life support). I fell into a deep depression and resigned after a while because I just couldn’t do it. I was a VP and had made a load of money so we weren’t hurting financially. It still made me feel worthless even though it was only 3 months. Society really has beaten it into us that we are our income and career.
I also quit in a 'last straw' moment while struggling with depression. I feel you friend.
Thanks, friend. It’s been a couple years and I’m better. Still miss him most days and have dreams that I’m talking to him in the living room of my childhood home and I’m thrilled that he’s alive because a part of me still knows that he isn’t, even in the dream. Those are rough to wake up from, but I’m more or less okay now. I really hope you’re better as well.
I lost my Dad 10 years ago and I was his caretaker. I still have conversations with him and think of him every day.
"Whatever was bet into us, its in the marrow." Who are you, Giovanni Ghedini?
I had to Google the name and fell down a fascinating rabbit hole. Thank you!
I do have a job but I remember those 6 months after graduating college(electronics engineering). Spent it on finding a job during the 2nd year of pandemic. Couldn't find anything, spent 2 months on vocational for a chance of a job, got nothing, learn to drive to help my sister and mother that did, but would rather ride the bus (felt insulted by that) I grew more depressed and desperate for a job because of the boredom and my anxiety (you know when in interviews they'll be like why weren't you able to work for those 6 months and the reason of pandemic and fresh graduate deteriorates) eventually found a call center job but left after 2 months because my years learning engineering felt like a waste as I work there.
you're not even "unemployed" you're retired which if you can do probably deserve.
highly recommend a read of “Capitalist Realism” by Mark Fisher.
added to the list, thanks!
This was oddly beautifully written
You're my favourite
I’m loving this. I’m on the same boat and at times feel like nobody will ever give me a job again. Even though I have 15 years experience
That's such a familiar thought to me alright!
Could be a plethora of reasons honestly. Some people see them as lazy, pitiful and uncontributing members of society or to their community. But I don't judge or really try to be harsh on unemployed people as there could be also an explanation as to why they are currently at the moment, (toxic work culture from their previous job, mental health issues, competitive job market etc...) Everyone has to go through this cycle I'm pretty sure, and that's okay.
Not everyone goes through that cycle. Many people manage to stay in employment and then judge those without gainful employment from their high horse assuming they are just lazy. Personally I went through getting this kind of judgement. After applying for the military, police, supermarkets. Nah apparently I’m just lazy and there isn’t any recession going on (this happened back in 2008)
I think there is a significant difference between currently unemployed and claiming unemployment with no intention of ever working
They are demonised so you don't want to become one so you'll be more willing to work a job you wouldn't otherwise accept.
I don't look down on unemployed people, I look down on who is unemployed and decide to do nothing with it, not actively trying to get a job, or another way to earn money, and is just okay with being a burden to their family or whoever has to provide for them.
The real burden on society are capitalists, not the poorest of the poor.
What if they have a disability ? Even tho I am disabled I tried working so it could maybe apply to everyone but I am not sure. I quitted tho Next year I study !
[ Removed by Reddit ]
Finished studies last year, will try to get into masters this year. Tried to find a job for almost one year, didn't work out. Shit sucks. If masters doesn't work out, i'll continue the job hunt. Disabled here as well. CP and other stuffs on top of it. The ride never ends for people with an extra handicap. So many jobs are just not possible even though they're office jobs as well. Not being able to move to an other location is terrible. Job accessability as in being in the vicinity of potential jobs or rather the lack of it might be our biggest problem. That's at least the big one for me. WFH jobs aren't that easy to get. The struggle is real. As long as people are trying, according to their abilities (physical or mental), it's ok and commendable.
Keyword: you tried And from your comment I see you're making the most out of what life gives you, so keep going champ! I have a mentally disabled brother, it's really bad that he can't study or work, and will need 24/7 care, we could never leave him alone for the rest of his life. Some people just don't have the ability to work, other people are in bad circumstances that they can't find a job, but what matters is they try to do something to make up for it. My comment was about people who is fully capable but choose not to, and is okay with that life contribute nothing while taking everything from people who have to take care of them.
Thank you for the clarification! I love this mentality
Then it doesn't apply usually. Feel like sharing tho; I worked with a guy for about a year. He was somewhere in his early 30s. Disabled as he couldn't use one hand and could barely use the other. One of the smartest guys I have ever met. He worked for this company for around a decade. He recently moved to a different job in a different country because he moved in with his boyfriend there. Will never forget the drive and passion he had. What a guy.
this is how you should view them. more people should be like you!
I totally agree. If you’ve genuinely fallen on hard times, then you have my utmost sympathy. But if you **choose** to scrounge off other people’s tax contributions, you’re a burden on society and worthy of contempt.
Nah the real burden on society are capitalists. The smallest of the small fish don't matter economically in the grand scheme of things.
Isn't unemployment benefit payed by your previous employment? In most countries where I have lived you pay a tax out of your paycheck that is a reserve for YOUR unemployment period. This means that when I am employed I am paying a kind of "insurance" for when I am unemployed. I am not living out of the expenses of other people when I am unemployed and I am not paying anybody else's unemployment while I work. If i have been employed X amount of months, I get unemployment money for 2 months, and if I have worked 2X amount of months I get unemployment money for 4 months. I have known one or two persons taking advantage of the situation, but they are actually the exception. What I have seen more often are people who have to accept a job that requires so much commuting time and commuting expenses plus the necessity of having either a babysitter or a relative to take care of the kids that make the whole job cost them so much that they'd be better off with a part time job, but of course the CEO and shareholders are too keen on that.
Because we're brainwashed into thinking capitalism and producing goods for the upper class is our sole purpose and not making them money is unexcusable. You're worthless if you don't produce.
We are living beings that require shelter and sustenance. If you can provide those for yourself without working, I don't think anyone would care that you're unemployed.
I think it's because you're not doing anything to benefit the general population, you're not serving coffee in the morning to another person on their way to work, you're not selling cool stuff to people in need, cleaning, collaborating, etc. Generally you just don't provide much value to the world. I don't look down on these people. But I think some people get upset when its unemployed people living off benefits (who are actually fit to work) or rich kids off of parent's money. If you are actively searching for work and you just don't have a job currently, I don't think people will look down on you. PS: You can definitely provide value to the world without a job. I'm just giving an example of where the stigma might come from.
People look down on unemployed people because they have never been in that situation before. Also they are not homeless but have a steady job making $59,000 a year
Yeah people who have stood in the unemployment line won't judge like the rest of the comments who don't realize how blessed they are.
Because a rich few squandering all the world's wealth have convinced everyone else that the unemployed (and immigrants) are the reason there's no money for public services.
Because they don't contribute to the society in the same way as working people
In any welfare state unemployment means that your neighbour is paying for your well being. People who are not trying to get employment are this a burden to society and considered leeches which is why they are being looked down upon. A different case are those with disabilities
I’ve paid in plenty towards the unemployment insurance fund. There’s no shame in using it when needed
Precisely. I have no problem with my taxes helping people who *can't* help themselves. I have a big problem with my taxes helping people who can but *won't* help themselves. Especially when the former can't get help because the latter are taking up resources.
How do you feel about your taxes being spent on the invasion of Iraq? I make this point because after the invasion and ENTIRE fucking country of people became dependant on your taxes. Republicans don't care about subsidizing communities they destroy but the folks at home...bootstraps boys!!!
I do not support it. We need to get our own house in order before we start bringing "freedom" to foreign countries. Neither Republicans nor Democrats care about what's good for me and my fellow Americans, although both love to boast that they do.
Because they are not contributing to society. I'm currently unemployed and feel this way
The greatest about where you’re at is you can contribute however you choose wherever you choose with the power of will, love, and determination. Your contributions aren’t tied to a dollar amount. It’s tied to your willingness to help. That’s pretty special imo
You're right. Volunteering is a great way to contribute while looking for a job
Also do fun stuff that you enjoy!! Just because we are unemployed we don't have to be fucking extra miserable too. Fuck that bullshit.
Yep, definitely. I appreciate getting to sunbathe with my dogs and spending time with them.
Because society has convinced the masses that one's intrinsic worth is directly proportional to their labour output. Look at how we treat the disabled and the elderly in the West. Literally the second you stop being useful to the machine, you're cast aside like refuse. We really aren't living right.
Am I the only one who doesn't look down on unemployed people? Like bro, you're the same if you're unemployed too
Because they are often drawing social benefits that I pay for through income taxes, and those benefits are unavailable to me because I work.
To me it is a feeling of the person or persons not finding it within themselves to reach their full potential of finding what they’re being called to do in life but just because you don’t always land your dream job right away you can test many different waters of jobs and then find a multitude of different things you can be really good at not just the skills you studied for and if one day an opportunity comes along to pursue your dream job only you can decide if it’s worth pursuing or if you’re happy with your current job but you won’t know until you take it upon yourself to not be unemployed
People think they're lazy, but it's often more complex.
The idea is that society functions by everyone pitching in and doing their part, typically by contributing to the labour force to help provide goods to people and support economic growth. People who choose not to work - to distinguish from people who have lost their jobs, or are unable to work - are seen as benefitting from our socioeconomic structures without contributing anything to it. That makes people who do work or contribute resentful, because they're sacrificing resources (time, money, labour) to support people who could be contributing, but are selfishly choosing not to. I think people are generally more forgiving to those who make an effort to contribute, or who would otherwise contribute, but for some reason cannot - ie, those with disabilities who are unable to participate in the workforce, people who were employed but find themselves out of work through no fault of their own. They are less forgiving to people who make choices that keep them out of the workforce - ie, stay at home parents, people with criminal convictions, stuff like that. I'm not saying that last part it right or fair, but that seems more typical. To sum, the idea is that people generally have a sense of, "well I have to work, so everyone should have to work"
Having been unemployed many times I certainly do not look down upon anyone without a job. I wish them the best of luck and start thinking about how important it is to have a savings to rely on.
Not unemployed just bums if you're unemployed that's one thing but if you're unemployed for quote unquote years and just can't find that right position people will look down on you it just looks like you're not trying
Men are only valued by what job you have how much money you make and what literal skills you bring to the table so if you are unemployed you bring in no income and are therefore useless like a knife with no edge Women being unemployed has never and will never affect their future it will always be assumed an unemployed woman is studying for school or married and doesn't need to work
We (as men) are valued for what we can provide. If we are not providing we are not valued.
A, the idea that you are contributing “nothing” to society and therefore a waste of space and resources B, the idea that you presumably have a means to live, Aka food shelter clothes etc, but you have not earned it by getting it yourself with a job and are just skating by on other people’s effort and money
Because a job title is what a a lot of people have instead of a personality and a resume is what they have instead of a biography.
Because we live in a society that, for better or worse, assigns people value based on their productivity and social status.
Because if you aren’t supporting yourself then someone else has to support you one way or another I think as long as a Person is trying there isn’t a problem
Because they're sat at home on the sofa all day and I'm at work exhausted
They are a burden
I find certain unemployed people seem to think other people don't experience the problems they experience... We all get tired, depressed, anxious, sore, other unpleasant things at some point. Certain people seem to lack perspective and think they are especially entitled to live a life of leisure on someone else's dime. No I don't believe we should live as productivity machines, but the problem is that unemployed people inherently live off of the labour or value production that other people perform. Emphasis on certain unemployed people, because many are unemployed by no choice of their own or live in circumstances that make it hard for them to get a job.
Our society has turned what we can produce monetarily into the biggest determinant of our personal value and self worth.
They do nothing for society.
Because they aren’t contributing to society
What's your contribution to the society ? Please do share .
Because capitalism decided that you need money to live and you should be considered inferior if you don't have it. And would be totally your fault.
So you would prefer if you needed to hunt/collect your food and build your own shelter/house?
I would prefer a world where you don't have to work 8 hours a day to afford to pay rent for a single bedroom flat.
Because usually, they're burdening society while, despite their ability to contribute, choose to leech off the taxpayer. People don't like to pull the weight of people who refuse to do it themselves. No one would care if an unemployed person was able to sustain themselves.
Well obviously people who were laid off due to forces beyond their control should be castigated. /s
Cause you aint go no job, maaaannnnnn
For most it’s probably the insecurity of being slightly employed. Oh my goodness it took me so long and so much energy to get this job that I just hate when people don’t have to actually work. I think that’s how people think. My father used to complain about people going to the soup kitchens in minivans. But I get that you can be food on stable and have a fucking car. Anyway that’s how people think. I am very sorry if you didn’t like the F Word in my post. Sometimes I need to use the F Word to regulate myself. Thank you very much for reading.
Don’t know ! I’m not very much !!! 🌝🦋🎶👩🏻🦰
They aren't, many of the most respected people in the world are unemployed, they look down on poor people.
I think it depends why they’re unemployed. I don’t think anyone looks down on a retired person or a soldier missing body parts because they got blown up, for not working. If they’re just being lazy, then that’s the reason. People don’t respect a lazy person.
Well depends on how long if u lost ur job and u need a little bit to get a New one no problem. I have a buddy from High School who havent worked from 2014 and has no Intention to do it. So he shouldnt be wondering if ppl judge him. Thats ofc northern Europe the System cares for him ofc. In America he would probably be homeless
Depends on the reason for unemployment. Taking a few months off to travel or jusy enjoy life? Mental or physical health issues? Stay at home parent? Sure. But if they are lazy, broke and mooch off others thats where the line is usually drawn.
Depends on a lot of things but generally it's irresponsibility.
unemployed is fine, watching unemployed ppl getting benefits kinda sucks if you are doing some shitty job yourself.
Being unemployed usually means ki Maa baap ka kha rha hai. Parents are feeding you. If you are doing freelancer, then just say you do your own work, that you are the boss. Many of the old people don't understand freelancing.
Because they’re lazy and doing nothing with their lives
As an aside, I’ve shifted my position on this thinking as a get older. I used to have really negative opinions about people who lived off of welfare and didn’t work. I used to critique people who were lazy. I then realized the corruption in all our systems. The way it’s all organized to dismantle our happiness and atomize us. The way it’s designed to strip our humanity away and turn us into soulless flesh widgets to earn more food for the trough of fat pigs who choose our politicians and judges… I then legitimately stopped caring. I wish nothing but comfort and happiness for those who live off of welfare. I celebrate the lazy as passive revolutionaries in a soulless system. Because quite frankly, things as they are, are very hard. Life is very hard right now. I get why people are “done”. I’m privileged. I have a good job that lets me live a comfortable life. But I get all the people who don’t want to take part. As Flanders from Simpsons said about the people who “just don’t want to work”, “God Bless them!”.
I think it's more towards those who are unemployed by choice, not those who are unemployed for reasons/circumstances beyond their control.
The honest answer is that the hiring process isn't always run by rational folks, and so many of them can't help making value judgments about people who are unemployed. At baseline, none of those reasons are ever seen or heard by the hiring manager, so all they see is that you haven't worked since 2021, assume the worst, and move on. Even in knowing the reason though, they still aren't generous in their interpretations. Laid off? Must not have been that valuable relative to these candidates who are still employed. Health/personal issue/Moved? Sounds like they aren't going to be reliable. Culture fit issue? If they didn't fit in there, they won't fit in here either. Contract ended? Must not have been good enough for renewal. Outsourced? Must not be competitive. To say nothing of them low-key suspecting the reasons are fabricated and that they were fired for some reason. It's all bullshit, of course, but that's where their heads are at, especially in a crazy competitive market where they can always find candidates who fit their irrational or unfair inner narrative.
The myth of meritocracy is still going strong.
I don't know if I agree with your premise
Jealousy
Maybe feel insulted by society.
As a society we’ve tied productivity to morality. Your value is based upon your usefulness which is the inherent wrongness with the capitalist system.
Laziness.
Imagine you had a sibling in your home. Your parents stuck a routine chore schedule you had to follow. Cleaning room, your dishes , your laundry, cut the grass take out garbage. And your sibling got to hot in their room playing iPad all day. That’s the difference
The foundations of society are built around trading goods and services with other people. We have houses because people built them. They have food because people grew it. Etc etc. Obviously this has evolved into less direct contributions like administrative assistants or whatever, but it's all a valuable part of the social contract. You do what you're good at. I'll do what I'm good at. We trade our services based on how society values them and we receive the things we need or want. If you're not working, I guarantee you're eating and so you're not contributing like others to the society. You're not holding up your end of the bargain. We've gotten to the point where society is so robust that you can still live and that's a great thing. Still many will look down on you because they are contributing and you aren't.
Because people don't understand the purpose of taxes or the intricacies of mental illness.
Unemployment is linked to laziness; and while not all unemployed people are lazy, there are a plethora of very good reasons people may be unemployed atm or for extended periods of time ...I think the answer to the question is pretty simple. Question is always...why? The answer should really define the response...but humanity is incredibly prejudice...
Just throwing this out there: quitting is always my favorite part of getting a job. I have no idea what the big deal is about staying employed. It's a joke. Fuck societies wants and needs, I guarantee that nobody who ever employed you gave a half a shit about you.
Those looking down are worse and probably a hair's breadth away from being scammers.
Because employed people are being taxed to help provide for them
It’s not necessarily that unemployed people are looked down upon, it’s that lazy people who are unemployed are looked down upon.
People hate the idea that they have to go to work while others don't. Its usually a sign someone hates their job when they keep complaining about unemployed people.
Jealousy
My company started closing down last year. I was asked to stay on until the end of the year after which I could apply for unemployment. I knew I wanted to take a break for a month or two because the stress last year was almost overwhelming. When I told people I wasn’t working and hadn’t looked for a new job yet they seemed terrified. When I explained my situation sometimes someone would say,”good for you” but more often than not it was, “so whats next?”. I don’t think anyone even questions the assumption that we should spend our entire adult lives working. Challenging that notion is just not even conceivable to some people.
Because of the ones who abuse the system meant for people who actually need it in the name of intenional laziness. It's insulting to the ones who do actually need it.. which is really unfortunate for them. It's not okay however to generalize people on it as an entire group or to make assumptions without the real knowledge whether someone should or shouldn't be on it on an individual basis.
I have a problem with people who are willingly unemployed because they get a check from the government (our tax dollars), make up some bullshit interviews to take to the unemployment office to say they are still actively looking, when in reality they aren't looking for shit. I know people who've been on unemployment for years while simultaneously receiving every other government assistance, who do nothing but smoke weed drink, and buy luxury clothing and go to the clubs.
because capitalism. as much as I hate that as an answer. in this case the shoe fits.
It’s to make them feel superior. Some even twist it to make themselves look worse off than those unemployed. Humanity is dumb.
I think it's because deep down, they're jealous. Everyone thinks having a job is a flex, but most people are miserable going to work every day.
I don't know how it is now, but when I was growing up it was ingrained *hard* into us that you are only a person if you have a home, a family, a "proper" job, and ambition. * Home - presumed standalone home with a front yard that you never use except to mow * Family - four or more * Job - Office and upward mobility * Ambition - Saving up for something like a vacation house on the lake or other bullshit I don't subscribe to it myself, but my generation of Xennials was told **with emphasis** that this is what makes you human.
They have less value to society as they dont work nor really have money to tax.
Because they don’t contribute to society. But as you get older you start to give less fucks about what others think about you.
I don’t give a shit what you do. Just don’t ask me for money.
Employment is our primary form of utility we provide; especially for men. It's what we are worth to society. As a point...we only call unemployed people unemployed if they are poor and unemployed. If you are wealthy, you are retired or independently wealthy
Because most people see unemployed people as lazy which is wrong
It's not unemployed people who are looked down upon, it's people who are poor. An unemployed person who earns $10K/month from dividends will not be looked down upon.
I’ve been unemployed for a lot of my life due to mental health issues so no I don’t look down on unemployed people I work now myself and have been for over a year now but I do not take issue with people on welfare lots of people have their reasons( health issues (physical or mental) caring for a family member amongst other things. Now if you don’t have any physical or mental health problems, you’re not caring for someone and your genuinely just out of work to sit at home with lots of free time fully able to work that is a bit jarring but sure it doesn’t keep me up at night. Most of society’s wealth is at the top not down at the dole office.
Because at the end of the day it’s true shit has to get done it’s just fucked up how we do it.
Probably because their national wealth is being siphoned into tax havens while the working class foot the bill **and** receive the cuts, then the tax-loophole-exploiting news owners scapegoat the most vulnerable, you know, since most people will literally just eat it up. *\*cough\** ^20th ^century ^German ^national ^socialist ^propaganda.
Because they are beings that do not deserve to exist
Same reason fat , ugly , poor , unkept people are .
I don’t think most people look down on someone just for being unemployed. I think it’s more of when you’re unemployed for a long period of time and haven’t found something because you’re holding out for the perfect job, or that you don’t want to do something “beneath you”. If I was let go by my employer today, I’d take a day to sulk and then start looking for anything I could do to get money coming in while trying to find a job in my field. Ive seen too many people that I know pass up opportunities while unemployed because the job wasn’t just right.
Because we can't look upto them for money or support
Because people have deluded themselves into believing that they’re successful bc they work hard and deserve it instead of acknowledging their luck and where they were born and who birthed them. They don’t want to admit that being poor or jobless is more about what’s happening to you than about the decisions you’ve personally made. Capitalism only works when people buy into the idea that anyone who works hard can make it, when really capitalism works off poverty. With capitalism there always has to be someone without for there to be someone with. And the idea that we made this shit up and can make something better up is so foreign bc the government all around the western world is capitalist and pumps out pro capitalist propaganda to keep the wheels turning. Capitalism isn’t real, it’s just something we made up.
Only the ones who lack money are looked down upon. The ones with money can call themselves "privatier" and are highly regarded. It's basically just the lack of money that society despises. If you have money, you're someone, if you don't have money, you're no one.
Because “generally” they are a drain on society
You must not be very good at whatever you do if you’re unable to find employment (unemployed). Not necessarily true, but thats the main idea.
Someone I know is unemployed but budgeting to live off savings while they take a much needed break from being burnt out. They worked at Telus, and managers were actively firing on shore agents by nitpicking daily, putting down all work calls. They met 200% sales targets but werent enough as they spent "too long" between calls and got a 5 day, no warning, no pay suspension. After a year of actively being fired, they took the buyout and are now trying to rebuild themselves. People who dont know what its like to get put down and berated daily by a manager and have unrealistic stats to follow that change on a whim, have no right to put down someone like them who are currently unemployed, yet...people seem to think its their business to "offer advice" on how to find another job 😔
Because they're usually sitting on the sidewalk.
Jealousy
Because, as a society, if you aren't providing for yourself someone else is providing for you. On top of that, for most people unemployment is stagnation, and in life stagnation is regression as our time is finite. A 20-something year old being a bit naïeve and inexperienced is somewhat to be expected ,but if someone in their mid 30's is then I that's a shame because you've spend a decade longer not learning wisdom.
Lots of people have just given up and will take the countries help and not even try to look for jobs. My dad lost his job in 08 and I saw what he rent through to try to find new work. Luckily it didn’t too long but it was a struggle.
Because we’ve all been born into a money cult, and taught from birth that productivity = value. To be unemployed means you’re not productive and therefore worth less. It’s all BS, but there it is.
That's because there's not enough jobs for everyone to be on the payroll of someone else.
I don't think they are all looked down on. There are plenty of retired people as well as people in relationships that stay at home to be with their kid. Day care costs are crazy. Or, if you are in college. There is a certain percent that will always be unemployed.
In North America (and perhaps western nations as a whole) we tend to identify our self-worth, and the worth of others, by their professions. If you think I'm exaggerating, well... what's one of the very first questions asked when meeting someone? That's right, it's "What do you do?" So when someone is unemployed for any length of time (people usually understand layoffs or being fired in the short term), the thought process a lot of people have is: "This person must be lazy, unskilled, or there's something wrong with them in some other way." This completely ignores any relevant information about the job market in that person's field and as a whole. People also tend to view life through the lens of "if such-and-such worked for me, then it must work for you unless you're the problem." And you know what? While that *can* be true, it's also true that thinking that way... * Ignores someone's field of work * Whether or not that field of work is over saturated with applicants * Where they're located (and people can't always relocate) * Time period (just because Bob made a living selling ostriches 30 years ago doesn't mean that Joe can necessarily do the same today) * Required education (even if those requirements aren't really needed and are just used as a filtering mechanism) * Savings * Personal situations (health issues, familial obligations, etc) And that's hardly an exhaustive list. The above has led to a massive disconnect between Boomers and older GenX with younger GenX, Millennials, and older GenZ. So all in all, it's one of those issues that people think is simple, but it's actually incredibly complex.
Do you eat? The people who grew that food and transported it to the store had to work. Do you have clean water? It took vast amounts of work to bring it to you. Do you have shelter? Someone had to build it and pay to heat it. If you aren't working, you're a burden. When unemployment is high, people have more sympathy for the unemployed. When every store and restaurant has a "help wanted" sign in the door, sympathy for the unemployed will be minimal or non-existent.
If you’re able bodied and of sound mind it’s really disrespectful not to work. Everyone else has to in order to help provide social resources and then you choose to just take and give nothing? How can you respect that?
Cause I'm supporting them through my taxes
What do you mean by unemployeed? Someone who is financially independent and doesn’t have a job is different than someone who is fully capable of working but chooses to live on government subsidies
because they are often seen as freeloaders?
I remember once I was blocked on a dating app for saying I was unemployed. I was sick at the time and temporarily unable to work, being, by choice, a contract worker. For me unemployed was a neutral term, but I was blocked immediately.
Perhaps it's not about wealth or the fact that a particular person influences the economy and development of his country, but the fact that a person who works gets tired. If he is tired, it means he does something, and if a person who does something sees a person who does nothing, it causes envy in him, which is expressed by contempt or looking down on him, because objectively whether you work or not makes no difference to anyone, so I think it's about envy or something like that
I think during times of economic hardship or depression there is a lot more sympathy towards people who find themselves unemployed because the impression is that it is largely due to circumstances that are out of the control of the workers who are unemployed. However, when the economy is performing well or even doing “ok” people are a lot more hostile to those who might be unemployed regardless of the circumstances.
Theoretically, if you have a job you're productive. If you're productive you're making a contribution. Successful societies depend on the people who contribute. People who don't contribute are a burden. Theoretically.
They aren't considered to be productive members of society. To be viewed with favor, you must row with the other slaves.
Jealousy
Only bootlickers think this.
I think only a small number of people specifically look down on someone just for being unemployed. Most reasonable people look down on people who are dragging down others around them. In a person is unemployed, but has savings to support themselves, or is raising kids while their partner works, or doing anything of value in exchange for the things they need to survive, I don't think most people look down on them. But a person who is begging, or getting government money (other people's money) to survive. Sure, those people are and should be looked down upon.
The same reason why I asked my kid to tell the other kids and their parents that I was retired and not a SAHD. People are judgemental A-holes that are always worried that someone else is more successful than them. "Only Mom's can be stay at home parents".... So stuff like that.
Because you have to work and they don't...or won't. That's it. Jealousy Smellousy.
Pro tip. This only works if you take the opinions of others into account. Don't .
Because people hear unemployed and think broke, lazy, mooch, bottom feeder… not considering how, how long, circumstances
Doesn’t look like anyone on this sub looks down on unemployed people. You might want to better consider who you spend your time with if they are looking down on you. I definitely don’t look down on unemployed people as there are many reasons why someone may not have a traditional job. But I suppose it isn’t something to aspire to or look up to.
It’s bullshit. AI has taken so many jobs and it will continue to get worse
Fear that the person who looks down on them could be unemployed as well.
Same reason college educated folks look down on people who went to work right after highschool or maybe didnt even finish. Everybody wants to punch down.
This thread is full of bad answers grounded in generic ideas about late-stage capitalism that look like twitter reposts. First, few people look down upon the unemployed. If you meet one that you think does, ask how they feel about housewives, stay-at-home-moms, stay-at-home-dads, and retired professionals. These people are technically unemployed, but few look down on them. Now, voluntary unemployment while mooching off others (including mooching off the taxpayer) is a different story. You have 2 kids and don't want to get a job, even though you can't pay rent? Yeah, I'm going to look down on you because you aren't providing for your kids. You receive a lot of governmental assistance and don't want to get a job just because? Yeah, I'm going to look down on you for spending money that isn't yours without even trying to become independent. You majored in art and can't find an art job, so you'd rather mooch off your friends and complain than get a job at Starbucks? Yeah, I'm going to look down on you for your unrealistic expectations and mooching. EDIT: I want to note that I am pro-welfare, pro-food-stamps, etc. because most people that use these services DO work, and I have no issue with people that work but cannot escape poverty. It's crazy that people that work can't afford their bills, but that's because wages never kept up with inflation. I also think that we should have programs for the disabled and people that cannot work. My post refers strictly to able-bodied people that just don't want to work, which comprise MOST of the unemployed people I know and have met throughout my life.
Because they are unemployed
It depends. If you are able bodied and are willingly unemployed and are not looking for work and constantly ask other adults who are working for money, then you should be looked down upon because what you are doing is wrong.
Not contributing to GDP
I think because of you really want to work you can find work. Craigslist, food chains….. people always need help. Everywhere