Is Everything a Scam? A Live Interrogation of Modern Life
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“It’s as if someone were out there making up pointless jobs just for the sake of keeping us all working.”
—David Graeber, Bullshit Jobs: A Theory
David Graeber argued that millions of people waste their lives doing jobs that even they secretly believe shouldn’t exist. But what if the problem isn’t just jobs? What if whole industries are built on illusion, performance, and ritual: designed not to solve problems, but to sustain themselves?
What if the real economy isn’t just inefficient, it’s a beautifully orchestrated scam?
In this special Socrates Café session, we’ll explore the radical idea that many pillars of modern life e.g., education, wellness, work, even love aren’t broken systems. They’re functioning scams: selling hope, meaning, and status, while delivering stress, debt, and self-doubt.
Not just Ponzi schemes and cults. We're talking legal scams. Emotional rackets. Cultural grifts. The ones we willingly buy into again and again because they scratch itches we can’t stop scratching.
How It Works: The Scam Carousel
- Pick Your Poison
In groups, you'll choose one of the following sectors (or alternative of your choice) to investigate as a scam:
- 🎓 Education
- 🏥 Healthcare
- 💼 Work & Hustle Culture
- 🧘♀️ Wellness & Self-Help
- 💌 Love, Relationships and dating apps
- 🗳️ Democracy
- ☸️ Expert Financial Advice and consumer debt
- 🌱 Sustainability & Recycling
- 🪑 Furniture & Home Décor
- 🍽️ Food & Dining
- 👗 Fashion & Clothing
- ✈️ Travel & Tourism
- Build the Case
Act as a Scam Tribunal. Use this format to build your prosecution:
- What’s the bait? (The promise)
- What’s the hook? (How people get pulled in)
- What’s the inertia? (Why they stay)
- Who benefits?
- Why do we believe?
- Pitch It
Deliver a short, sharp takedown to the whole group. Be bold. Be funny. Be unforgiving. Bonus points for absurd slogans or viral-sounding scams. - Debrief & Debate
As a whole group, we’ll ask:
- Is this really a scam? Or just flawed? Or even a virtue?
- Would we invent this system today if it didn’t exist?
- Redemption Round
Flip the frame. Each group now picks one thing that deserves to survive.
Defend it against accusations of being a scam. Why is it real? Can it be saved? - Whole Group Discussion Questions
- What separates a genuine institution from a beautifully packaged scam?
- Is it still a scam if both sides benefit?
- Are we wired to fall for systems that flatter, soothe, or scare us?
- What - if anything - deserves our trust?
Optional Reading:
David Graeber – Bullshit Jobs a Theory: https://strikemag.org/bullshit-jobs/
Time Magazine – The Golden Age of [Criminal] Scams: The Age of Scams | TIME
James Carrier - Soul Sucking Jobs that Add Little Value - Bullshit Jobs - Soul sucking jobs that add little value - PeopleShift %
Wikipedia – Racketeering: Racketeering - Wikipedia