There is a story we tell ourselves about work. It goes like this: humans need employment the way they need water — without it, they wither, lose purpose, and fall into despair. This story feels true. It feels ancient. It feels like biology. But when you actually look at the biology, what you find is something far more interesting, far more hopeful, and far more demanding than the simple equation of labor with meaning. This essay is the first in a series that attempts to do something ambitious...

There is a story we tell ourselves about work. It goes like this: humans need employment the way they need water — without it, they wither, lose purpose, and fall into despair. This story feels true. It feels ancient. It feels like biology. But when you actually look at the biology, what you find is something far more interesting, far more hopeful, and far more demanding than the simple equation of labor with meaning. This essay is the first in a series that attempts to do something ambitious...