THE SECRET OF PRODUCTION

Seemingly complicated things aren’t usually very complicated. After all, an entire sky scraper is made of the same short list of materials used over and over again in different ways. In fact the entire universe appears to be made from just a little over 100 elements. Shakespeare only involves twenty six letters of the English alphabet. The information on the computer used to write this blog is done with just two characters: 0 and 1, on and off, however you describe it.

The secret seems to be in how these simple things are connected together in different ways. Knowing how to assemble the elements into a sky scraper is crucial or it will fall down. The variation of 100 chemical elements is phenomenon and accounts for all of the physical world and its manifestations. My words do not seem to be as well connected as William Shakespeare’s. Still, they have some meaning to them, even if not entirely clear.

So it isn’t the elements of production that make a product. It is how they are connected. This seems to be true at many more levels than objects, elements, or language. It is the strength of the connection, the number of connections, and even the types of connectors that makes a new product.

There are some connectors that are stronger than others. For example, a weld is probably stronger than bubble gum for holding things together. A staple is superior to a folded edge on two pieces of paper. The type of connection doesn’t always make the difference. Two staples are only slightly better than one because the paper will tear with the same stress. However, two welds may be better than one if the surfaces to be held together are large. And while a weld can’t be any stronger than a weld, more than one weld does add strength.

Holding things together to make connections can be difficult. In many cases it simply can’t be done with just two hands. That is when we enlist tables, vices and tools to help us temporally. Often the best help is another pair of hands. Hands have a way of holding things together that seems more organic than natural than tool benches. Even when one could get by, two extra hands often seem to be the best way to produce more.

So many people who are producers find that what they really must achieve is the cooperation of many more hands. This is a little in the face of the myth of the independent, strong American. We’ll do it all on our own, and we’ll do it our way. The only problem with that is that it isn’t probably possible and probably never was true. I am pretty sure of this, now, after a long lifetime of being somewhat of a loner. People who produce create communities.

These may be families, clubs, or business organizations. But humanity has not developed from loners surviving, but from banding together in communities with all the frustrations that entails. If the world were to fall apart tomorrow, families would not survive because they are “self-sufficient”. The families and people who would survive are those who have connections and value to other people. Those who have skills, friendships, and products to share will survive. Those who are trusted, needed, and generous will thrive.

WHAT DO WE NEED?

I hear a lot of talk about jobs. Everyone says the country needs more jobs. Yet I know many, many people with jobs who are not very happy. I suppose they are happier than if they could not pay their bills, but perhaps the problem is that they have too many bills to pay. I don’t know.

It just seems to me that historically jobs have not been society’s problem. Everyone had more than enough work to do taking care of their own work. Don’t misunderstand. I know that for much of history things were very hard for the common man. But usually poverty stemmed NOT from not having enough work to do. Historically poverty has usually stemmed from the fact that individual toil benefitted others than oneself: often royalty or government, but occasionally thieves and armies.

Today we need jobs because men have been removed from their work. Laying concrete all day pays a wage, but it is not very personally satisfying. Waiting on customers all day is less strenuous, but nearly drives people crazy. There seems to be more to life than a job and salary. Or at least many people think so.

There has also been a tremendous interest develop in entrepreneurship. I wonder why that is. It looks to me like owning one’s own business is a lot more risk and hard work than a job. Yet many want to own what they do. They even seem to work harder at their own enterprise than they do their jobs.

There is a common psychological list of people’s needs. It varies from time to time and from psychologist to psychologist. But generally it looks something like air, water, food, shelter (including clothes and housing), and energy for warmth and cooking. I find it interesting that psychologists never list work as essential to man’s well being. Yet humans are seldom idle. They may socialize and spend time in various forms of meditation. But they often spend their time beautifying, improving, and building. Art, music, poetry, tools, and better equipment seems to have occupied much of mankind’s time.

Maybe people need fewer bills and more demands. Maybe people would rather work for their own risks and rewards. Maybe people don’t need jobs, but businesses. Maybe we don’t need to create jobs, but farms and small factories. Maybe people need to work. Maybe people need to work for themselves as much as they need to work. Maybe it isn’t jobs we need at all.