Professional blogger, internet marketer and former international relations student, Mark Manson, talked about the future of our economy and imparted advice to students on how to adapt and succeed in it at the U on Friday.
“Things are different now,” Manson said. “A lot of the opportunities of the past generation aren’t there anymore, but the amazing thing for us is we don’t have to do things we don’t like.”
Manson said as technology progresses, businesses will grow with fewer people. He pointed out that regardless of what political philosophy is put into action, the economy will never be the same again.
“Even though the unemployment rate has gone down, that is because people have stopped looking for jobs,” Manson said. “Republicans can yell at Obama all they want, and Obama can yell at Congress all he wants, but the fact of the matter is that the jobs are not coming back.”
The departure of these traditional jobs doesn’t mean we are doomed, but it will require us to approach employment in a different way, Manson said. He believes we are shifting into an economy of recommendation — meaning people are buying based on social recommendation more than advertising. Manson said as we get more interconnected, this method will solidify itself as the new competitive edge.
Manson claimed in this new economy value will be derived from creativity, being able to build relationships and building some kind of unique experience. He elaborated on how these things could be achieved with examples including his own blog, PostMasculine.com, a self-help guide for men.
Jose Arteaga, a senior in civil engineering, agreed creative talents and relationship building are how people will offer strong value to the marketplace in the future.
In Manson’s opinion, people should be happy about the economic transition because it can help them gravitate toward doing things they love. He sees two ways someone could spend their life. They can either make a lot of money so they can do what they enjoy, or they can do what they love to make a lot of money.
“People think that ‘OK, I’ll work really hard, make money and buy myself awesome experiences,’ but you forget that work is an experience,” Manson said. “Work is what you spend half your waking hours doing. So if your work experience is an unpleasant experience, then half of your life is going to be an unpleasant life.”
Manson originally subscribed to the “make a lot of money so you can do what you love” philosophy, but he quickly found it unfulfilling.
“I wanted to be an investment banker, which is kind of embarrassing to admit now,” Manson said. “I had these big grandiose ideas about, you know, being on Wall Street and taking a helicopter to the Hamptons and hanging out with supermodels and doing cocaine. It didn’t really work out that way.”
After only three months working in investment banking, he quit his job to pursue his actual interests and their monetizations.
Manson is passionate about travel and is proud that he has been to 46 countries and lived in 10 of them. He views the freedom granted by the internet as one of the greatest benefits of the shift our economy is experiencing.
“I can live just as well in South America or Asia for 30 percent of the price, and I can still do my work laying in bed in my underwear,” Manson said.