When It Hurts To Be Decent and Smart

Social malaise in the upper middle class.

I got ghosted for an interview today. It’s not the first time. It probably won’t be the last. I’m running out of runway. I wonder if it is practical to be ambitious in the disconnected society we have become. Here’s my reasoning, face to face. On the other hand, I have two more interviews this week because I’m using AI to help me work the employment game. It’s all kind of disheartening. Thank you all so much for subscribing. I’ll do more writing soon.

---

Chapter: Navigating Modern Work and Society Through the Lens of the Peasant Theory

Introduction: Understanding the Peasant Theory and Its Contemporary Relevance

• [00:00:01 ~ 00:01:23]
  Michael David Cobb Bowen opens with a personal reflection on his current life situation as a data engineer navigating unemployment and an evolving economic landscape. The main topic centers on his Peasant Theory, a conceptual framework he developed about 10-15 years ago to understand social and economic classes in America, especially the broad middle class. This framework examines how political shifts towards populism and economic changes impact individuals’ ability to find work and maintain economic stability.

• The Peasant Theory divides society functionally into three classes: the elites (ruling class), the genius class(those with exceptional intellectual or creative skills serving the elites), and the broad peasant class (comprising about 85% of the population, including various middle-class roles).

• This theory is significant because it contextualizes the social and economic struggles experienced by many Americans today, including the speaker’s own challenges with employment, and relates them to structural societal changes.

Key Concepts:

• Peasant Theory: A model categorizing society into elites, geniuses, and peasants based on function and influence.

• Elite Class: The ruling decision-makers who set rules and exert power.

• Genius Class: Skilled individuals who serve the elites, often intellectual or technical experts.

• Peasant Class: The majority working or middle class, which sustains society but lacks elite power.

• Populist Politics: Political movements appealing to the general population, often at the expense of principled governance.

• Meritocracy: A societal system where advancement is based on ability and talent rather than privilege.

---

Because it’s like that and that’s the way it is.

Section 1: The Current Job Market and the Role of AI in Employment

• [00:02:11 ~ 00:07:18]
  Bowen discusses his personal experience as a data engineer currently unemployed but engaging with AI tools to enhance his job search and work processes. He notes that AI has changed the way he codes and thinks, allowing him to delegate routine tasks to machines and focus on higher-level intellectual work, a shift from his traditional role within organizations that optimize employee time and skills.

• The job market has become highly impersonal and bureaucratic, with thousands of applications submitted for single positions, forcing the use of AI-driven resume optimization and automated application submissions. Websites like Indeed, Glassdoor, LinkedIn, and services like Robert Half and Apply Me automate much of this process.

• However, this volume-driven approach leads to a lottery-like system where applicants rarely receive personalized feedback or communication. Recruiters, often located in different time zones and with varying communication skills, further complicate the hiring process.

• This reflects a broader trend where human resources (HR) practices have deteriorated, becoming politically cautious and lacking constructive feedback, which hinders meaningful employment connections.

Key Points:

• AI is transforming job search strategies but also depersonalizing the hiring process.

• Thousands of applications per job create an overwhelming volume, making quality assessment difficult.

• HR’s political niceties prevent honest feedback, leading to frustration among job seekers.

• Recruiters’ incentives prioritize volume over quality placements.

---

Section 2: The Social Classes and the Peasant Theory’s Framework

• [00:10:01 ~ 00:14:43]
  Expanding on the Peasant Theory, Bowen identifies the three functional classes:

• Elites: The ruling class who create the rules and hold ultimate decision-making power.

• Genius Class: The intellectual and creative professionals serving elites, possessing merit and specialized knowledge.

• Peasant Class: The broad middle class including blue-collar and white-collar workers, middle management, and others.

• He emphasizes that the term peasant is not derogatory but descriptive of a class that lacks elite power yet sustains society. Importantly, he argues that meritocracy, while eroding, still exists and shapes social mobility.

• The elites have become complacent and corrupt, gaming democracy to maintain power, which undermines true meritocracy and causes frustration within the genius class. This leads to a defensive posture among geniuses who fear losing status or being “cancelled” for speaking uncomfortable truths.

• The elites, according to Bowen, behave like rule-makers who selectively acknowledge facts that support their interests, disregarding inconvenient truths, which facilitates systemic corruption.

Key Points:

• Society is functionally divided into elites, geniuses, and peasants.

• Meritocracy is under siege due to elite complacency and manipulation.

• The genius class is pressured to conform, suppressing honest discourse.

• The ruling elite selectively govern based on political expediency rather than truth.

---

Remember when we could just fly on airplanes?

Section 3: Cultural and Social Implications of Elite Complacency and Populism

• [00:15:29 ~ 00:27:50]
  Bowen explores the social consequences of elite complacency and populist politics:

• Participation trophies and helicopter parenting symbolize how elites create inside games and protected environments that limit genuine merit-based advancement for the middle class.

• Public discourse has become cynical, dominated by conspiracy theories and distrust of elites, who are often portrayed as Bond villains exploiting the masses for personal gain.

• The media and institutions increasingly monetize societal extremes — what Bowen calls “everything porn” — from hatred to violence to sexual content, which leads to widespread societal mistrust and psychological harm.

• Society’s response is to erect barriers and screens designed to protect from these extremes, but these measures often insult the average person’s intelligence and civility, assuming worst-case behaviors rather than defaulting to common decency.

• The result is a culture of suspicion and double standards, where a significant portion of society is assumed to need special help or subsidies, perpetuating dependency and cynicism.

• This dynamic accelerates systemic corruption and undermines social cohesion.

Key Facts:

• 85% of the population is in the peasant class, shaping societal function.

• Media framing and social norms exacerbate distrust between classes.

• Monetization of extreme behaviors distorts societal expectations and ethics.

---

Personalization vs history.

Section 4: The Erosion of Social Skills and Community in the Age of AI and Social Media

• [00:32:22 ~ 00:37:34]
  Bowen expresses concern over the rise of a managerial class in business lacking genuine people skills, compounded by social changes such as smaller families and pervasive social media.

• He reflects on his upbringing as the eldest of five children, where responsibilities and social roles were naturally passed down, fostering maturity and interpersonal competencies. Modern families tend to be smaller, and social media channels fragment and monetize individual identity, reducing common social bonds.

• This fragmentation risks creating a “surf economy” driven by AI and populism, where interpersonal skills and human connection diminish, and society becomes less resilient.

• Additionally, social media and generational divides foster new languages and in-groups, which can alienate the broader middle class and deepen elitism.

• There is worry that younger generations, shaped by these dynamics, may lack the social and emotional foundations for stable relationships and community life.

Key Points:

• Smaller families and social media reduce opportunities for social skill development.

• A “surf economy” driven by AI risks eroding human connections.

• Generational and cultural fragmentation exacerbates social isolation.

---

Section 5: A Call for Fairness, Integrity, and Common Decency in Society

• [00:38:15 ~ 00:41:50]
  In conclusion, Bowen advocates for a society that emphasizes fairness, trust, and common decency, values that transcend class and professional boundaries.

• He highlights the importance of integrity, self-discipline, and merit as foundations for a functioning society, lamenting the current environment where people feel forced to survive within corrupt or indifferent systems rather than thrive.

• Bowen stresses that society should avoid assuming corruption as the norm and instead work actively to identify and reduce it, fostering an environment where people can trust each other and institutions.

• He shares his personal values drawn from life roles such as father, brother, husband, and professional, illustrating a consistent commitment to treating people fairly and with respect.

• Nostalgia for a time when employment was more personal and direct underlines his concern over the current fragmented and impersonal job market and social interactions.

• Ultimately, he calls for a renewed sense of community and trust, recognizing that technological and social changes require deliberate effort to maintain human dignity and social cohesion.

Key Takeaways:

• Societal well-being depends on fairness, trust, and integrity.

• Corruption must be confronted, not accepted as inevitable.

• Personal responsibility and common decency remain vital.

• Technology and social change must be balanced with human connection.

---

Summary of Main Takeaways

• The Peasant Theory offers a functional view of American society divided into elites, geniuses, and peasants, highlighting the challenges facing the broad middle class.

• The job market is increasingly automated and depersonalized, making employment a volume-driven lottery rather than a merit-based process.

• Elite complacency and manipulation of democracy erode meritocracy, causing frustration and defensive behavior among skilled professionals.

• Society’s focus on extremes and monetization of outliers fosters mistrust and psychological harm, leading to protective but insulting social barriers.

• Social fragmentation—through smaller families, social media, and generational divides—threatens the development of essential people skills and community bonds.

• A societal renewal emphasizing fairness, trust, common decency, and merit is necessary to counteract current cynicism and systemic inefficiencies.

• Personal integrity and consistent ethical behavior remain critical to navigating and improving the fractured modern landscape.

---

This chapter encapsulates Michael David Cobb Bowen’s thoughtful critique of modern economic and social dynamics through his lived experience and the Peasant Theory framework. It underscores the urgent need to restore meaningful human connection, honest meritocracy, and ethical leadership in an era of rapid technological change and societal fragmentation.

We’re all in the same gym, but some have venture capital.