Singularity Part 3 - The Age of Interests: How Purpose Replaces Paychecks
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With machines handling survival tasks, attention becomes the scarce resource — here how to finding meaningful pursuits.
When machines take over survival tasks — production, logistics, routine diagnosis, even large parts of analysis — the thing that remains uniquely human is attention.
The Singularity converts labor scarcity into attention scarcity. That’s the good news. The harder news is that most of our institutions still assume meaning comes from a paycheck.
The Age of Interests flips that assumption. Interests are sustained engagements that require curiosity, judgment, craft, and relational investment. They are not disposable hobbies. They are what we do when survival is no longer negotiated month to month by wage labor.
This is practical. Let’s explore what interests look like in a post-work world, how to find them, how to structure a life around them, and how communities can help us replace paychecks with purpose.
How Interests Differ from Jobs
Jobs ask for compliance, repeatability, and measurable output. Interests demand attention, experimentation, and long-form practice.
| Job | Interest | |
| Motivation | extrinsically motivated (pay) | intrinsically motivated (curiosity, mastery, contribution) |
| Time Horizon | reward short cycles | reward accumulation over years |
| Value Creation | convert labor into market value | create a mix of market value, public goods, and personal meaning |
| Scalability | scale by replicating labor | scale through community, storytelling, and craft |
What Interests You?
Below is a map of pursuits people will gravitate toward once survival is secured.
Exploration & Place
- Remote travel and field reporting
- Deep-sea exploration and ocean stewardship
- Rewilding and watershed restoration
- Off-grid home design and community building
- Local history and oral traditions
Craft & Making
- Woodworking, metalworking, toolcraft
- Ceramics, glassblowing, artisan production
- Restoration of vintage vehicles or boats
- Textile arts and natural dyeing
- Experimental cuisine and fermentation
Knowledge & Storytelling
- Long-form writing and investigative projects
- Documentary filmmaking or audio storytelling
- Oral history and archival work
- Genealogy and community memory projects
- Public scholarship and education
Care & Stewardship
- Regenerative agriculture and permaculture
- Urban gardening and seed preservation
- Wildlife rehabilitation and animal care
- Community health networks
- Intergenerational mentorship
Creative Tech & Synthesis
- Generative art and immersive installations
- Educational VR/AR for public good
- Citizen science platforms
- DIY electronics, robotics, maker culture
- Civic tech and systems design
Sport, Movement & Contemplation
- Endurance sports and expedition leadership
- Somatic practices and embodied therapies
- Meditation and contemplative retreats
Civic & Public Goods
- Community organizing and revitalization
- Co-op governance and mutual aid
- Public spaces: libraries, repair cafes, studios
- Participatory arts and cultural development
How to Find an Interest That Matters
Most people think interests “just happen.” The truth: they’re built through deliberate experimentation.
- The 90-Day Rule: Commit to 90 days of consistent practice — four to six hours a week. Long enough to test, short enough to pivot.
- Narrow the Input: One book, one long-form piece, five strong examples. Go deep, not wide.
- Build a Micro-Project: Create something tangible: a photo series, a small garden, a short documentary. Completion matters.
- Find Accountability: Join a mentor group or a three-person learning loop. Consistency beats enthusiasm.
- Measure Feeling, Not ROI: After 90 days, ask: Do I lose track of time? Do I seek more complexity here? Am I willing to trade attention for mastery?
Structuring Life Around Interests
Shifting from paycheck-first to interest-first requires scaffolding.
- Time architecture: block deep stretches — weeks, not just hours.
- Financial buffers: plan a phased transition with savings or dividends.
- Social scaffolding: join studios, co-ops, or fellowships for tools and community.
- Portfolio building: document projects publicly. Your portfolio becomes the new résumé.
- Hybrid models: monetize selectively — teaching, commissions, small markets — while keeping core practice free from pressure.
Community, Co-ops, and New Institutions
Interests thrive in reciprocity. The institutions that matter will be small, local, and networked.
- Co-ops that own tools and compute
- Fellowships funding creative or civic projects
- Repair cafes, maker spaces, public studios
- Apprenticeship networks linking generations
- Platforms designed for attention, not addiction
Scaling Without Turning Interests Back Into Work
The danger is monetizing everything and recreating the wage trap. The solution is balance.
- Keep non-monetized practice zones
- Contribute public goods that enrich community
- Monetize selectively where it sustains, not dominates
Interested in Exploring Your Interests?
- Pick one interest and run a 90-day experiment
- Document your progress weekly
- Join or create a three-person accountability loop
- Finish one public deliverable at the end
- Plan your finances for a phased transition
The Age Of Interests Is Not A Utopia
It demands new institutions, civic investment, and moral clarity. But it is an opportunity to reclaim attention from commodified labor and re-anchor lives in craft, care, and curiosity. When survival is guaranteed, the real question becomes: what will you devote your attention to?
Next in the series → Singularity Part 4: Risks and Safeguards — How We Design a Humane Singularity
SINGULARITY - the Four Part Series:
- Part 1 - Defining the Singularity: When Speed Outruns Our Ability to Keep Up
- Part 2 — What Happens to Work: The Collapse of Jobs-as-Identity
- Part 3 - The Age of Interests: How Purpose Replaces Paychecks
- Part 4 - Risks and Safeguards: How We Design a Humane Singularity
