&gt; not working no longer violates the social work norm, and life satisfaction consequently increases<p>Yes, this is critical.  There is much stigmatization of nonwork.  As we automate away more jobs, (as we should!) there will be less and less work to go around, and eventually not enough work for everybody who wants it.  We might already be there.<p>I agree that people get more out of work than money, but that&#x27;s not really the question (and also what if your job sucks?  I&#x27;d rather have money and no job than money and a terrible job).  The question is what do we do about the people for whom there is no job?  Right now what happens?  There&#x27;s always roaming around San Francisco panhandling I guess.  Or crime.  It&#x27;s not a coincidence that societies with robust welfare states have far lower crime and low or no homeless.<p>I&#x27;m all for people working if they want, but &quot;Get a job&quot; isn&#x27;t a real solution for a destitute person, or even for the working poor who already have a couple of jobs and are still broke.  Or even really for somebody with a job he&#x27;d rather quit.<p>There have been some good discussions on HN around basic income, too.  I think that would be an even better solution, really.<p>Anecdote: I&#x27;ve used welfare before and although having &quot;cash shoveled at me&quot; didn&#x27;t automatically make me happier, it did make it much easier to pay for food while I was in school with a garbage side job.  I certainly wouldn&#x27;t have been happier without it.