Take the much-trailed proposition by our current Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, that the one way of getting rid of homelessness is to persecute those who are homeless. This is entirely in keeping with her notion of discouraging organised criminals from trafficking refugees from across the continent, by persecuting the refugees. Despite the hype and pre-briefing, this ridiculous proposition did not actually appear in any of the legislative proposals published this week.
But there are vastly more forms of employment which are not only better undertaken by people with emotions and who can empathise with each other, but also where the work itself is critical to the psychological and physical well-being of those carrying it out. Of course, there are many people who retire early, who find all kinds of meaningful activity to fill their lives. From volunteering to gardening, caring for others – including elderly parents – or the joy of grandchildren.