We are more than our output.

The modern economy and cost of doing business continue to be plagued by an injustice to the human soul. There was a time when the adage, “Those who don’t work, don’t eat” was very real and innately understood. A way of living where survival translated to waking and working together in tribes to hunt, plant, gather, and prepare literally meant everyone had a responsibility in the community to provide for themselves and each other. Foundational to the essence of our evolutionary being and past, every person is born and designed to be a contributor. 

As humanity evolved, so has society. Thanks to industrialization, society is no longer bound by the limits of our daily survival needs. We have businesses, machines, and the people involved in the production and distribution of food that provide this invaluable service at a mass scale never dreamed of by our ancient ancestors. Although imperfect and at risk of exploitation, solutions like industrialized food production that deliver mass outputs have not only saved humanity from widespread hunger, malnutrition, and disease, but enabled our ability to grow our families, nations, and expand our horizons across the human experience.

Today, people find their purpose in farming and creating nutritious food experiences, while others devote their lives to the sciences, arts, education, public safety, healthcare, law, and more. In the modern industrialized economy, output—the product or service one provides—is the measure of success. The more you produce, create, serve, or exploit at scale with maximum profit margins, the greater your success.

For decades, McDonald’s tracked the number of hamburgers it sold, even posting the number on their restaurant signs across the country. Today, you might still find the phrase, “Billions and Billions Served.” It’s the epitome of an output-driven marketplace where the number becomes incalculable and no longer means anything. 

Hamburger production and sales can be easily tracked, calculated, and measured, even down to the amount of grass and water required for beef production to meet the needs of the business. Human costs, however, aren’t always that easy. Human capital—the measured cost and value of an individual—is always changing and often just as unique as the person filling the role.

Attempts to economize, systematize, and standardize people in the output economy are both tantalizing for profits and productivity, but rarely achievable. Child labor, human trafficking, slavery, and exploitation are the most grotesque examples from history that still exist in the world. The growing resentment toward big businesses like Amazon and Starbucks among employees and customers over the treatment of their “essential worker” force is a present-day sign of an economic system that continues to fail us. The output economy has diminishing returns.

Unlike the machines that produce the products we use or package the food we eat, people are complex creatures with an integrated physical-self, emotional-self, social-self, and spiritual-self. Each “self” is interacting in dynamic ways within its environment, shaping what makes us human—conscious, connected, and alive. There is far more to us than our measured outcomes. We don’t just seek to survive for another day, but thrive for another thousand years—it’s how evolution works.

If output is what we do, then input is what we receive. The input economy measures the shared responsibility of upholding the well-being of society because it values people over profits. The input economy is less concerned with an individual’s output but seeks to empower the unique contribution and purpose of every person. Publicly-funded education, healthcare, access to safe food and water, and affordable housing are examples of industrialized and post-industrialized solutions to the needs of a growing society. But the era we are embarking on requires more from us and each other. 

A hopeful vision for a better tomorrow understands that our current economic system and algorithms are at risk of dehumanizing the people that sustain them. Children matter. Education matters. Families matter. Safe and vibrant communities matter. Mobility and freedom matter. Healthcare matters. The elderly matter. Faith and religion matter. Profits and earnings matter. Political engagement matters. Humanity matters.

Everyone, everywhere has a purpose to fulfill in this world. It’s our shared responsibility to create a space for them—and us—to discover it. Output is what we do. Input is how we become.