109: Dennis Nørmark | Are We Really Free? Pseudo-Work & Unfreedom: How Work & Society Keep Us Trapped

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Much of modern work is defined by routine, efficiency targets, and the need to appear productive. But how much of it is actually necessary? Dennis Nørmark, Danish anthropologist, author, and speaker, argues that a significant part of today’s work culture is built on pseudo-work—tasks that maintain appearances rather than create real value. As the co-author of Pseudo-Work: How We Ended Up Being Busy Doing Nothing, he examines why unnecessary work persists and how it shapes our perception of productivity. In I Wish My Boss Was a Chief, he applies leadership lessons from indigenous cultures to modern management, questioning whether our current systems are as effective as we assume.

This conversation explores how unfreedom has become a feature of work and society, limiting personal agency and reinforcing structures of control. Predictions from a century ago suggested that technological progress would reduce working hours, yet most people today work as much as ever. Why has this happened? How do schools, workplaces, and governments encourage dependence rather than autonomy? And what can be done to reclaim control over our time and choices?

Key Topics

• What pseudo-work is and why it persists
• How bureaucracy and control shape modern work culture
• The shift from work as necessity to work as identity
• Why predictions of reduced working hours never materialized
• How education reinforces compliance rather than independence
• Rethinking work, freedom, and personal agency

Dennis Nørmark challenges assumptions about work and productivity, raising questions about what it means to contribute meaningfully in a system that values busyness over results.

🗓️ Recorded February 20th, 2025. 📍 Finhan, France

📚 Connect with Dennis Nørmark

• English Website: https://www.dennisnormark.com
• Danish Website: https://www.dennisnormark.dk
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennis-nørmark-speaker

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