Moby Slacker

“I would prefer not to” These are the words of Herman Melville’s Bartleby the scrivener, written in 1853. Bartleby was a scrivener, a creator of copies of complex legal documents. Although he was an industrious worker, when asked by his employer to assist in checking copies, he responded, “I would prefer not to”. These words are a personal declaration of independence in an industrial or postindustrial workplace.

The domination of masses by elites requires that we never speak these simple words. No excuses, no whining, just an honest statement of a personal preference. Uttering these simple words breaks the chains of peonage, freedom starts in your own mind. The difference between slave and free mentality lies in the ability to say these words unapologetically.

In my own life, I have used this affirmation and its liberating power several times. The most notable related to a client I once had whose business and financial practices did not appear to be “on the level” to me. I called the company president to inform him that I would no longer provide actuarial services. Typical for an arrogant executive, the president demanded to know why I had made this decision. I told him that a free man holds the right to refuse work that he prefers not to do. This was a liberating moment in my life.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.