What is worthwhile work?

What would happen if no one went to work tomorrow?

It sounds like a simple thought experiment, but it exposes a fundamental truth about how our economy actually works. If work stopped, food would not be produced, care would not be delivered, services would collapse, and money itself would quickly become meaningless.

In this video, I explore why wealth is not money, but the result of human effort. Drawing on ideas from Adam Smith and beyond, I explain how real value is created through labour, care, creativity and contribution, much of which is unpaid and ignored.

I also argue that modern economics has lost sight of this. We have elevated finance above production, rewarded ownership over contribution, and built a system that undervalues the very activities that sustain our lives.

If we want a better economy, one that supports well-being, fairness and real productivity, we need to rethink what we mean by work and what we choose to value.