• Quick visual breakdown on “not caring” as a superpower
• Curated topics affecting us & Good News stories
• Feature Story: Men Who Won’t Work
• Today’s Poll
• Face The Facts (& do something about ’em)
• Hidden solutions for our 55+ crowd
• 🍩Reply to this email with “donut” for a chance to win a Dunkin Donuts gift code!

Trying New Things By “Not Caring”

My son got the best advice when he trained in Jiu Jitsu. A brown belt guy told him that he got better once he stopped caring about looking foolish (getting tapped out). Not caring sounds crazy, but is helpful if used right.

Curated Countdown

Feature Story

Men Who Won’t Work

The problem is...

• A boatload of American men, particularly aged 25-54, are dropping out of the workforce
• Only 89% of working-age men are employed or seeking work, down from 97% in 1950
• About 10.5% of prime-age men (6.8 million) are neither employed nor looking for jobs
• Expansion of social safety nets allows able-bodied men to mooch off the system or women
• Dissatisfaction with capitalist society & job options

7 organizations that can help you

• Mike Rowe Foundation
• American Enterprise Institute
• Brookings Institution
• Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
• Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Georgetown University's Good Jobs Project
• Pew Research Center

How you can get involved to help

• Mentor young men in your community
• Support local job training programs
• Volunteer with organizations that help unemployed individuals
• Share your work experiences & skills with others
• Tell your grandkids that work is not “evil”
• Tell young people “free lunch” now exists, but moochers never thrive

Roadblocks

• Myth of lack of good jobs for non-college-educated men
• Mental health issues & low self-esteem among young men
• Difficulty re-entering the workforce after long periods of unemployment

Upsides & ways to beat roadblocks

• Increased awareness of the issue can lead to real fixes
• Chances to redefine societal expectations of work & success
• Potential for innovative job creation & entrepreneurship
• Opportunity to develop new skills & explore alternative career paths
• Taking pride in being able to provide for one’s self fights low self esteem
• Plenty of high-paying blue-collar jobs create a good life

5 takeaways

• The declining workforce participation of American men is having ugly consequences
• Education plays a big role in employment prospects & workforce participation
• Women & taxpayers are being taken advantage of by healthy young men who choose a free lunch over a job
• Individuals can get involved & make a difference in their communities via mentorship
• Solving this problem will lead to improved economic stability & social well-being for many Americans

Face The Facts (then punch ’em in the nose)

Know the facts so you can overcome or take advantage of them.

• Low-impact exercises
• Take breaks from repetitive motions
• Use heat therapy to relax muscles & improve mobility
• Apply cold therapy (ice packs) to reduce inflammation & swelling
• Alternate between hot & cold
• Losing excess weight reduces pressure on weight-bearing joints like knees & hips
• Try yoga, meditation, & deep breathing to reduce tension, which spikes arthritis pain

Solutions You May’ve Never Heard Of

• Inspired by Indigenous traditions like Australian Aboriginal elders
• Create regular gatherings where elders share life experiences
• Use storytelling & metaphors to share wisdom indirectly

• Based on Canada's Wapikoni Mobile program
• Elders work with youth to create short films
• Bridges generational gaps through shared creative expression

• Combines intergenerational gardening with mutual learning
• Elders teach traditional gardening techniques
• Youth introduce modern sustainable practices