Ep. 2: Liberation of the Subject

Liberating the SubjectIn grammar, the distinction is clear: The subject performs the action. The object is acted upon.In philosophy, the distinction is profound: To be a subject is to possess an intellect and a will. To be an object is to be a tool, a resource, a thing to be utilized.If we want to understand why modern work feels so deeply exhausting, let’s take a look at how we interact with our systems. Ever since the introduction of the App Store, we have allowed a massive inversion to take place. The software has become the subject, and the human being has become the object. “There’s an app for that” has become a mode of thinking. We feel like we are in control because we can outsource our tasks to the apps. But spend five minutes inside any social platform, and you will see how the apps have outsourced their tasks to us. We take on the burden of passive data collection as we curate “our interests” and “our aesthetic.” This is then used to keep us hooked as the objects of the app instead of the subjects over it. You know this intuitively. We all know this.It happens at work too. This inversion does not care what industry you are in.If you are in the corporate world, your task manager assigns you tickets, and your chat app pings you to shift your attention. Your beautiful dashboard gives you the metrics and tells you what to do next. The software performs the action; you are simply acted upon. You are reduced to a data processor for your own tools.If you are an independent writer or creator with no boss, you think you are free. But eventually, the analytics dashboard, the SEO plugins, and the algorithm begin dictating what you write and when you publish. You stop being a writer and become a content generator for a platform. The platform is the subject; you are its object.Even in physical trades – if you are a foreman on a commercial construction site – the digital scheduling app, the endless texts from the GC, and the tablet constantly buzzing in your hand begin to dictate the rhythm of the build. The software treats skilled craftsmen like raw inputs in a digital workflow.The machine has inverted the relationship across the board.As I mentioned in my Manifesto, your dignity is inherent. A piece of software cannot diminish it. But spending 40 hours a week reacting to algorithms, push notifications, and digital taskmasters can absolutely cloud your agency. It makes you forget who is actually in charge. You begin to view yourself as a component in the system rather than the human directing it.We cannot reclaim our status as the subject by downloading a better app. We cannot buy our agency back with a new digital subscription. If a piece of software requires constant maintenance, sends you push notifications, and tells you what to do next, it will eventually treat you like an object.To restore the human subject, you must return to tools that require you to act.This is the practical reality behind the philosophy of the subjective dimension of work. It is why I advocate for a strict boundary between your “control room” and your “factory floor.” It does not matter if your factory floor is an industrial manufacturing plant, a high-rise construction site, or a Substack publication.Your control room – the place where you manage your own attention and set your direction – must be built strictly on passive tools.A basic text file does not ping you. A physical notebook does not send you a push notification. A calendar is just a quiet map of your time. These tools are completely inert until a human being acts upon them. They demand nothing, but they hold everything. Most importantly: they force you to be the subject.Keep the heavy machinery – the CRMs, the publishing platforms, the project management software, the social media – downstream where it belongs. Use those tools to execute on the factory floor.But when it comes to managing your own mind, refuse to use anything that treats you like an object. Rely on quiet tools that respect your agency.You are a human being. You are the Director. You are the subject of your work.Peace to you,Max This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thinklikeadirector.substack.com