"规则的悖论：陷入愚蠢的代价"

David Graeber gained popularity for two reasons that generated great impact. Firstly, he was a significant participant in the Occupy Wall Street movement, committed to using his actions to change societal conditions. Secondly, he published "Bullshit Jobs", an exploration of the meaning of work. Many people are trapped in meaningless jobs that consume their lives, and he suggested ways to solve this problem.

However, as a sociologist and anthropologist, Graebers exploration did not stop there. He also created "The Utopia of Rules: On Technology, Stupidity, and the Secret Joys of Bureaucracy," which takes us on a journey to explore the patterns that develop under rules. Rules seem to be a more harmonious way of developing, and living under rules seems to make life more harmonious. But is this reality? Have rules made our lives more efficient? Have they made our work better for the future? Or have they just created a lot of "meaningless jobs"?

The author cites his personal experience in this book. He needed to sign an agreement during his mothers hospitalization, allowing him to act on behalf of her bank account and pay various bills. However, due to various rule restrictions, the author was unable to complete the process several times easily. Even after his mothers death, this procedure was still unfulfilled.

Such rules may not be convenient, and they often create myths and temptations behind the rules, which is the focus of this book. So, how are rules constructed specifically? What theoretical basis underpins them? And what efforts have the bureaucratic system made in establishing this regulatory theory?

With the authors profound insight, we will discover that all rules are established based on good wishes, but after their establishment, they often turn into paradoxes. There are many paradoxes like this around us, and those who fall into these paradoxes often face dead ends. All decisions are the product of human rationality. When these rational behaviors fall into the trap of rules, they become more and more stupid, more and more passive, and more and more opposite to rationality.

This book often has a deafening impact on readers and can help us see the other side of reality that we are rarely aware of. The author also uses many examples to satirize the impacts of these foolish rules. For example, many bureaucrats are aware of unrealistic rules and try to seek change. However, in the process of change, the number of regulations, paperwork, and bureaucrats increases, which is a modern paradox. This is the reality we are trapped in under the rules and cannot escape.

Let us explore the unknown side of rules through David Graebers profound exploration of regulations in "The Utopia of Rules."