On November 9, 2022, Meta laid off 13% of its workforce. Just a couple of days before that, Noble Charter School Network made the decision to terminate me. These events underscored a valuable lesson for me….

(Author’s note: Since writing this post, Meta and several other companies, including departments within the federal government, have laid off scores of employees deemed “low performers.”)

What is a system? On Dictionary.com there are 16 or so definitions of “system,” so it’s hard to pick just one for the purposes of this post. However, if I were to sum them up into one main idea, I’d conclude that a system is a bunch of individual parts that come together to work as a whole. The definitions presented speak to order, coordination, formulated procedures, and the like. For example, there is the system of philosophy, which consists of the facts, doctrines, and principles that make up a particular field of thought. That’s a tidy way to put it. Think of all the philosophers you’ve heard of: Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, Nietzsche, and the list goes on. What about the different branches under the philosophy umbrella? Axiology, Logic, Ethics, Metaphysics…There’s a philosophy of language, of mind, of law. We say philosophy in its very broadest sense but it really encompasses a wide expanse of people and ideas. 

Even in one system, there is a plethora of sub-systems, and sub-sub-systems, ad Infinitum. Consider the education system and all of the institutions and teachers and students that it includes, from the university professor all the way down to the custodial staff, from the student across to the PTA. 

Law and government is another example that proves concept. As individuals living in a society we are controlledgoverned by federal, state, and local laws, each with its own set of statutes and varying levels of elected officials appointed to carry out their respective mandates. 

The American Political System in its “simplified” version. One could easily add more arrows.

We are all a part of various systems that cover nearly every aspect of our lives. The question that has popping up in my mind recently is: what point do all of these systems serve? And as an extension, do these systems serve us or we the system? Where is the real locus of value? 

It is human nature to try to make sense of our surroundings and the world around us. Putting like objects into groups and coherent categories is considered one of the most fundamental cognitive abilities. 

Babies learn to distinguish colors through grouping, through cognitive activities like “Point to all of the GREEN vegetables.” As we develop into adulthood and our worldview becomes more advanced, so do our groups become more complex. Simple categories like “Boys” and “Girls” expand into more definitive demographic markers. “Girl” becomes “white, Christian, woman over 40, living in the suburbs.” “Boy” extends to “black Republican male earning over 100k a year.” What started off as a simple gender category widens to include race, political party affiliation, religion, age, location, salary/job information, and a host of other possibilities.

Thus, we categorize and systematize because it is in our nature to do so; it helps us to make sense of the world and pinpoint our place within it. These systems enable us to find commonalities with our fellow humans and form the basis of how we structure our lives, how we vote, where we live, whom we marry, and so forth. Most importantly, we begin to identify with and define ourselves by systems; we become inextricably connected, at least in our minds, to these categories.

One of my favorite quotes is from the 19th century American transcendentalist writer Nathaniel Hawthorne. In his short story “Wakefield,” he so poignantly wrote:

“Amid the seeming confusion of our mysterious world , individuals are so nicely adjusted to a system, and systems to one another and to a whole, that, by stepping aside for a moment, a man exposes himself to a fearful risk of losing his place forever.”

Our identities become so attached to these systems that removing one or more of them puts us at risk of fragmentation. What does it mean for my other groupings if I no longer identify as an African American male? Does it change my status in society? Do I still fit into common social strata? We see this in today’s climate as trans people struggle with acceptance in archaic gendered systems. “Are you a boy or a girl and which bathroom are you gonna use?”

Similarly, if a white woman gets her hair braided into cornrows she may be accused of cultural appropriation for wearing a black hairstyle. How we chose to identify and systematize ourselves may result in dissonance between the systems we’ve chosen for ourselves and those commonly accepted by society. 

Here is where I want to draw a distinguishing line, between organizing and the organization. Between using systems and being used BY the system. We identify with various systems as mentioned above, whether it be our job, political viewpoint, education. We rely on these groupings to define and create meaning in our lives. But do these systems really need us to function?

In my view, in systems where people are the individual components that comprise the whole, such as your job, that system is not entirely dependent you being a part of it. In other words, the system doesn’t give a fuck about you. You are replaceable. 

While you might mean the world to the other individuals in your given ecosystem, and your absence would be felt if you were to leave it, the system doesn’t rely on your presence to be effective and keep going. And this is where I, and many others, have run into personal conflict.  

We hear this when our seasoned coworkers tell us, “Put your health and yourself first. Take that day off. Prioritize your own mental health over this job! Because once you die, they’ll just replace you.”

Which is true. When I was terminated from Facebook in 2012, I was replaced. The 11,000 Meta employees that were laid off will be replaced (if the company decides to once again increase headcount). 

The star QB for your favorite team can be replaced. In fact, I remember hearing that New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick has a reputation for eschewing older players who are “past their prime” for younger players. And when a beloved player gets traded from the team they gave their all for several years what do they say, “It’s a business. That’s just how it goes.”

If something happens to the president, there are checks and balances to fill that spot. 

When I was terminated from my first teaching position, I was replaced despite the fact that my students and coworkers loved me. When I was recently terminated again from another position, I was again replaced. It didn’t matter how much my students learned from or gravitated towards me. Once the system determined that I no longer “fit” into their construct, I was expendable. Yes, I’m bitter…but more on that later. 

Actually, it’s a bitter pill to swallow for most who find themselves churned out by the machine. Those of us who were let go by Facebook/Meta all felt jilted in some way. We were told “This is your company now…” Until it wasn’t. It never was. We just worked there until the company decided our services were no longer needed. And then we were let go. 

The lesson I’ve learned is this: don’t put your faith in the system. Don’t base your entire existence on the system. Don’t measure your self worth by the system. Take your older co-worker’s advice when they tell you to take your PTO, take your sick day, the job will be there when you get back. 

Instead, know full well that the only system that truly values you is the one you create for yourself. For me, I know that my family is a system that wouldn’t dare try to replace me or let me go. I’m an artist, and I know that my art needs me. There is no one else that can create what I have been called to create.

Sometimes I personally feel like fuck the system altogether, but I know we need them to some degree…or do we?

Let me know what you think in the comments. Til next time.

Peace and Love,

Rankofa