Fun Stuff Videos

I Got Laid Off and…

[ via Chris Brogan ]


I don’t know about you but I file these so-called inspirational videos together with the inspirational (not) posters we’ve all seen floating around in offices: only the HR people love them; the rest of us want to shred them into millions of tiny confetti pieces. 😉

They kind of cheapen the whole laid off experience by showcasing only the “successful” and using them as examples for those still struggling to piece their lives together. This is not to say anything negative against those showcased; congrats on your success, but please you’re standing on my back.

I think the motivation might be right, but the result is not: these videos and posters demoralize more than inspire, deflate more than encourage, stigmatize more than liberate… they preach instead of lend a helping hand. Definitely another misguided “lift yourself up by your bootstrap” philosophy.