According to the 20/80 rule, is it true only 20% of the population are genuinely productive?

Question

Being genuinely productive means i.e.
- moving technology forward via invention & implementation thus increasing leisure time
- extend life such as general practitioner or medical research
- garbage personnel dumping daily trash to prevent buildup of trash thus decreasing risk for diseases

etc...

Do you concur the 80% left marginally if at all contribute in a productive manner? Are we in denial when we can not see or admit our jobs are useless? If our jobs are useless, does this definition translate to our own identity or existence?

Answer 1

If that's true, only 20% of statistics (or 80% of statistics) are totally made up.

Answer 2

Assuming the rule is true and this was a general principle not a rule, based on observation and anecdotal evidence.

To answer your proposition that the '80% left marginally if at all contribute in a productive manner' still contribute. Logically the 80% contribute 20% of the productivity.

As for translating contribution to identity or existance I think this cannot be done in the general mode. An individual may define himself by his job, but existance is a simple fact.

If you are asking one to justify one's existance in accordance to production, this can be done only in the framework of a unified community of equals. One's existance is justified in accordance to nature, as the stoics would say.

The above opinion may or may not reflect the opinion of the computer that produced it.

Answer 3

More likely 80% of all workers are only marginally productive (at best) regardless of the job they do.

Answer 4

As the 20/80 rules was orginially offered without proof, as a description of the manner in which 20 percent of a business' customers produced 80 percent of the sales.

I am uncomfortable arguing that 80 percent of all jobs are meaningless...using a "rule" that is being used outside its context.