If you've ever watched people play slot machines, you've seen that many are acting out little dramas.
People name the one-armed bandit they happen to be pumping money into.
They imbue the chrome device with a personality. They even talk to it as part of an elaborate ritual to tease out silver dollars. Although the slots are random, those who use them need to feel they have some control over whether they win. Perhaps they also hope to provide meaning to their hours pulling on levers. He says companies and jobs change so quickly that it's no longer possible to build a personal narrative in which we each progress steadily, on merit, as the years go by.