{
  "id": 3090595,
  "title": "Anger, Anxiety and Agency",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/anger-anxiety-and-agency",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-24T18:37:24.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Hacker News",
    "slug": "hacker-news",
    "url": "https://lucumr.pocoo.org/2026/8/24/anger-anxiety-agency/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Sean Goedecke wrote a post arguing that anger should never be expressed at work. He advises against staging a mutiny in a company, even a small one, if you don't have the power to alter the shared vision. The most upvoted comment on the Lobsters thread echoed his sentiments, asking how to work in tech without being angry. This question applies to AI and agents. The emotions elicited by these developments are disorientation and anxiety, not anger. Anger requires someone to blame, while anxiety does not. Anger suggests that someone or something is doing something to you. The narrative that AI will lead to productivity gains benefiting companies but not employees is widespread. However, some leaders express doubt about AI, fearing the loss of control over data and the possibility of large companies stepping into their space. To not be angry in tech, one can be uncertain, which leads to curiosity, or excited, which can lead to power and freedom. The gains from AI are not reflected in company profits but in the number of side projects shipped by employees outside of work hours. This change is disorienting for everyone, as ownership brings agency but no foresight. Many people place bets, confident in public but uncertain in private. They talk confidently about their bets while trying to stay afloat as the ground shifts beneath them. The author feels both excitement and uncertainty about the future of programming and their company. The rapid changes in the industry, including fundamental ideas, feel liberating and daunting. Anxiety acknowledges the lack of control and inability to stop change, while anger provides a comforting story with a villain. However, picking the wrong villain due to AI's disruptive nature is easy. The author urges those feeling anger and searching for a villain to remain curious instead, become excited to experiment, and earn the right to decide when resistance is warranted.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}