Definition:
(Coined by Nickle) An economic observation stating that in a modern Performocracy, the financial reward for a job is inversely proportional to its necessity for human survival.
Essentially, the more vital a profession is to the actual functioning of society (e.g., nurses, teachers, sanitation workers, farmers), the lower the pay. Conversely, the more trivial, performative, and non-essential the role is (e.g., influencers, streamers, reaction vloggers), the higher the potential earnings. It is the realization that we have built an economy where pretending to do things pays significantly better than actually doing them.
(Coined by Nickle) An economic observation stating that in a modern Performocracy, the financial reward for a job is inversely proportional to its necessity for human survival.
Essentially, the more vital a profession is to the actual functioning of society (e.g., nurses, teachers, sanitation workers, farmers), the lower the pay. Conversely, the more trivial, performative, and non-essential the role is (e.g., influencers, streamers, reaction vloggers), the higher the potential earnings. It is the realization that we have built an economy where pretending to do things pays significantly better than actually doing them.
Person 1: "I can't believe my sister is working double shifts in the ER saving lives and can barely make rent, while that guy on TikTok just bought a Lamborghini for opening Pokemon cards."
Person 2: "That's the Inverse Value Law, man. If it saves the world, it pays minimum wage. If it entertains the bored, it pays millions."
Person 2: "That's the Inverse Value Law, man. If it saves the world, it pays minimum wage. If it entertains the bored, it pays millions."
by nicklenova February 15, 2026
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