I don’t think it’s healthy to say that the reason we do things in society is primarily so we can stand out from our peers. I think you were closer to the real reason we work when you said it’s what society needs. We should work in order to provide good things for others - to improve all of our lives somehow.

I think your despair about how the things we do will just be done better by AI is entirely due to your mistaken view of the purpose of work. If you had a healthier view of work, this whole post wouldn’t have happened