4 ms·

A sizeable portion, maybe, but certainly not all (and probably not even most). Do you think crocheting, knitting, bingo, and dancing are honestly good things t

by mises 8y ago

A sizeable portion, maybe, but certainly not all (and probably not even most). Do you think crocheting, knitting, bingo, and dancing are honestly good things to put people to do? Let alone pay them for?

ams6110 8y ago
Exactly. Those are time killing activities to keep from staring out the window and losing your mind. Which is also a big problem for the elderly and unemployed.
- moorhosj 8y ago
  Or, we could view them as “happiness activities”. In labor economics it is called leisure and the goal of people is to optimize between income and leisure. I know lots of employed people who spend their days “staring out the window losing their mind”. It seems we have over optimized in the wrong direction (towards work and away from leisure).
  - mises 8y ago
    "Happiness activities" are fine, but I'm not sure they should be subsidized by taxes.
    - moorhosj 8y ago
      They already are subsidized in plenty of places (sports stadiums and public parks for example). It raises a fundamental question about the government's role and it's goals. We tend focus on maximizing productivity and other countries focus more on maximizing health/happiness. Even the way Americans talk about education is through the lenses of creating more productive workers as opposed to something like creating more enriched citizens.
SolaceQuantum 8y ago
"Do you think crocheting, knitting, bingo, and dancing are honestly good things to put people to do?" You also ignored my first and more explained upon example, volunteering. Is there a reason for that?
- mises 8y ago
  Volunteering is one possibility. People are just going to replace their jobs with doing free work? If not, what else will they do? According to you, crocheting, knitting, bingo, and dancing.
- mises 8y ago
  Volunteering is one possibility. People are just going to replace their jobs with doing free work entirely? If not, what else will they do? According to you, crocheting, knitting, bingo, and dancing.

by mises 8y ago

ams6110 8y ago

Exactly. Those are time killing activities to keep from staring out the window and losing your mind. Which is also a big problem for the elderly and unemployed.

moorhosj 8y ago
Or, we could view them as “happiness activities”. In labor economics it is called leisure and the goal of people is to optimize between income and leisure. I know lots of employed people who spend their days “staring out the window losing their mind”. It seems we have over optimized in the wrong direction (towards work and away from leisure).
- mises 8y ago
  "Happiness activities" are fine, but I'm not sure they should be subsidized by taxes.
  - moorhosj 8y ago
    They already are subsidized in plenty of places (sports stadiums and public parks for example). It raises a fundamental question about the government's role and it's goals. We tend focus on maximizing productivity and other countries focus more on maximizing health/happiness. Even the way Americans talk about education is through the lenses of creating more productive workers as opposed to something like creating more enriched citizens.

SolaceQuantum 8y ago

"Do you think crocheting, knitting, bingo, and dancing are honestly good things to put people to do?" You also ignored my first and more explained upon example, volunteering. Is there a reason for that?

mises 8y ago
Volunteering is one possibility. People are just going to replace their jobs with doing free work? If not, what else will they do? According to you, crocheting, knitting, bingo, and dancing.
mises 8y ago
Volunteering is one possibility. People are just going to replace their jobs with doing free work entirely? If not, what else will they do? According to you, crocheting, knitting, bingo, and dancing.