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I want to agree, but I feel the context of our human history is missing here. If you go back a mere 150 years, 50% of us were farmers[1] who spent most of our t

I want to agree, but I feel the context of our human history is missing here. If you go back a mere 150 years, 50% of us were farmers[1] who spent most of our time (winter excluded) being "forced" to subsist. If I understand the thrust of your argument, though, I think what you're saying is that we have such an abundance of productive capability today that it's possible for most of us not to have to work for subsistence any more, if only the "leisure time" were more evenly distributed? In other words, could your question be rephrased as, "Why is enjoyment of one's time unevenly distributed in a modern high-efficiency economy?" [1] https://www.vox.com/a/explain-food-america#list-3 https://www.vox.com/a/explain-food-america#list-3

mountainb 5y ago
Field cotton plantation slaves worked 12-16 hour days six days per week. Independent yeoman farmers worked less but there are fewer records so it is harder to make statistical arguments about how much the typical yeoman farmer worked. There are certain types of farm chores that must be done every day (like milking dairy animals) and cleaning out stalls. Others are more seasonal like weeding and the level of work is very different depending on climate. Another thing to consider is that firewood, charcoal, and dried manure are the fuel sources which are all labor intensive to gather. So, workdays of sunup to sundown aren't abnormal but there are lots of different jobs to do on a homestead that are on different timetables. It's not the regimented kind of work you would see in a factory or on a commercial plantation. Winter is also a lot of work when you have animals, actually more work because they are just sitting in a building eating and shitting the entire season. Cleaning out shit in the winter is a deeply unpleasant chore. Some kinds of animals are culled for winter but no matter what you are still taking care of at least some of them.
- Ekaros 5y ago
  Also it wasn't like winter was free time, but used to make the tools and repair them. Often in poorly lit and cramped indoors. With not so productive tools. Making textiles for clothes was lot of work.
musicale 5y ago
> 50% of us were farmers[1] who spent most of our time (winter excluded) being "forced" to subsist. Being a hunter-gatherer is the way to go! "Hunter-gatherers do have to work for a living, and they occasionally encounter periods of want when their efforts yield little, but on the whole it would seem that even the hardest possible life for a hunter-gatherer compares favorably to the most leisured life one can expect in the world’s most wealthy industrialized societies." https://rewild.com/in-depth/leisure.html https://rewild.com/in-depth/leisure.html Hunter-gatherer work may also be more meaningful, social, and enjoyable.

mountainb 5y ago

Field cotton plantation slaves worked 12-16 hour days six days per week. Independent yeoman farmers worked less but there are fewer records so it is harder to make statistical arguments about how much the typical yeoman farmer worked. There are certain types of farm chores that must be done every day (like milking dairy animals) and cleaning out stalls. Others are more seasonal like weeding and the level of work is very different depending on climate. Another thing to consider is that firewood, charcoal, and dried manure are the fuel sources which are all labor intensive to gather. So, workdays of sunup to sundown aren't abnormal but there are lots of different jobs to do on a homestead that are on different timetables. It's not the regimented kind of work you would see in a factory or on a commercial plantation. Winter is also a lot of work when you have animals, actually more work because they are just sitting in a building eating and shitting the entire season. Cleaning out shit in the winter is a deeply unpleasant chore. Some kinds of animals are culled for winter but no matter what you are still taking care of at least some of them.

Ekaros 5y ago
Also it wasn't like winter was free time, but used to make the tools and repair them. Often in poorly lit and cramped indoors. With not so productive tools. Making textiles for clothes was lot of work.

musicale 5y ago

> 50% of us were farmers[1] who spent most of our time (winter excluded) being "forced" to subsist. Being a hunter-gatherer is the way to go! "Hunter-gatherers do have to work for a living, and they occasionally encounter periods of want when their efforts yield little, but on the whole it would seem that even the hardest possible life for a hunter-gatherer compares favorably to the most leisured life one can expect in the world’s most wealthy industrialized societies." https://rewild.com/in-depth/leisure.html https://rewild.com/in-depth/leisure.html Hunter-gatherer work may also be more meaningful, social, and enjoyable.