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This comment is absolutely drenched in ideology, the kind of Protestantism that will grind the whole planet into dust if we let it. Sheer, absolute drivel. "As

by Mizza 4y ago

This comment is absolutely drenched in ideology, the kind of Protestantism that will grind the whole planet into dust if we let it. Sheer, absolute drivel. "As we all know" aside - what's wrong with slacking off? Does painting, writing poetry, playing sports with kids, learning an instrument count as slacking off? Why does spending 8 hours a day at a job where you perform some rote, pointless, abstract task - like sending emails and having meetings about advertising - count as _not_ slacking off? Obesity, suicide and depression have not been rising under conditions of an excess of leisure, they have been rising under a regimen of constant, precarious toil for less return, more alienated from the benefit of the work itself. Human beings thrive when the boot of your smug ideology is taken off of their throats.

zeroc8 4y ago
As a European, that was something that I just couldn't get my head around when living in the States. People always needed to be "busy", and if it was just mowing the damn lawn again for no real reason. Almost like they feel guilty doing nothing.
refurb 4y ago
This is kind of a bizarre take. I don’t know anyone who would call “painting, writing poetry, playing sports with kids, learning an instrument” slacking off. And having lived in both wealthy communities and among poor communities in developing countries it amazing the general mood among the poor seems to ve much more positive and less anxious and neurotic. My interpretation is humans thrive when they have a purpose and for many people work is a purpose either what they produce themselves or what they use their gains for - family, children, building a future. And when there is no purpose and there is no need to do anything, many people become lost and fall into negative self-harm. So no, it’s not that work is a requirement, but productivity in whatever does seem a natural fit for humans.
- burntoutfire 4y ago
  > And having lived in both wealthy communities and among poor communities in developing countries it amazing the general mood among the poor seems to ve much more positive and less anxious and neurotic. I've noticed that too. Here are some of the potential reasons that come to my mind: 1. Their day to day lives are less complex. If they work in jobs, they usually perform a routine set of tasks that can be more or less done on mental autopilot. If they're self-employed (usually farmers), they have to plan and worry about the future, but at least they're not subject to a set of pointless, unknown and arbitrary rules like people in complex office jobs are. 2. Their jobs are (on average) more physical and involve more genuine contact with people. 3. They often stay around the place where they were born and when their entire family is. This gives them both rich social life, help with raising children, as well as a safety net. 4. They're not conditioned to strive to be excellent, an "industry leader" or a great artist etc. They're perfectly content with boring/low-status jobs as long as they pay for the important things in their lives, such as their family.

by Mizza 4y ago

zeroc8 4y ago

As a European, that was something that I just couldn't get my head around when living in the States. People always needed to be "busy", and if it was just mowing the damn lawn again for no real reason. Almost like they feel guilty doing nothing.

refurb 4y ago

This is kind of a bizarre take. I don’t know anyone who would call “painting, writing poetry, playing sports with kids, learning an instrument” slacking off. And having lived in both wealthy communities and among poor communities in developing countries it amazing the general mood among the poor seems to ve much more positive and less anxious and neurotic. My interpretation is humans thrive when they have a purpose and for many people work is a purpose either what they produce themselves or what they use their gains for - family, children, building a future. And when there is no purpose and there is no need to do anything, many people become lost and fall into negative self-harm. So no, it’s not that work is a requirement, but productivity in whatever does seem a natural fit for humans.

burntoutfire 4y ago
> And having lived in both wealthy communities and among poor communities in developing countries it amazing the general mood among the poor seems to ve much more positive and less anxious and neurotic. I've noticed that too. Here are some of the potential reasons that come to my mind: 1. Their day to day lives are less complex. If they work in jobs, they usually perform a routine set of tasks that can be more or less done on mental autopilot. If they're self-employed (usually farmers), they have to plan and worry about the future, but at least they're not subject to a set of pointless, unknown and arbitrary rules like people in complex office jobs are. 2. Their jobs are (on average) more physical and involve more genuine contact with people. 3. They often stay around the place where they were born and when their entire family is. This gives them both rich social life, help with raising children, as well as a safety net. 4. They're not conditioned to strive to be excellent, an "industry leader" or a great artist etc. They're perfectly content with boring/low-status jobs as long as they pay for the important things in their lives, such as their family.