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The increase in the pace of modern life does not compensate for this. Many of the problems of the past have been widely solved, and those solutions have brought
by r3trohack3r 4y ago
The increase in the pace of modern life does not compensate for this. Many of the problems of the past have been widely solved, and those solutions have brought new problems. Discounting todays solutions based on todays problems misses the historical context this article is addressing.
“Modern society doesn’t have leisure time because people can’t help but check Twitter instead of listen to Beethoven, when they have ready access to both” becomes less of a valid critique every 50 years you rewind human history. Today’s problems are a substantial quality of life improvement over history’s problems for a sweeping majority of humans alive today.
- rakejake 4y agoI am not claiming that a majority of people in the past enjoyed leisure time. The improvements in tech that lead to more leisure time does not automatically mean people enjoy that time. While there is pressure to get a task done at work, or do chores at home, there is no one pushing you to enjoy yourself. People who don't know how to use this free time, or don't care to use this free time, can instead do more work now. If enough people fill up leisure time with work or work-like activities (doing the dishes), that increases the overall pace of life. You do live in a society after all. Other people's actions will affect you.