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It depends on the person. For me the commute was the "moat" I built to detach my mind completely from work related matters until the next day. Personal experie

It depends on the person. For me the commute was the "moat" I built to detach my mind completely from work related matters until the next day. Personal experience matters a lot, too. I did WFH for two years in 2009-2011 and it was mostly fine. Now, although not optimal by any means, I endure my 1h 15 min commute daily. After being locked down in my house for more than 70 days in 2020 while having a very stressful work experience I could not escape from, I don't want to WFH ever again. Others may have different experience and goals.

unity1001 4y ago
> For me the commute was the "moat" I built to detach my mind completely from work related matters until the next day You seem to have made a positive outcome happen out of a negative situation. If there wasn't the commute, you would have built that moat through different ways without losing time every day. And the cognitive cost.
- amrocha 4y ago
  You chose to see a negative situation where there isn't one. Having to go somewhere by itself is neither bad nor good, it's what you make out of it.
  - ergocoder 4y ago
    You missed the point of the parent comment. If you can make a positive thing out of commute, you will be better without commute. At worst, you can easily go take a bus to somewhere if commute is so important.
    - amrocha 4y ago
      No, you missed the point of my comment. A commute can be a positive thing. Not having a commute can be a negative thing. It depends on so many factors that claiming all commutes are bad is at best childish.
      - ergocoder 4y ago
        Nobody stops you from taking a bus everyday... Do you really need to take a bus to work to reap that benefit?
        amrocha 4y ago
        Again, this is an insane argument. Just because you don't enjoy an activity doesn't mean everyone else is the same. Just because you've designed your life so your commute is miserable doesn't mean everyone else's is as well.
        ergocoder 4y ago
        Your argument is ridiculous. You basically say that, if you have 30 minutes free, your life will be worse. At worst, you can easily spend the free 30-minute commute. At best, you can figure a more productive activity for you. This is what parent comment tried to point to.
- lbeltrame 4y ago
  I would love to have a shorter commute, of course (my old job took 35-40 mins which was optimal for me). But even 10-15 minutes would work. I would be fine even walking to be honest. But to me it is neither negative nor positive. Just a "transition".
AlwaysRock 4y ago
Yeah I build that moat now by reading a book before work and exercising right after work. A lot better than the horrid commute I used to have.
GenerocUsername 4y ago
Me, I just run the bathtub at high heat and full volume for an hour to steam up my bathroom. Sure it costs a few dollars and wastes tons of resources, but I need that rushing waterfall ambiance to unwind... This is of course a joke. My point being that wasting resources to clear your mind sounds crazy when it hasn't been normalized for decades. Find another way to build that moat.
- towaway15463 4y ago
  Tangential but I hate this “wasting resources” narrative that people are adopting. How do you propose we determine what uses of energy and material are a waste? Please provide a detailed list of all of the consequences of enacting such a policy.
  - GenerocUsername 4y ago
    Nothing is anything if we just redefine things and argue in circles. I think you would understand waste more if you had to directly work to generate the goods being wasted. Gasoline, electricity, heat, water, wear and tear on parts... It's all effort, and spending it needlessly is wasteful
    - towaway15463 4y ago
      I didn’t say I was opposed to improving efficiency. I’m opposed to people dictating which uses of energy are waste and which aren’t. That’s really the point being made, intentional or not, when you say that uses like commuting are just normalized waste. If that wasn’t your intent then you should argue for a more efficient way of satisfying that demand instead of trying to do away with the demand.
      - GenerocUsername 4y ago
        This thread is that though... The OP above you talks about how much time and energy is spent moving humans to specific locations to do work that doesn't depend on being in those locations. In any world where that had not been normalized it would be considered highly inneficient and similarly wasteful.

unity1001 4y ago

> For me the commute was the "moat" I built to detach my mind completely from work related matters until the next day You seem to have made a positive outcome happen out of a negative situation. If there wasn't the commute, you would have built that moat through different ways without losing time every day. And the cognitive cost.

amrocha 4y ago
You chose to see a negative situation where there isn't one. Having to go somewhere by itself is neither bad nor good, it's what you make out of it.
- ergocoder 4y ago
  You missed the point of the parent comment. If you can make a positive thing out of commute, you will be better without commute. At worst, you can easily go take a bus to somewhere if commute is so important.
  - amrocha 4y ago
    No, you missed the point of my comment. A commute can be a positive thing. Not having a commute can be a negative thing. It depends on so many factors that claiming all commutes are bad is at best childish.
    - ergocoder 4y ago
      Nobody stops you from taking a bus everyday... Do you really need to take a bus to work to reap that benefit?
      - amrocha 4y ago
        Again, this is an insane argument. Just because you don't enjoy an activity doesn't mean everyone else is the same. Just because you've designed your life so your commute is miserable doesn't mean everyone else's is as well.
        ergocoder 4y ago
        Your argument is ridiculous. You basically say that, if you have 30 minutes free, your life will be worse. At worst, you can easily spend the free 30-minute commute. At best, you can figure a more productive activity for you. This is what parent comment tried to point to.
lbeltrame 4y ago
I would love to have a shorter commute, of course (my old job took 35-40 mins which was optimal for me). But even 10-15 minutes would work. I would be fine even walking to be honest. But to me it is neither negative nor positive. Just a "transition".

AlwaysRock 4y ago

Yeah I build that moat now by reading a book before work and exercising right after work. A lot better than the horrid commute I used to have.

GenerocUsername 4y ago

Me, I just run the bathtub at high heat and full volume for an hour to steam up my bathroom. Sure it costs a few dollars and wastes tons of resources, but I need that rushing waterfall ambiance to unwind... This is of course a joke. My point being that wasting resources to clear your mind sounds crazy when it hasn't been normalized for decades. Find another way to build that moat.

towaway15463 4y ago
Tangential but I hate this “wasting resources” narrative that people are adopting. How do you propose we determine what uses of energy and material are a waste? Please provide a detailed list of all of the consequences of enacting such a policy.
- GenerocUsername 4y ago
  Nothing is anything if we just redefine things and argue in circles. I think you would understand waste more if you had to directly work to generate the goods being wasted. Gasoline, electricity, heat, water, wear and tear on parts... It's all effort, and spending it needlessly is wasteful
  - towaway15463 4y ago
    I didn’t say I was opposed to improving efficiency. I’m opposed to people dictating which uses of energy are waste and which aren’t. That’s really the point being made, intentional or not, when you say that uses like commuting are just normalized waste. If that wasn’t your intent then you should argue for a more efficient way of satisfying that demand instead of trying to do away with the demand.
    - GenerocUsername 4y ago
      This thread is that though... The OP above you talks about how much time and energy is spent moving humans to specific locations to do work that doesn't depend on being in those locations. In any world where that had not been normalized it would be considered highly inneficient and similarly wasteful.