5 ms·

Experience the risk without actually taking any risk. Although, I can offer an anecdote. I really enjoy playing truck simulators, namely American and European

by mradek 4y ago

Experience the risk without actually taking any risk. Although, I can offer an anecdote. I really enjoy playing truck simulators, namely American and European Truck Simulator. I had to drive a large box truck recently and I found it super easy - the high up position, looking at the mirrors to back up and parallel park perfectly, and the joy of the open road. Then I realized that truck drivers do this every day for weeks on end as a job. Really appreciate the folks who keep our economy moving.

jerf 4y ago
I think one of the underappreciated issues with the 21st century economy is how many of us do the same thing, day in, day out, hyperoptimized to the point it's economically hard to justify switching tasks. (Or, perhaps more accurately, the 20th century economy, which is still largely with us.) Do a little of this today, a little of that tomorrow, even a little of this and that within a day, and I feel like we could all tolerate a bit more mundanity (for lack of a better word) in our lives. Cut vegetables, drive a truck, pump sewage, work a factory line, it'd all be easier if we weren't doing the same thing all the time, 40+ hours a week.
- m463 4y ago
  > economically hard to justify switching tasks. I vaguely remember some factories would not let workers change jobs once they got good at them, to their detriment (with carpal tunnel and other RSIs)
  - bluGill 4y ago
    That is less so now that factories are more automated. The factory I used to work at (not in, but same building) bragged that within 3 months everyone had done every station once. While a little productivity is lost because of experience, the boredom factor means less people quit and so overall they do better
    - 5d8767c68926 4y ago
      I suspect having that cross training is also desirable that there will always be someone who can run machine X and that everyone becomes disposable.
      - bluGill 4y ago
        People are not disposable because they need to be trained. Sure we have books, but everytime you need to look up order in the book a minute is lost compared to someone who knows. The wrenches don't allow doing steps in the wrong order or wrong torque, but that only gets so far

by mradek 4y ago

jerf 4y ago

I think one of the underappreciated issues with the 21st century economy is how many of us do the same thing, day in, day out, hyperoptimized to the point it's economically hard to justify switching tasks. (Or, perhaps more accurately, the 20th century economy, which is still largely with us.) Do a little of this today, a little of that tomorrow, even a little of this and that within a day, and I feel like we could all tolerate a bit more mundanity (for lack of a better word) in our lives. Cut vegetables, drive a truck, pump sewage, work a factory line, it'd all be easier if we weren't doing the same thing all the time, 40+ hours a week.

m463 4y ago
> economically hard to justify switching tasks. I vaguely remember some factories would not let workers change jobs once they got good at them, to their detriment (with carpal tunnel and other RSIs)
- bluGill 4y ago
  That is less so now that factories are more automated. The factory I used to work at (not in, but same building) bragged that within 3 months everyone had done every station once. While a little productivity is lost because of experience, the boredom factor means less people quit and so overall they do better
  - 5d8767c68926 4y ago
    I suspect having that cross training is also desirable that there will always be someone who can run machine X and that everyone becomes disposable.
    - bluGill 4y ago
      People are not disposable because they need to be trained. Sure we have books, but everytime you need to look up order in the book a minute is lost compared to someone who knows. The wrenches don't allow doing steps in the wrong order or wrong torque, but that only gets so far