2 ms·
> We are working less and, more importantly, we are working differently (at least in the industrialised/western world). I doubt that there are still many childr
by azakai 13y ago
> We are working less and, more importantly, we are working differently (at least in the industrialised/western world). I doubt that there are still many children around in Europe working 60+ a week in coal mines, nor are people who put in exhausting physical work usually working such long hours – both of which was perfectly common less than two centuries ago.
Yes, two centuries ago, but only very briefly. In human history, overall we work today far more than most humans that ever lived used to work. Farmers and hunter-gatherers for example had and have far more leisure time than "modern" people do (see for example "The World Until Yesterday").
- claudius 13y agoI would believe you can still lead the life of a farmer and hunter-gatherer if you absolutely insist on doing so. But be prepared for every other of your children dying before their fifth birthday, be prepared to bury your parents at the age of twenty or forty when some perfectly-treatable disease strikes and be prepared to give up half your village’s population if it doesn’t rain as much one year. I very much prefer working 40 to 50 hours/week than the above (though, case in point, I'll likely only start my first ‘real’ job this fall after 22 years of education…).