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Oh it's heartbreaking to think about. This, now, in the 2010s, is the world we've allowed to happen (or been complicit in building). I saw this in an article

by Frondo 12y ago

Oh it's heartbreaking to think about. This, now, in the 2010s, is the world we've allowed to happen (or been complicit in building). I saw this in an article someone sent me recently: ".. a 1965 Senate subcommittee predicted we would be working 14 hours a week by the year 2000, with at least seven weeks of vacation time." Well, that didn't happen, though our businesses are far more productive than they've ever been in history. Can anyone offer a defense of the continued 40-hour work week, the lack of paid vacation (or people's general unwillingness to use it?), and the way all those productivity gains have all benefited a very, very tiny amount of people?

themoonbus 12y ago
Not a defense, but I feel part of it is due to the value we place in our society in on being busy, see: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/30/the-busy-trap/ http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/30/the-busy-tra... It's not just in the workplace that we equate being busy with being important.
- norea-armozel 12y ago
  That reminds me of a lecture by Murray Rothbard regarding the matter of productivity and religious beliefs. He noted that Catholicism although sees idleness as a sin, it doesn't confuse leisure time with it. Whereas Protestants of the time of the Reformation (and there after to some extent) saw leisure as idleness (thus a sin). It makes me wonder how much religion has affected our social norms even today beyond the obvious question of prohibitions on certain sexualities, drinks, and the like.
dylanjermiah 12y ago
"and the way all those productivity gains have all benefited a very, very tiny amount of people? " The quality of life has been rapidly increasing for the entire planet. Visit ourworldindata.org and view all 16 of the data entries.
- Frondo 12y ago
  I'm talking about the U.S. While it's great that other countries have experienced a benefit, I don't really want to see Americans keep working the way we have been, so that the tiny slice of ultra-wealthy in our country can continue to enrich themselves. And...since this article is about overwork--and how we're putting in longer hours--I really don't see what the point is in bringing up developing nations' economic status, except to try and distract us from how much harder we're working.

by Frondo 12y ago

themoonbus 12y ago

Not a defense, but I feel part of it is due to the value we place in our society in on being busy, see: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/30/the-busy-trap/ http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/30/the-busy-tra... It's not just in the workplace that we equate being busy with being important.

norea-armozel 12y ago
That reminds me of a lecture by Murray Rothbard regarding the matter of productivity and religious beliefs. He noted that Catholicism although sees idleness as a sin, it doesn't confuse leisure time with it. Whereas Protestants of the time of the Reformation (and there after to some extent) saw leisure as idleness (thus a sin). It makes me wonder how much religion has affected our social norms even today beyond the obvious question of prohibitions on certain sexualities, drinks, and the like.

dylanjermiah 12y ago

"and the way all those productivity gains have all benefited a very, very tiny amount of people? " The quality of life has been rapidly increasing for the entire planet. Visit ourworldindata.org and view all 16 of the data entries.

Frondo 12y ago
I'm talking about the U.S. While it's great that other countries have experienced a benefit, I don't really want to see Americans keep working the way we have been, so that the tiny slice of ultra-wealthy in our country can continue to enrich themselves. And...since this article is about overwork--and how we're putting in longer hours--I really don't see what the point is in bringing up developing nations' economic status, except to try and distract us from how much harder we're working.