Free Time

bhsmte said:

Yea sure, ok. So when that surgeon and his busy hands are working away, he also has a restless mind?

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No ... I wrote "busy hands leads to a restless mind" - I did not mean "busy hands are a sign of a currently restless mind"

ananda said:

No ... I wrote "busy hands leads to a restless mind" - I did not mean "busy hands are a sign of a currently restless mind"

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That makes it very clear, thanks.

If you work your 40 hours in just three 13+ hour work days you probably need several days off to recover. That seems unbalanced to me however. Imagine a concrete worker working 13 hour days, or a lumberjack, or a welder, or a ..........................

OldWiseGuy said:

That seems unbalanced to me however. Imagine a concrete worker working 13 hour days, or a lumberjack, or a welder, or a ..

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12+ shifts, often weeks on end, are very common in all of those trades.

Desk trauma said:

12+ shifts, often weeks on end, are very common in all of those trades.

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I wouldn't want to do it. I've worked as a tree trimmer and a landscaper, and after 8 hours I was 'finished' (and I was in very good shape).

OldWiseGuy said:

I wouldn't want to do it.

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7/12s is a very common schedule on industrial construction and maintenance projects.

I suppose OP thinks I should get an 84 hour pay check and I only have to show up three or four days to get it?

Desk trauma said:

12+ shifts, often weeks on end, are very common in all of those trades.

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My wife's youngest brother was a machine repairman at Oldsmobile (before they closed) and he would often go for months at a time working 12 hours a day 7 days a week.

Paradoxum said:

Why do some people find it so strange and terrible that people might have more free time?

As if free time means people don't know what to do with their time, or might do something bad.

If people worked 3 instead of 5 days, why couldn't people spend their time doing sport, art, taking in or creating entertainment, science and innovation, helping their community, or just relaxing?

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I can see fairness and justice burn bright in the Paradoxium camp.
I like the idea of more free time, when I was younger I worked hard for all the things I wanted, the house, bringing my daughter up, making sure we both had everything we need. I think its probably a good idea when people are younger to expect them to work as hard as they need to to supply all they need.

Now that my daughter has been to university and moved from home, has a wonderful partner and they are buying a house of their own I can relax. I fully own the house, got a smaller much more economic car my financial needs are much less so I have taken to part time work and really enjoy it.

I think people have a few choices, I'm glad I worked hard when younger, I'm a very fit 57 year old and can enjoy the fruits of that labour as it were so my choice was right for me. Some may prefer though to work less over a much longer period, which would also be fine.

How about a system where people are given the opportunity to work total life hours which would equate to say a 30 hours week, but it's up to them how they spend it, they could work lots when younger and get a pension early, or work less when younger but have to work longer (or too our current age of retirement). Under this system everyone would be paid the same wage each week on trust. And there would be help when people are younger to borrow as it were against future wages instead of having to take out a loan.

This system would rely heavily on trust, I find it hard to imagine a perfect system, and just when I think I have a good idea either I or others see problems with it.

Paradoxum said:

I don't know. Aim for the Moon, get the Earth.

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Well give it a try and let us know how it turns out for you!

Paradoxum said:

No, 4 days, but 8 hours or less a day.

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Why?

People are free to work as little or as much as they want to.

Paradoxum said:

It's a better life.

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How is a lower income a better life?