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Screw a 40 hour work week
Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2005 2:55 pm
by Jackal
Ok, so I'm smack dab in the middle of exams this week and have therefore been doing way more reading than usual. Specifically, I've been reading a lot of ethnographies for a visual anthropology class I'm taking. On to my point.
The socially accepted norm of work hours in industrialized society is around 40 hours per week. Hunter gatherers however get all the food they need from working merely 20 hours a week. I think it's funny that most people would look at their way of life as being primitive and brutish even though it's more efficient than our own (at least in terms of subsistence).
So would you ever give up your 9-5 cubicle job to go pick nuts in
Africa?
Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2005 2:56 pm
by Foo
So what you're saying is people work for the single purpose of obtaining food?
Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2005 3:02 pm
by Jackal
No. There's other work that needs to be done. The fact remains however that when all's said and done these people work around 20 hours a week.
Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2005 3:04 pm
by bork[e]
Stop being an ass, you know damn well that's not what he's saying.
I always thought something like that would be cool, and I think you're even then one that made me relize what I was saying a few months ago when I made a thread about college and all. But no, I would rather get up, go to school, go to work, go home sleep repeat until I die to be honest.
Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2005 3:05 pm
by Foo
I see.
But without the need to pare things down to such a simple way of looking at things, you can easily work a 20 hour week in western society, and earn sufficient for a better quality of life than hunter-gatherers.
Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2005 3:07 pm
by Foo
bork[e] wrote:Stop being an ass, you know damn well that's not what he's saying.
I disagree with the points he's implying and am putting my point across with literal retorts and by testing the assumptions made.
If you don't understand it, the suggested course of action is to fuck off, twat.
Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2005 3:16 pm
by bork[e]
Foo wrote:bork[e] wrote:Stop being an ass, you know damn well that's not what he's saying.
I disagree with the points he's implying and am putting my point across with literal retorts and by testing the assumptions made.
If you don't understand it, the suggested course of action is to fuck off, twat.
Im afraid you are the one that doesn't understand...twat.
Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2005 3:24 pm
by mik0rs
Christ bork, all you ever post is crap. Total crap.
Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2005 3:28 pm
by redfella
Say perhaps that you actually enjoyed your job, and wanted to work 40+ hours a week... then what?
Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2005 3:32 pm
by bork[e]
mik0rs wrote:Christ bork, all you ever post is crap. Total crap.
I'm sorry, I'll try and make your reading experience a little better ok.
Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2005 3:33 pm
by mik0rs
You'll stop posting? I can see no other way.
Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2005 3:34 pm
by bork[e]
mik0rs wrote:You'll stop posting? I can see no other way.
Or you'll stop looking for something to bitch about, grow up and get over one person posting on a fucking forum.
Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2005 3:41 pm
by Foo
bork[e] wrote:mik0rs wrote:You'll stop posting? I can see no other way.
Or you'll stop looking for something to bitch about, grow up and get over one person posting on a fucking forum.
YOU MAY HAVE JUST HAD AN EPIPHANY.
Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2005 4:12 pm
by bitWISE
Part of me would love to just go take it easy doing fuckall. But the other part of me is a materialistic son of a bitch and that part is stronger.
Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2005 4:34 pm
by Jackal
redfella wrote:Say perhaps that you actually enjoyed your job, and wanted to work 40+ hours a week... then what?
Then I would say good for you.
Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2005 4:36 pm
by Jackal
bitWISE wrote:Part of me would love to just go take it easy doing fuckall. But the other part of me is a materialistic son of a bitch and that part is stronger.
I think that's what would make most people, including me, think twice about it. We're all so tied to the benefits of western civilization that we'd definately go into shock if everything was taken away from us. That's what makes me think twice about doing field work, I'm not sure if I could handle a tribal lifestyle for very long.
meh, we'll see what happens though. I have a few avenues to explore.
Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2005 4:51 pm
by Geebs
Fuck, at least you have all your own teeth and a minimum of disfiguring skin conditions.
Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2005 4:58 pm
by Jackal
pfffft, teeth.
Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2005 5:32 pm
by +JuggerNaut+
mik0rs wrote:Christ bork, all you ever post is crap. Total crap.
Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2005 7:08 pm
by eepberries
No thanks. I'd rather not live in a place where you die from the simplest of shit. I also enjoy being around people who at least know how to read.
Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2005 9:11 pm
by Jackal
eepberries wrote:No thanks. I'd rather not live in a place where you die from the simplest of shit. I also enjoy being around people who at least know how to read.
Why do you need to know how to read when there's no books?
Plus, I'd say people in society get killed far more often by "simple shit" than hunter/gatherer people.
Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2005 9:15 pm
by Scourge
I like my stuff. I'm not gonna move into the wild just to get out of working a bit.
Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2005 9:21 pm
by Dr.Gibbs
I'd work 80 hours a week doing what I love, so no, I wouldn't pick nuts.
Work only sucks if you've picked the wrong job.
Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2005 9:28 pm
by Freakaloin
lol...work is for chumps...
Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2005 9:30 pm
by R00k
Like your wife?