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0 pointsBurningFrog4y ago0 comments

The upside I think of is that this enables more specialization and "division of labor", which is one of the basic drivers of prosperity.

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toyg4y ago

* was one of the basic drivers, when labour was scarce and specialization rare.

We're now headed to a situation where labour is abundant (demographic trends being what they are, globally) and specialization trivially achieved (hello youtube). I'm not so sure it will continue to be an advantageous trait.

lastofthemojito4y ago

True, but a downside is that there may be a correlation between specialization/division of labor and depression/ennui.

I don't have any data handy, but I think we often feel greater satisfaction working through all of the aspects to creating something versus being a "cog in the machine" and specializing in one role. E.g. I'd rather build a boat - have a hand in the design, source the materials, and actually physically build it rather than work in a factory and operate a machine that spits out rudders all day, every day.

Of course, the boats created via mass production are probably going to be cheaper and in many ways better than what a novice manages to put together.

Jeff_Brown4y ago

Even someone who does "the whole job" is still generally a cog in the machine, as few jobs are in themselves extremely important in the global scheme of things. Indeed t here have been plenty of forgettable prime ministers and presidents. The question is just how much diversity of tasks it takes to feel engaged, and how much scope of responsibility it takes to feel like what you're doing matters.

The exception would be someone like a subsistence farmer. But hell I'd rather work in a factory.

krisoft4y ago

Your boat comparision is nonsensical.

To build a boat on your own the way you described is crazy resource intensive. You need land to store the boat, you need materials, you need tools, you need free time to work on it. This is basically a wealthy persons pet project. Depending on the size of the boat and your abilities you will be pumping a crazy amount of resources into this for years.

The second type is a job. You need a car to get to the factory, and an able body. Within a week to a month you would be expecting your first paycheck.

You are basically asking if a wealthy person can feel higher amount of satisfaction than a worker class. It’s cliche that money doesn’t bring happyness, but if you are investing that much resources into a project it better be making you happy or what are you doing with your life?

The other problem with the comparision is that people who have a boat project are a self-selected bunch for those who would enjoy building a boat. If i would have the resources to build a boat I wouldn’t. It is a risky, hard, and back breaking work. The reward at the end is that you have a boat, which I don’t want. If you give me resources and force me to build my own boat I will be misserable.

Is it a surprise then that this wealthy self-selected bunch has a higher statisfaction with their pet project than a factory worker? How could this ever be a fair comparision?

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