How much should we work?

What is the perfect number of hours to work in a week?

Personally I think 35-40 is just about right. That way you can hold your head high as a gainfully employed member of society, but you still have plenty of time to have fun, walk the dogs, keep the abode semi-clean, and whatever else you have to do.

Just wondering...

 

In the grand scheme of things it isn't so much how long it took you, but rather how much you accomplished. Modern management, being wedded firmly to the policy book instead of having real skills, cannot grasp this idea and thus tries to manage with spreadsheets that they don't understand and rulebooks they cannot follow. It does not work well.

 

20-30 hours is perfect with me. unfortunately that means less money. "

 

if all the work that really needed to be done, were equatably distributed to everyone willing and able to do it, 4 hours a day, 4 days out of every six or seven, would suffice.

this would leave a simalar amount of time available for continuing education, which is almost mandatory to keep pace with the evolving of tecnology, and or creative forms of self expression.

nor, if people were willing to and unrestricted from, building shelter and growing food and giving both away, no more then 40 to 60% of the able mind and boddied would have to 'work' even that much. (if by work you mean only organized labour as opposed to self directed enjoyable activities that periferaly contribute to the public bennifit)

craftufacturing centers (public library like work/craft/hobby places), gardens and mathom houses (cashless thrift 'stores'/ 'recycling centers', ala tolkin) as central 'economic' institutions would make this possible. (also a lot of solar battery powered little mechanical robots to do what no one at any given moment felt like doing. for this of course a great deal of emphasis in education would have to be on the practical implimentation of tecnology. and NOT on idiology, 'economics', belief or athletics! band is cool though, because that is a creating and shairing of pleasure)
what could possibly make this work is wealth and prestege being how much you could create of objects and experiences to give pleasure and survival to each other, kind of like a modified form of potlatching, except of course you couldn't very well give away all of your tools, but then most of the more 'expensive' sorts of equipment would be public to begin with, hense the 'craftufacturing centers'.
the one who (makes and) GIVES AWAY to everyone the most (and best and prettiest) 'toys' 'wins'. (and that way we ALL do!)

=^^=
.../\...

 

0-10
i'm all about liesure time & enjoying life, why waste allthat time working when u can be enjoing yourself?

 

You probably didn't mean it in a negative way, but I simply must say that I still hold my head high as a gainfully "self employed" for 7 years, stay-at-home mother. I don't need a paycheck to make me feel like I'm worthwhile and doing my part in society, I'm raising the future generation which is a major contribution!

 

hell yes
why do we define our places in society by what we do & how much we make?
additionaly, every societyneeds people who live outside of society to question theyre views
there are more important jobs in the world then working 40 hours in a factory or office to make others rich
just the truly important jobs being done these days pay very lil if anything
& basing self worth on a paycheck is an extremely narrow view of whats important
lil bits of green paper are meaningless in measuring self worth within or outside of society

 

I would be a fool to deny the importance of motherhood. I do not mean that to count your working hours you must be "clocked in". I mean how many hours a week do you work, and are you happy with that number. You could be shoveling coal down in a mine, or tating a doilie. Most of us prolly find ourselves somewhere in between.

 

That's cool, I figured you didn't mean it that way, I just had to put in my two cents for moms and dads!

 

First, You don't need to be apart from society to question it.

Second, I said nothing about a paycheck or money.

I should've known that I would get an earfull from someone who thinks they are a better hippy than me.
I personally feel pretty good after a days work. I DEFINATLY do not need lil bits of green paper to measure my self worth. I do however need personal productivity to make me feel complete.(thats my own issue)
Obviously there are many different kinds of people who read these forums. Many of us probably have semi-regular jobs. I do. I'm certainly not attempting to cast judgement on those who don't work as many hours as I do. I just was wondering how much we (forumers) are working.

It was on my mind becouse I just had to take a salery job for the first time, and I'm not at all happy with the manditory 50hrs a week. Unfortunatly, I've been looking for work since May and this is the first thing I've found, so I'm taking it.

 

wasnt tryin to be a better anything then anyone was just explaining my personal philosophy & wasnt meant to be a judgment against anyone

 

Ok, I worded this badly. The whole "gainfully employed member of society" was a BAD choice. I'm sorry!!!

WE ARE ALL VITAL MEMBERS OF OUR SOCIETY WETHER WE LIKE IT OF NOT!

 

I believe in only working as much as necessary to have food & shelter. Work is utilitarian and should not have moral connotations. I have never bought into having a "work ethic" and I don't see that ever changing.

 

Eh, some people like to own things and what not though.


We'd all love to work a 4 hour work week and call it quits and get a normal playcheck, but till then, I think 40 hour work week is fair, when its actually 40 hours and 55.

 

Yeah, that's the reason why so many people engage in excessive work. Gotta have our things...

I dislike having possessions, because possessions require work and are a burden to me; an unnecessary responsibility.

 

I want to work 32 hrs and have a 3 day weekend, but with a major pay raise. Have more time to party & spend

 

If ya gotta work a 40 hour week I think four ten hour days would be the answer, then have 3 days off in a row...


I am currently retired, so I only do what I feel like...

 

Simple..we shouldnt

 

I'm with this opinion.

I work about 30 hrs. a week. On that time table I can afford a small home, a decent little car, to feed myself and my pets, and to take care of my medical bills. I can also save a tiny amount to do with what I choose.

My partner works too - so we split everything.

I COULD work more and have more stuff - and yes wouldn't THAT be wonderful, but then when I got the "more stuff" I'd still want MORE stuff or better stuff or bigger stuff. Maybe my cute little home that I pay a tiny mortgage on would not be as charming anymore when I could "afford" so much more - a large two storey with a sculpted yard, a new gas hog instead of my 30 mpg Outback (which carts dogs fantastically - and I have the dog snot all over the back windows to prove it).

I have no problem with work - in fact I enjoy working - but I don't in any way want more money for the sake of having more stuff. I would not mind having more money for more security (there are months I barely make it) but I don't find ANY moral high road in working more than 40 hrs. a week. I work anywhere from 27 to 35 - usually I'm right around 30. The extra 10 hours a week would let me buy more stuff - except more TIME - which I enjoy having enough to watch the grass grow, the snow fall, the time pass.

I DO have a slothlike side and I proudly embrace it - I feel NO shame whatsoever for it.

Good question.

 

I have embraced objects (clothing, books, furniture, components) more in the last few years, to the point that would've made my 19 year old self ashamed.



When you begin to work a lot, for whatever reason, you begin to require different things to make you feel better about having to work so much.



I understand what everyone on this thread is saying, I've been on all sides of things. Currently, I work too much. Before I had a partner I only just got by each month with bills. Now, I get by and have a little more for other things, but I have zero savings. That really bothers me, I want to save something some day, because there is comfort (freedom) in knowing you can cover whatever bullshit comes up.



I caught myself becoming more materialistic and felt disappointed in that, but it happened. It happened because my time was already consumed and scheduled. When all your time is gone, what else do you have left to do?



Hopefully, it won't always be like this. But for now, this is the way it is. I'm conscious of what has happened and why it is happening.