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Physical vs. Mental Labor

Shaula

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Depends on what kind of labour and whether or not I can make it look like I'm being productive when I'm actually not. Usually this goes into the physical labour category unless it's a task that requires specific, tedious meassures to complete it. If I'm familar with what I'm doing then I'd prefer mental labour. My work ethic also depends on how important I find my task to be.
 
S

Sniffles

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Well I do physical labor for a living, and I certainly can tell you that it's extremely exhausting and certainly affects your mental capabilities. After work it's often hard for me to form a coherent thought.
 

Kangirl

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Physical labour sucks balls, but when I am boss of the wolrd, I will demand that all men between the ages of 14 and 65 engage in it all day, every day. Because then they will look good in their white-t-shirts-and-jeans uniforms (that all of them will be legally required to wear).
 

Mole

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Well I do physical labor for a living, and I certainly can tell you that it's extremely exhausting and certainly affects your mental capabilities. After work it's often hard for me to form a coherent thought.

I worked as a brickie's labourer for nine months.

It is continuously demanding physical work all day. But very quickly you get into the swing of it. And it gives you a kind of high all day.

And after work you are completely exhausted and all you want is a steak and a beer and sleep.

It was well paid and I had nothing to spend my money on, so I saved quite a bit.

But the complete physical exhaustion made it impossible to pursue my intellectual interests.

So today I sit in the library and look back with surprise and pleasure at my time at hard physical labour.
 

Habba

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I do mental labor, and I look down on physical laborers. Especially those who are whining that they their jobs are being taken over by machines. If you can be replaced by a machine, your work wasn't much to begin with.

And I do hate physical labor myself. It's just so trivial and mind numbing. My mind has an ADHD, and won't settle down unless it's given something to crack.

Hope I'm not hurting anyone's feelings. :tongue:
 

ajblaise

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I'm the kind of person who, when faced with physical labor, would rather spend 10x more time mentally laboring on ways to avoid or lessen the physical labor, than just get the physical labor over with. Though physical activity + fun, I like.
 

Kangirl

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I do mental labor, and I look down on physical laborers.

Although I personally dislike physical labour (I'm physically lazy, and I know and admit it) I don't in any way look down on those who do it. In fact in many ways I look up to them, I think. It takes a special kind of constitution to go to work every day, day in day out, and work their asses off. Also, we in the west do still rely on physical labourers for many important things (garbagemen, construction workers, treeplanters, farmers - for some examples). I dunno, something in me reacts badly to anyone looking down on physical labourers. Their work is just as important as the ones who do the mental labour - in some ways, more important.
 

ajblaise

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Physical labor is important, but it's often cheap and expendable. You can find construction workers everywhere, but you can't do that with thinkers.
 

Kangirl

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And in many more ways, less important.

How's that? Without physical labourers doing the grunt work of society, there wouldn't be any way for us 'thinker' types to do our thing, no? We'd be too busy just surviving - growing food, keeping our houses working etc.

You can find construction workers everywhere, but you can't do that with thinkers.

I don't think I understand what you mean by this...are you saying there are less thinkers, in terms of numbers, than construction workers? Overall? In my crowd, I'd be hard pressed to find anybody who could even build a coffee table or fix a car, but we could all talk about the Enlightenment with you for hours. I also don't think that being a construction worker = not a thinker, or that being a philosopher = unable to build something with your hands. Often, but not always.
 

ajblaise

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How's that? Without physical labourers doing the grunt work of society, there wouldn't be any way for us 'thinker' types to do our thing, no? We'd be too busy just surviving - growing food, keeping our houses working etc.

But without the thinkers to invent the technology physical laborers use, they'd be sitting there twiddling their thumbs.
 

kuranes

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To have to do repetitive mental work like calling up people all day long, and pitching them something that few people will want, is tough; because one would have to stay on their toes the entire time.....for that rare person who's like "Hmmm....tell me more. How much is this anyway ? "
 

Kangirl

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Societies have always needed people to grow food and build houses and all that stuff - and they needed it before modern technological advances, too. Someone drove those oxen. Someone carted those logs to the site of the house. It's emancipation from physical labour that has allowed human beings as a species to devote so much time to thinking (a good thing, imo), but I strongly object to the idea that one is more important than the other.

As I said - if you or I had to grow our own food and build our own houses (and then defend them from intruders/critters), we wouldn't have a lot of time to read philosophy. Supermarkets, for example, make my life a *hell* of a lot easier than it would be without them. And someone runs those supermarkets, someone grows the food they sell, someone drives the trucks with the food in them to the stores, someone extracts the oil from the ground and someone pumps the gas that runs the trucks.
 

Biaxident

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I couldn't stand a job that was purely one or the other. I prefer a 50/50 balance.

But without the thinkers to invent the technology physical laborers use, they'd be sitting there twiddling their thumbs.

Sure, there are always people who don't want to think. And prefer a purely physical job. But I would like to think a great majority prefers a combination of the two.

Additionally, I would be willing to bet that the most important technological advances were made by people who weren't afraid to get their hands dirty and actually build something. To prove whether or not it worked.
 

Neo Genesis

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I do mental labor, and I look down on physical laborers.

In much the same way that a self-reliant man looks down on a catered man.

Personally, I find physical work to be much more freeing and satisfying than mental labor. Afterwards, I find that I gain a certain appreciation for the world, as well as a spiritual connection.
 

wolfy

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I'd rather just play.

Physical work is satisfying because of the concrete results.
Knowledge work can be a drag because of ambiguous goals.

Where's the finish line?

A combination of the two is best and most satisfying for me.
 

Kangirl

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Oooh thank the lawd. I thought this was going to be a one-woman defense squad in here. :)

Habba - go further with your beliefs...spell it out for me.
 

Habba

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Habba - go further with your beliefs...spell it out for me.

Mental workers are what separates the men from the animals. :D

Well, not really, but what I meant is that physical labor is usually much easier to learn than mental labor. There are rarely any university departments for learning "physical labor"-professions.

If one would remove the physical laborers, effects would be far more immediate than with removing mental laborers, but the mental ones are the ones that drive our societies forward.

Physical labor is also more simple. You do your job for eight hours a day, and then you go home and rest. Your job ends when you throw the gloves away. But with mental labor, there are no gloves to throw away. It is very difficult to get your mind off the work, especially when stressed.

I personally see physical workers less intelligent and less ambitiousful. Their jobs are easier to learn and they are easier to be replaced.
 

Kangirl

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Well, not really, but what I meant is that physical labor is usually much easier to learn than mental labor.

Huh. This certainly isn't true for me. I just couldn't do a job that involved serious physical labour, but most people can apply themselves to a university program, especially at an undergrad level.

I personally see physical workers less intelligent and less ambitiousful.

Why?
 

BlueScreen

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I'd rather be told to do something with my body than with my mind.
It's because mental activity is more important to me that I prefer physical labor. A lot of it is so monotonous that I can easily think of something else while I'm doing it. On the other hand, I can't handle the requirements of mental labor. I agonize over feeling like my thoughts are being forced or controlled.

I feel the same. Physical labour I can get fit, and strong, and just do stuff, and my mind is free to wander.
 
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