How do they find places to publish this stuff?"Go back 200, 300 or 400 years and you find that most people did not work very long hours at all. In addition to relaxing during long holidays, the medieval peasant took his sweet time eating meals, and the day often included time for an afternoon snooze. “The tempo of life was slow, even leisurely; the pace of work relaxed,” notes Shor. “Our ancestors may not have been rich, but they had an abundance of leisure.” Fast-forward to the 21st century, and the U.S. is the only advanced country with no national vacation policy whatsoever. Many American workers must keep on working through public holidays, and vacation days often go unused."
First, modern Americans do get more leisure time than the typical person 400 years ago because they now generally live to be older than 40, and they'll get all those weekends, vacation days, and retirement days for the 30 or so extra years they are on the planet. We can thank our increased productivity and the specialization it allows (scientists, researchers, civil engineers, etc) for this.
Secondly, that guy 400 years ago (and a great many people in the world today) spent his (short) life in privation--malnourished, hungry, and with numerous unattended-to maladies. He "enjoyed" his leisure time in his dank shack wondering if the incessant pain in his jaw was his last tooth finally rotting out. It's the greater productivity of modern man that has made our lives much less clouded by these concerns.
Lastly, anyone in America who wants all the "leisure time" of his ancestors can have it. He can not go to work, do an odd job if the mood strikes him, live on the street, and depend on others for a warm meal and a place to stay at night. Today's "Urban Outdoorsman" actually has a much more comfortable existence than his medieval forebears. This option is open to everyone, but most people turn it down, instead deciding to trade their time for money and the things they can buy with it. I'm glad they have this choice, and I respect the wisdom shown by what people are choosing. If people 400 years ago had the same opportunity to trade time for the material goods and comfort we have today, I'm sure they would have made the same choice we do.
I think some people believe ancient life was like some never-ending Renaissance Pleasure Faire, every man with a turkey leg in his hand and every woman a damsel in finery.
And as for a lack of a "national vacation policy", I say "bravo"! Maybe there will be at least one thing that remains outside the government's realm of concern, one area where adults can make mutually beneficial agreements between themselves as they see fit . . . like adults.
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