/lit/ - Literature

[Anonymous No.19270372]

Books on the history of worklife or employment?

Has employment always been miserable or was there a balance in the past? Obviously anecdotal but everyone seems unhappy or outright depressed and seems to be linked to their jobs. My personal belief is that
it's perfectly natural to hate being in a subordinate position without hope of improvement. We have just normalize it in recent history. Feel free to correct me.

[Anonymous No.19270476]

>>19270372
Bump

[Anonymous No.19270519]

>>19270372
I can't see any single book on this.
You have to see, however, that the life of work is historically informed. Your experience as a wage labourer in today's America is different from what it was in the past and from what it is - and was - in other places. Labour itself has change drastically from before the Industrial Revolution to now. Engels' "The Condition of the Working Class in Britain" is a good description of the plight of the working man in those times. They were probably worse off than most peasants.
>it's perfectly natural to hate being in a subordinate position without hope of improvement.
Not in the Middle Ages, it wasn't.

[Anonymous No.19270763]

>>19270372
I can’t remember who the author was but I read an author who made a convincing argument that military-originated nations/economies bred less resentment among subordinates than commerce-originated ones. The quintessential examples here would be Germany vs England/America. Also, he discussed the nature of the work and the workplace and the transition into the Industrial Age and beyond as being inherently problematic for workers.

[Anonymous No.19270776]

>>19270372
Most people would be bored to death without their pointless wageslave job. Depression is simply a natural extension of consciousness in people who are not a thouroughbred NPC

[Anonymous No.19271081]

>>19270763
>military-originated nations/economies bred less resentment among subordinates than commerce-originated ones

My guess is that the military generally gives people a clear role and structure (maybe not today) which is valued by most men. Also, less tolerance for failure.. I had family that were WWII veterans and their work ethic was basically perform your duties and don't create problems for others. If everyone followed that philosophy the world's problems would be minimal. I have no military experience and grew up more on the "commerce" side and the philosophy is essentially the opposite. It creates comtempt because you're constantly being punished for doing the right thing. That's why I hate working with foreigners so much in the US. Their weak culture doesn't punish ineptitude nearly enough.

[Anonymous No.19271835]

>>19270372
Unironically...

[Anonymous No.19271842]

>>19271081
>If everyone followed that philosophy the world's problems would be minimal
>WWII veterans
Impressive.