Was life better before social media?

[anatess2]

57 minutes ago, Anddenex said:

The question is an opinion poll, so if a person feels it is "No" then that is how they feel. We don't disagree as to how these tools have benefited the Church and the world.

I wasn't talking about the opinion poll.  I was talking about the real answer.

[Traveler]

On 5/7/2019 at 8:46 AM, MormonGator said:

Technology and our lifestyles change @Traveler. Just because we no longer work on the farms or on jobs that require a lot of "manual labor" doesn't mean we don't work hard.

In fact, want to know a secret? Our lives have become unbelievably better since we've left the farms and moved into a different kind of work. We like to romanticize working on farms or other blue collar jobs from the past, but the reality is that kind of work was brutal, incredibly time consuming, and terribly inefficient. 

You do realize that you are talking to an individual that makes their living in the field of industrial automation, robotics and artificial intelligence?  I did not grow up on a farm.  I grew up in Provo Utah, 2 blocks (south) from the BYU campus.  But I was expected to work and not fear physical labor for things I wanted.  Since I was 8 I purchased my own clothing with money I earned.  And I would point out that things I did around the house (including feeding chickens and rabbits, caring for a garden, shoveling snow was considered family chores and not for money.  I and my siblings were not allowed to eat breakfast until we were groomed, dressed, our rooms cleaned and our bed made.  In addition we typically had household family chores to be done before breakfast.  On a normal day we were expected to be up by 5:00 am. in order to get things done before breakfast.  If things were not done (example before going to school) it was breakfast and not our expected chores that were skipped.

In contrast - I am aware of many children that get up in the morning and sit around in their sleeping habiliments long after breakfast playing video games with their personal rooms, bed and space neglected - and believe they are being abused if expected to perform labor.  Sadly many adults believe child labor to be abusive.

My point is this - hard labor that involves sweat is still a requirement of our civilization and society.  Perhaps not as much as in days past - but those that think hard labor that involves sweat is demeaning and beneath their sensibility and position in life - are to my thinking - cheating themselves from a happy, productive and prosperous life.

 

The Traveler

[Guest MormonGator]

2 hours ago, Traveler said:

You do realize that you are talking to an individual that makes their living in the field of industrial automation, robotics and artificial intelligence?  I did not grow up on a farm.  I grew up in Provo Utah, 2 blocks (south) from the BYU campus.  But I was expected to work and not fear physical labor for things I wanted.  Since I was 8 I purchased my own clothing with money I earned.  And I would point out that things I did around the house (including feeding chickens and rabbits, caring for a garden, shoveling snow was considered family chores and not for money.  I and my siblings were not allowed to eat breakfast until we were groomed, dressed, our rooms cleaned and our bed made.  In addition we typically had household family chores to be done before breakfast.  On a normal day we were expected to be up by 5:00 am. in order to get things done before breakfast.  If things were not done (example before going to school) it was breakfast and not our expected chores that were skipped.

In contrast - I am aware of many children that get up in the morning and sit around in their sleeping habiliments long after breakfast playing video games with their personal rooms, bed and space neglected - and believe they are being abused if expected to perform labor.  Sadly many adults believe child labor to be abusive.

My point is this - hard labor that involves sweat is still a requirement of our civilization and society.  Perhaps not as much as in days past - but those that think hard labor that involves sweat is demeaning and beneath their sensibility and position in life - are to my thinking - cheating themselves from a happy, productive and prosperous life.

 

The Traveler

And my point is-we still work hard, but it's much less hard than our ancestors did. In fact, our ancestors would be stunned to see air conditioning. Indoor heat. Indoor plumbing. Farm machines. Cars. Electricity. Our lives are so much better than they were even 200 years ago, yet people always love to complain about how bad they  have it. 

[Traveler]

21 hours ago, MormonGator said:

And my point is-we still work hard, but it's much less hard than our ancestors did. In fact, our ancestors would be stunned to see air conditioning. Indoor heat. Indoor plumbing. Farm machines. Cars. Electricity. Our lives are so much better than they were even 200 years ago, yet people always love to complain about how bad they  have it. 

I understand what you are saying.  In my youth we had central heating but we did not have air conditioning.  Our comfort zone was much wider - we tolerated summer heat and colder winters.  I remember waking up on winter mornings able to see my breath.  As to health - I am not sure we are that much better off.  But I would add some thought about actual hard work.  I have several friends that own their own businesses that they started in their youth.  Their business are cleaning, landscaping, moving and construction (cement).  The problem is that their kids are not interested in continuing the family business because it is too hard of work.  In addition they rely greatly on non-citizens.  I do not want to sound racial but they tell me that within two generations of being "Americans" that they cannot keep anyone for over a week.

Much of my life I have earned extra income and investments with work I have done on the side - Things like rental properties.  I just finished a remodel job that involved many 16 hour days and 80 hour weeks for both myself and my wife.  A number of our friends have asked what we would charge to do some remodeling for them.  We responded that we would help them do it themselves - it is not about money.  Very seldom does anyone take us up on the help offer.  They just are not interested in doing the work themselves.

There are exceptions - once in a while I get a tenant that wants something special in their rental - I tell them if they will do the work, I will take care of the supplies.  There are tenants that jump at the chance.  I had one tenant a while back that said he would love to but did not know how - I taught him.  But there is another interesting thing.  Often when working at a rental on a project - like sprinkler systems, changing some wiring or fixing a lawn mower tenants that do not know me personally are surprised to find out that I am the owner.  They did not know or experience owners that did not heir out most such things.  Which reminds me - I must travel to one rental to take care of some stuff today - I would love to pay someone else - if I could find someone willing to do it and do it right.  I have several I work with in this area but I have not found anyone at this particular out of town rental.

I would say one more thing - I do not understand why but it seems that lazy people accumulate a lot of debt.  Most hard working people I know - if they cannot pay cash they will not purchase.  Debt and money problems seem to plague those that will not work hard.  I believe it is an entitlement mentality.   Now this will likely make some unhappy.  But it seems that most lazy people I know that have money and debt problems are also overweight.  I do know some exceptions - I have some friends that are larger than most that also work very hard - but they do not seem to have the money and debt problems.

I am not sure with all our tech stuff we are better off today that we were 50 years ago.

 

The Traveler

[Guest MormonGator]

3 minutes ago, Traveler said:

I understand what you are saying. 

Thank you, and I mean that sincerely. You don't have to agree with me, but it's important to at least understand why someone can think the way they do.