[Coda]

Originally Posted by Gallagher

air conditioning yes, hours no. preindustrial work day was more spread out through the day, but only really amounted to about the same 8 hours as we have now. now n days has a much higher productivity expectation than back in olden times, too.

if we're also considering all of the things people made in their free time, there might be an argument to be made. but let's be real, people now n days like to make things to use for themselves just as much, even with alternatives fully available to them.

and let's not even dig into the difference in holidays. i don't wanna go back to olden times or anything, but goodness, they knew a thing or two about holiday time off.

It amounted to about the same 8 hours if you averaged it out through the year, but that's because there wasn't nearly as much work during the summer and winter compared to planting season and harvest season. Long days during harvest season aren't uncommon because you had to get the crops collected in the fairly narrow window between it getting ripe and it getting destroyed by rain, wind, or frost. They also had children helping out -- if they were big enough to carry stuff, they were big enough to help.

So yes, I would certainly say that having a predictable schedule with a steady routine, being able to provide for yourself and your family by doing something other than manual labor, is an all around better deal.