this post was submitted on 12 Oct 2024
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Antiwork

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For the abolition of work. Yes really, abolish work! Not "reform work" but the destruction of work as a separate field of human activity.

To save the world, we're going to have to stop working! — David Graeber

A strange delusion possesses the working classes of the nations where capitalist civilization holds its sway. ...the love of work... Instead of opposing this mental aberration, the priests, the economists, and the moralists have cast a sacred halo over work. — Paul Lafargue

In communist society, where nobody has one exclusive sphere of activity but each can become accomplished in any branch he wishes, society regulates the general production and thus makes it possible for me to do one thing today and another tomorrow, to hunt in the morning, fish in the afternoon, rear cattle in the evening, criticise after dinner, just as I have a mind, without ever becoming hunter, fisherman, herdsman or critic. — Karl Marx

In the glorification of 'work', in the unwearied talk of the 'blessing of work', I see the same covert idea as in the praise of useful impersonal actions: that of fear of everything individual. — Friedrich Nietzsche

If hard work were such a wonderful thing, surely the rich would have kept it all to themselves. — Lane Kirkland

The bottom line is simple: all of us deserve to make the most of our potential as we see fit, to be the masters of our own destinies. Being forced to sell these things away to survive is tragic and humiliating. We don’t have to live like this. ― CrimethInc

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[–] Limonene@lemmy.world 92 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Don't thank God. God was a supporter of the 6-day work week.

Thank a labor activist.

[–] hOrni@lemmy.world 27 points 2 months ago (3 children)

We need more of those in that case. A 3 day weekend seems plausible.

[–] dragonfucker@lemmy.nz 21 points 2 months ago

In 1924, the average family worked 40 hours a week. Now it works 80. That's what happens when you double the workforce and fail to change anything else.

A 20 hour workweek is equivalent to what our great grandparents were doing. Society CAN afford it. It's just a matter of fighting for it.

[–] toynbee@lemmy.world 7 points 2 months ago

I live in the US. As a rule, I work a four day week with a three day weekend. I've turned down jobs because they didn't offer it as an option.

Unfortunately, the week I work is 4x10. I'd certainly rather have one day a week rather than two hours a day, but both would be far preferable.

I still end up regularly logging in on Fridays because of people with unimportant meetings and inflexible schedules.

[–] BluesF@lemmy.world 5 points 2 months ago

Not just plausible, preferable!

[–] MelodiousFunk 3 points 2 months ago
[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 36 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

It was 1940 when the 40 hour work week started, easy to remember, but is going to be real fucking depressing in 2040 when we haven't made anymore progress

[–] sp3tr4l@lemmy.zip 33 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

We will and arguably already have progressed in the opposite direction.

Greece has a 6 day work week.

A single earner traditional household is basically impossible if you want to live in an actual house or nice apartment, for more and more people.

Huge explosion in people with multiple part time jobs, or some combination of gig jobs, functionally removing work free time and days.

Currently the class of people earning less than 60k a year are just going further and further into debt to afford to live.

That'll have to get paid eventually with either money from wealthier friends/family, or more work.

Oh right: less and less people have pensions, and social security benefits are so shit that many elderly and disabled have to keep working past "retirement".

[–] mayo@lemmy.world 26 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

Friday, am drunk. At least during the daylight I'll be sober living my life.

Good news though, my workplace is attempting to form a union. Signed my card today. Fuck management, the spineless bastards.

[–] MelodiousFunk 10 points 2 months ago

Pardon my French, but FUCK YEAH ✊

[–] SplashJackson@lemmy.ca 18 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Good to see that peaceful protests like Occupy Wall Street have helped fix everything. I'll jot it down that violent revolution isn't necessary, we can just ask nicely and our Betters will help us out

[–] Geobloke@lemm.ee 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

It was a mostly peaceful protest that broke up the soviet union

[–] TheRealLinga@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)
[–] Regrettable_incident@lemmy.world 5 points 2 months ago

I've tried plenty of violent ones, didn't work either. There needs to be an undercurrent of support for change.all through society.

[–] Swallowtail@beehaw.org 14 points 2 months ago

More like spend the two days catching up on chores and honey-do's. Mostly the only time I feel fully rested after a weekend is when it was a three-day weekend.

[–] ContrarianTrail@lemm.ee 9 points 2 months ago

Left my previous job a little more than 6 months ago and became self-employed. I'm doing basically the exact same thing as I did before but it has stopped feeling like work. Sure, some days I might work till the evening but on other days I might only have a few hour job and then I get to go back home. I'm currently enjoying my 3 day weeked because I simply didn't take any jobs for friday but instead pushed them all to next week. It's pretty nice I must say. If it's something you've considered I strongly recommend giving it a shot.

[–] v4ld1z@lemmy.zip 6 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I still have a paper to write that's due Monday at midnight. So no 2/7 of recreation for me sadly

[–] PriorityMotif@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Damn, I wish I was still in school with no worries about taking care of other people.

[–] v4ld1z@lemmy.zip 1 points 2 months ago

Well, it's an SLT apprenticeship and I'm in my second year, so we'll soon be taking care of patients ourselves. But I see what you mean.

[–] hOrni@lemmy.world 5 points 2 months ago

Don't ruin my weekend.

[–] ironhydroxide@sh.itjust.works 4 points 2 months ago

Why do you have to attack me like this.

[–] ursakhiin@beehaw.org 1 points 2 months ago

Some of our society says that same thing about 1/3 of every day with the other 3rds being drunk and unconscious.

This 5/7ths crowd sounds like under achievers.

[–] toothpicks 1 points 2 months ago

Happy Friday!

[–] GreeNRG 1 points 2 months ago

It ended too soon.