There are 5 choices, 7 votes for GaryCGibson's debate

Do Americans think physical labor is mediocre?

Some believe physical labor jobs are mediocre and that shuffling papers is superior...is that true?
  • Yeah
    I sure do!
    28%  Voted for by Weydon, Kazrith.
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  • No. "Physical Labour" pays well too.


    Well, I don't know about Americans - seeing as I'm one of the handful of internet users who aren't American (tongue in cheek)...


    But in Australia that perception is changing, if it hasn't already changed.
    You can actually earn more money as a tradie than as a dude in a suit, for the same or lesser amount of education/training, and usually have a better lifestyle. Not to mention more social, and less stressful, working hours.

    (Not to mention that in recent years, people have been earning considerably more in trained manual labour than in it's business equivelant as there has been a skills shortage ).


    I don't think there's a difference myself. I've got just as much respect for a brick layer as the accountant who keeps his books. Just as much respect for the owner of the construction company as the owner of the accounting firm.

    28%  Voted for by sca, NeferMaatNetjer.
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  • yes
    and we have been primed to think that way. How many times did or do you here parents say "i want you to have more then what we have, i want you to have a good job that pays well ect ect." fact is, manual labour is mediocre when compared to a doctor or a lawyer or a CEO of some large corperation.
    Voted for by Kazrith.
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  • Same difference
    If one relies on others to do all one's physical labor one becomes dependent on what others do for oneself physically to change things. If one does all physical labor for wages and does not think much for oneself then one is dependent on what others pay or compensate entirely not thinking about what one can physically do to better one's own interests efficiently.

    Is luxury a neurosis of excess comfort instead of progress? Is luxury a sort of epicureanism of material goods or a psychological satisfaction of prestige? Are Americans sated with luxury products and fossil fuels and trained to be in debt to satisfy the possession of them? Is progress done only by the quest for inventing new goods rather than consuming existing ones? Can reliance on others to do menial labor or doing menial labor produce a quest for the invention of new goods, new transport, new political accentuation of the positive on home produced independent electrical power generation and so forth?
    Voted for by GaryCGibson.
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  • i prefer physical labor
    I've been both an office worker and a laborer, and given the choice between the 2, give me a good old honest labor job any day. office jobs are way too stressful. constantly having to worry if someone is watching you, or if you look good enough to please Sally Seamchecker. having to kiss up to people who's whole day revolves around finding something to bitch about. getting a half-hour lecture over why it's important to have ones name-tag on straight. being written up because someone you trained screwed up and you didn't catch it (on your day off).. been there, done that, HATED IT!! if I had to spend the rest of my life earning minimum wage, but doing a job I liked and was good at, I would prefer that over some big money job that's going to lead me to a nervous breakdown in a year or two. I might never move into a big mansion, but i can look in the mirror and like who I see.

    besides, as they say, you can't take it with you. all that money won't buy you another minute to your life, so you might as well enjoy the time you have. it will run out soon enough.
    Voted for by NeferMaatNetjer.
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