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Not sure how to interpret this. In the 1800's, a 12-hour shift 6 days a week was normal. Life expectancy wasn't much different (except child mortality of course).

Have to think its our attitude toward work that is part of the problem? Now, I don't endorse 12-hour days. But it seems that 60-hour weeks aren't the whole story, if 72-hour weeks used to be the norm.



Quite a few people decried the industrial revolution as objectionable precisely because they were subjected to excessive toil.


> Not sure how to interpret this. In the 1800's, a 12-hour shift 6 days a week was normal. Life expectancy wasn't much different (except child mortality of course).

Are you sure? I seem to remember otherwise.



No it wasn't. People would work about half to 2/3rds of the year, and about 10 hours a day.


Not in an industrial job? Here in my town there was a paper plant. 12 hour shifts alternated six days a week. Off Saturday midnight until Sunday midnight, giving both shifts 12 hours off.




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