Title: "The Omnipresence of Work - More to That"
Author: [[moretothat.com]]
From: https://moretothat.com/the-omnipresence-of-work/

## Highlights:

The moment one node dies, many others will learn from the ideas of that node, and those thoughts form the foundation of further ideas to come. This is why the words of dead poets, politicians, and philosophers grow increasingly influential as time runs its course

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In this case, the always-on nature of the mind is a key feature of our species, creating products that hopefully increase well-being with each release.

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If Condition #1 is taken to its logical endpoint, then we will view the natural world primarily for its utility, rather than for its sheer beauty

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If Condition #2 is taken to its logical endpoint, then things look even bleaker. If everything we touch in the material world has to serve some sort of function, isn't it only a matter of time before humans themselves have to serve some sort of greater function as well

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In both scenarios, however, labor and leisure were delineated by physical space. If you were situated within the four walls of your factory or office, it was time to work. If you found yourself within the four walls of your home, it was time to relax

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The home is no longer an environmental cue to put work aside. It is a place that constantly reminds you that there is always more work to be done.

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Availability is no longer determined by one's time, but by one's attention.

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Technological progress in the era of knowledge work can be defined by these three things:

(1) Make it easier to connect with others,

(2) Make it faster to get what you need,

(3) Make it pretty and appealing.

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We willingly tether ourselves to the constant demands of the workplace, either by actively working on our projects during the day, or by passively checking on their progress at night.

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but given this dynamic, it seems inevitable that we start defining ourselves by what we're able to produce, while everything else goes by the wayside.

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Work, like everything else in nature, follows a circadian rhythm. Intense periods of energy expenditure are followed by requisite periods of rest. The important thing is that the rest must be sustained, and not broken up by intermittent worries and thoughts. That's like getting 8 hours of sleep, but having it interrupted by the hour. You and I know that nothing productive will be done the following morning.

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