Hard News: Is that it?
327 Responses
First ←Older Page 1 … 4 5 6 7 8 … 14 Newer→ Last
-
Ian Dalziel, in reply to
In fact, I think they're very often the most valuable workers. What
disturbs me is seeing them working at the very bottom of the job heap.
- We undervalue wisdom.Here's a best-of-both-worlds solution:
King Solomon's minors! -
Che Tibby, in reply to
He's a highly skilled employee, quite probably draws a lot of customers with his knowledge and attitude alone. He should be, in a fair society, paid well for that.
there's a lot of assumptions in there about their position. perhaps they own their own home freehold? perhaps they have national super and are just topping up to cover contingencies?
we recently did a series of focus groups in Northland. one group was employed >55yo individuals in 'wealthy' households. *all* of them had retired, were living in their own homes, but were interested to keep themselves occupied so had gone back to work.
they were also doing jobs that youth couldn't do, but had a low income associated with it. they just happened to be at the far end of the bell-curve of earnings.
-
Joe Wylie, in reply to
Here's a best-of-both-worlds solution:
King Solomon's minors! -
giovanni tiso, in reply to
We undervalue wisdom.
I've had my share of menial jobs that I rather enjoyed in an odd way, and were means to an end, and furthermore I had older colleagues who also didn't seem to mind them or be overly distressed that their wisdom wasn't being valued, and enjoyed work camaraderie and being out and about and making a bit of money. Which I guess is my way of saying that Subway isn't a Dickensian hellhole, and that we shouldn't make blanket assumptions.
-
Danielle, in reply to
if people can still work, they damn well should.
We did bring in old age pensions for a reason. 'Keep working until you drop dead' should be an option rather than a necessity.
-
(Also, in a political and economic system predicated on short term thinking, ignoring the signs of the apocalypse and milking the next cow, arguably we are giving wisdom exactly the value that it has - none.)
-
Danielle, in reply to
ignoring the signs of the apocalypse
Goddammit dude, what did I tell you?
-
giovanni tiso, in reply to
Goddammit dude, what did I tell you?
Telling me won't do any good.
-
Danielle, in reply to
A pox on you. A dystopian pox.
-
Subway isn't a Dickensian hellhole
Maybe for the staff, but does anyone actually enjoy answering twenty bloody questions just to get a sandwich?
When I go to buy my lunch, I want to be presented with a selection of lunch items I can choose from and maybe make minor adjustments to. If I wanted to specify the recipe, I'd go and buy ingredients and make my own lunch. Really.
-
giovanni tiso, in reply to
When I go to buy my lunch, I want to be presented with a selection of lunch items I can choose from and maybe make minor adjustments to. If I wanted to specify the recipe, I'd go and buy ingredients and make my own lunch. Really.
I genuinely believe that nobody's stopping you.
-
Sacha, in reply to
menial jobs
not incompatible with wisdom. thinking otherwise could be a blanket assumption
-
giovanni tiso, in reply to
not incompatible with wisdom
I now want to see you apply wisdom to the task of sorting through checks from a supermarket's daily takings.
-
Che Tibby, in reply to
We did bring in old age pensions for a reason.
and at the time life expectancy was substantially lower, health-care almost non-existent. many people these days retire out of choice, not incapacity.
-
giovanni tiso, in reply to
many people these days retire out of choice, not incapacity.
So you are saying - again - that people should work until they are incapacitated. That actually is Dickensian, and I applaud you for it.
-
Sacha, in reply to
wisdom is basically knowledge combined with experience. you've seen the difference it makes in many areas.
-
giovanni tiso, in reply to
wisdom is basically knowledge combined with experience. you've seen the difference it makes in many areas.
You have quite avoided my question. What difference would it make in the area of data entering, or burger serving?
-
Che Tibby, in reply to
So you are saying – again – that people should work until they are incapacitated.
what? i’m saying nothing of the sort. i’m saying that old age pension was brought in to cater for the incapacitated. but many draw that pension whether incapacitated or not.
go back to my previous, real world example. these were people who were not incapacitated, but had retired because they chose to. they then returned to work for their own reasons.
reasons like work providing a social outlet, or work being good for the mental stimulation required to offset risk of dementia.
plus, it’s work like standing around providing advice. not working a salt mine.
-
Sacha, in reply to
knowing what is most relevant makes someone better at any job - like translating, for example
-
giovanni tiso, in reply to
knowing what is most relevant makes someone better at any job - like translating, for example
Still waiting for a concrete example of how it makes you better at jobs that are mindless - therefore render wisdom useless by definition. Translating ain't one of them.
-
giovanni tiso, in reply to
what? i’m saying nothing of the sort. i’m saying that old age pension was brought in to cater for the incapacitated. but many draw that pension whether incapacitated or not.
You also said that "if people can still work, they damn well should."
-
giovanni tiso, in reply to
knowing what is most relevant makes someone better at any job
(Although a more general point would be - why the hell would you want to be better at data entering, or serving burgers?)
-
Sacha, in reply to
jobs that are mindless
seems one of us has issues with blanket assumptions about the nature of work
-
Che Tibby, in reply to
You also said that "if people can still work, they damn well should."
and i stand by that.
i think we're starting from different premises. mine is that reaching 65 does not mean a person must leave the workforce <- a common attitude in places i've worked. people then leave because they feel compelled to by their workmates. i have this perhaps strange village mentality where i actually want older people out active and working in my community.
i'm assuming you think i mean that we work these old fkcers until they're broken?
-
Che Tibby, in reply to
why the hell would you want to be better at data entering, or serving burgers?
both jobs i've done. in essence, they were no different to being a researcher.
but lets not get all up in ur face and buddhist about it.
Post your response…
This topic is closed.