Is full-time work bad for our brains? • Hacker News Board

Re: Is full-time work bad for our brains?

#21

Post by pavel_lishin » Mon, Jul 18, 2016, 2:42 PM UTC

mhurron wrote: post #19

tbrownaw wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A non-trivial part of my job is ansering questions that co-workers run into while trying to do their jobs. This would become far less efficient if we didn't all keep mostly the same hours.

Good thing you don't work in a globally distributed company, nothing could get done. Maybe you should look into technologies like email that allows people to send messages that can be responded to when the person has the time.

Adding a 12-hour round-trip to any question doesn't seem like a good alternative.

Isn't it a given that very few companies actually are hiring the top 0.01%? Unless you really need the absolute world best, you're probably going to do fine hiring local people who can work together closely.

Re: Is full-time work bad for our brains?

#22

Post by ramblerman » Mon, Jul 18, 2016, 2:43 PM UTC

amelius wrote: post #12

harkmylord wrote: post #8

Absolutely. How can a society flourish when people are spending all their time for someone else? Full time work leaves little time for your health, family, friends, pets, and so on.

But "family, friends, pets" are in the category of "someone else", right? Also by working for someone else, you make money, which you use for your health, family, etc. So either way, I don't get the point.

Not sure if your being pedantic but your relationship with your 'company' and your friends/family is certainly not the same thing.

Re: Is full-time work bad for our brains?

#23

Post by ashark » Mon, Jul 18, 2016, 2:44 PM UTC

jrcii wrote: post #9

up_and_up wrote: post #7

This is why companies need to be "results driven" vs "face-time driven". "What did you deliver this week? This month? This quarter?", should be the only relevant question in the workplace, managers included.

I always wonder what percentage of corporate America's time is spent looking busy or alt-tabbing between a spreadsheet and solitaire when the boss walks by. If you could quantify it I bet the amount of waste is staggering.

Protip: plain text Project Gutenberg books in quarter-screen Tmux panes (under `less`, or your preferred command line text reading tool) looks almost like real work from all but the closest inspection. Less of a waste of time that Facebook/HN/Solitaire/whatever.

Fortunately I've only ever worked one place where that was super-useful, and only briefly. Got three novels read while also completing my work and doing a bunch of other work that I probably didn't need to, in ~2 months' time.

Re: Is full-time work bad for our brains?

#24

Post by bsbechtel » Mon, Jul 18, 2016, 2:58 PM UTC

RankingMember wrote: post #3

To counter-act the click-bait title, here's the basic gist of the article, summed up by Carol Black, one of the people interviewed on the subject: “The most important thing about work is that it should be ‘good work’. If it is good, it does not matter whether full-or part-time.”

So what is defined as good work? That reminds me of managers who say they only want the best. The best varies greatly from role to role and company to company.

Re: Is full-time work bad for our brains?

#25

Post by throwaway7767 » Mon, Jul 18, 2016, 3:02 PM UTC

RankingMember wrote: post #3

To counter-act the click-bait title, here's the basic gist of the article, summed up by Carol Black, one of the people interviewed on the subject: “The most important thing about work is that it should be ‘good work’. If it is good, it does not matter whether full-or part-time.”

That's not in any way "the gist of the article", it's a comment made by a random person interviewed, and it's her opinion.

The main subject of the article is the extensive scientific study performed by scientists at the University of Melbourne, which showed that working more than 25 hours a week decreases IQ scores in people over 40.

Re: Is full-time work bad for our brains?

#26

Post by tehbeard » Mon, Jul 18, 2016, 3:04 PM UTC

amelius wrote: post #12

harkmylord wrote: post #8

Absolutely. How can a society flourish when people are spending all their time for someone else? Full time work leaves little time for your health, family, friends, pets, and so on.

But "family, friends, pets" are in the category of "someone else", right? Also by working for someone else, you make money, which you use for your health, family, etc. So either way, I don't get the point.

> But "family, friends, pets" are in the category of "someone else", right?

someone else == no emotional ties

You are going on the assumption that money earned by time not spent with loved ones is equivalent to the time that could've been spent with them.

"Well then get a better job that is worth it"

Not possible in a lot of instances (location, qualifications, balance of power between employed and employers).

And money can't replace an afternoon in the park with your kids riding bikes (ok, hunting pokemon in this day and age, but the point still stands)

Re: Is full-time work bad for our brains?

#27

Post by jdc0589 » Mon, Jul 18, 2016, 3:04 PM UTC

My brain usually goes in to "prepare to shut-down" mode every day at about 3:30pm (having started work at ~9am). I tend to have slow mornings, and stay pretty busy/head-down for the last half of that time.

The funny thing is, it doesn't really matter if I was busy working on hard technical challenges all day, or just reading articles/browsing the web; my brain shuts down the same time regardless.

Re: Is full-time work bad for our brains?

#28

Post by stronglikedan » Mon, Jul 18, 2016, 3:10 PM UTC

jdc0589 wrote: post #27

My brain usually goes in to "prepare to shut-down" mode every day at about 3:30pm (having started work at ~9am). I tend to have slow mornings, and stay pretty busy/head-down for the last half of that time. The funny thing is, it doesn't really matter if I was busy working on hard technical challenges all day, or just reading articles/browsing the web; my brain shuts down the same time regardless.

This sounds like it could be a diet thing. Have you tried eating different things for lunch to see if that affects your mid-afternoon mood?

Re: Is full-time work bad for our brains?

#29

Post by ensignavenger » Mon, Jul 18, 2016, 3:11 PM UTC

tbrownaw wrote: post #13

up_and_up wrote: post #7

This is why companies need to be "results driven" vs "face-time driven". "What did you deliver this week? This month? This quarter?", should be the only relevant question in the workplace, managers included.

A non-trivial part of my job is ansering questions that co-workers run into while trying to do their jobs. This would become far less efficient if we didn't all keep mostly the same hours.

Communications tech is getting pretty good these days, so you can often be available to answer questions (during regular hours) without being at your desk.

Re: Is full-time work bad for our brains?

#30

Post by seanmcdirmid » Mon, Jul 18, 2016, 3:11 PM UTC

mhurron wrote: post #19

tbrownaw wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A non-trivial part of my job is ansering questions that co-workers run into while trying to do their jobs. This would become far less efficient if we didn't all keep mostly the same hours.

Good thing you don't work in a globally distributed company, nothing could get done. Maybe you should look into technologies like email that allows people to send messages that can be responded to when the person has the time.

Working on the butt side of a globally distributed company, you realize how much more can get done when you actually visit the mother ship.