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Yeah, the bigger picture is that we've shifted from a society built mainly on manual labour to one that has a high proportion of "knowledge workers." Thanks to technology, we have less demand for hands-on labourers.
Just look at the changes in the agriculture industry alone. Much of manufacturing is now done overseas. We're a society that provides more services, creativity, and information than ever before, and we're paying for it physically.
Of course, the changes in the food chain are substantial as well. Back in the '50s, shopping for groceries was a different experience, I'm sure.
How many of us can do a pullup? Think about that. If we're ever in a situation where we need to grab onto something above our heads and pull ourselves to safety....how many could do it? I suppose it's difficult to say because adrenaline and a will to live makes for a complex equation. But still. If there were a huge shift back to manual labour, it would be a rough transition.
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Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön
Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot
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