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I think most people would rather have modern working hours and a modern quality of life, than have pre-industrial working hours and a pre-industrial quality of life.

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The 8 hour workday is not as modern as you might be assuming. In the US it was introduced (though force, really) in the 1860s.

I am fully aware of the history of that. What point are you trying to make?

Maybe the standard of 150 years ago isn't sufficient anymore, especially facing the extreme improvements in productivity (aside from the creation of bullshit jobs).

We don't have the standard of 150 years ago. 150 years ago the 8-hour work day was fought for by workers who had to normally work from dawn to dusk, 6 days a week. It was a reform, not an imposition!

Today we work far fewer hours than our ancestors did, we make a lot more money for the work we do, we have more days off, a better standard of living, and much longer life expectancy with the possibility of multi-decade retirement. Things are way better now!

It can be. One man, one life. I would like to live other lives to be able to compare, because you can't choose what you don't know. I see advantages in both.

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