[pystack]

In hunter-gatherer times, I would hunt so my family could eat. If I hunt from 9 to 5 and didn't catch anything, I would have to keep hunting, or my family would go hungry. Nature is not a fair employer, it does not give meat to me because I worked 8 hours. I only get the meat if I catch it.

Today, society built many layers on top of nature. Big business bureaucracy guarantees food if you work for 8 hours. But at the edges of society, it is still very rough.

My business isn't going to grow just because I worked 8 hours. It only grows if I solve my customers' problems, regardless of how many hours it takes. I think this applies to the common "rich people" positions as well.

[lighttower]

Very good comment. Those that choose the regular slice of meat at each 8 hour interval are making a trade for smaller yet (more) predictable rewards. They give up their freedom to sell their time to the highest bidder. It's well explained in the hypothetical universe where pilots are all freelancers [0].

[0] http://romansnitko.com/blog/freelance-pilots.html

[tamana]

I work 9-5 and I do it for the highest bidder.

[lighttower]

but you chose the highest bidder on a year-to-year basis. Not an day-to-day basis. You're guaranteed a monthly (bi-weekly) salary, but, you can't quit today to do a more lucrative offer and then get your job back the day after.

[bloat]

It's been postulated that hunter-gatherers did not have to work very hard.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Original_affluent_society

[arximboldi]

More on the topic: http://www.primitivism.com/future-primitive.htm