"Modern Times" (1936) directed by Charles Chaplin
Carr cites psychologists who have found we are generally afflicted with miswanting--"we're inclined to desire things we don't like and to like things we don't desire" (15). Specifically, Carr is concerned that when we automate labor, we rob ourselves of the opportunity to experience flow, the satisfying absorption into a task.
When do you experience flow? What kinds of work have you relegated to machines? Is a reduction in the pleasure of labor a significant loss that we should try to restore?
In my personal experience I have found that I experience flow, or as it is defined, "the satisfying absorption into a task" when I am at work. I work on campus as a student worker. I can definitely relate to the feeling that Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi found in his research in the 1990's. His results found that, "People were happier, felt more fulfilled by what they were doing, while they were at work than during their leisure hours. In their free time, they tended to feel bored and anxious. And yet they didn't like to be at work" (Carr 14). I can relate to this. While at work I have a series of tasks in which to complete and when I complete them I can feel accomplished knowing I did a good job. I can also feel proud of myself knowing that I am working to create my own independence. I like my job but that doesn't mean that I like going to work. It is still something that takes my time away from activities that I would like to do. I dread going to work but while I'm there it is actually (most of the time) a pleasurable experience. Why as humans do we hate going to work when it gives us such a feeling of accomplishment? What else would I be doing with my time? Although I quite enjoy Netflix, watching an entire season in a day does not give me the same feeling of achievement as a day of work. In regards to what work I've handed over to machines my first thought is a dishwasher. I abhor doing dishes and this is one task that I am quite grateful to give to a machine to do. I do not feel like am missing out on this feeling of achievement by using a dishwasher, but if a machine took over my job and I was stuck watching Netflix all day I would miss (although would not admit) the tasks and pleasure that doing my job well brings me.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you on the dishwasher front, I despise washing dishes and a dishwasher makes it so much easier!
DeleteIn regards to where I experience "flow", my job just does not do the trick for me. In order for me to feel satisfied with my work, I feel as if it must be making a difference in someone's life, mine included. For example, I experience flow whenever I am doing homework or studying for a test. I draw a sense of satisfaction knowing that I am working towards a better future for myself.
That is an excellent point that doing homework creates a sense of flow. We despise doing it yet it makes us feel good about ourselves. I never thought of homework in that light. Hopefully it will make doing it easier in the future.
DeleteTanner, while dishwashing is not an enjoyable experience, when you have done it in the past, have you not experienced a certain level of "flow" while you were doing it? Like you got lost in your work and time kind of slipped away from you and you zoned into what you were doing. Typically when doing repetitive, easy work (Tacit skills), a person doesn't require all of the brainpower they would typically use for something that required metacognazent thinking (like solving an equation or learning music). Flow doesn't need to be particularly pleasant, but it does reward you with satisfaction for a job well done, plus the simplicity of the task allowed your mind to wander and take a break.
DeleteI agree with Tyler’s argument and I would just like to add my personal experience to it. Over the summer I worked at a restaurant. At times it can be a stressful and very fast paced job, requiring one to think on their feet while handling multiple tasks at once. As a server, usually the best money comes from the times that the restaurant is most busy, and consequently you are doing the most work. There are off-times of the day like in the afternoon from 2-4 that it can be expected to find the restaurant empty. These are the times that just seem to drag on, and I would often literally just be standing around doing nothing at all. However, when the restaurant has steady business, like on a Friday night for example, generally I would have no concept of time because I was so busy that I would be completely engulfed in whatever task was next on the to-do list. These are the times that I experienced the greatest flow while working. That was the nice part about being so hopelessly overwhelmed with things to do when the restaurant got busy. As soon as I would get enough time to catch my breath, I would realize that a few hours have passed by or that I even had reached the end of my shift. It is nice to experience that kind of flow that makes you lose track of time. While I disliked standing around or doing nothing, I did enjoy doing a small to medium amount of work as I had that sense of “flow”, but I also disliked being completely overwhelmed as was common on a Friday or Saturday night. So the amount of “flow” seems to be a key factor in the analysis of whether it is better to rob ourselves of it or not.
DeleteHowever, it is not always a “satisfying absorption in a task”. There are some circumstances that it is not so satisfying at all. In the picture of factory workers pictured on our website, they are performing a task that is repetitive and takes no thought. It can be done subconsciously, just like washing the dishes. However, while waiting tables a person must constantly be on their feet ready for anything to come in through the door. One must know the entire menu, all the ingredients of each food to explain to customers, and how to prepare each food after it is cooked in order properly ensure that there is no issues with each order. This is only one task out of a few that a server is required to juggle around at the same time, making time management a very important part of the job. In addition to these responsibilities a server must also be very friendly and social, deal with terrible people, and try to keep customers happy. There is so much going on, that a waiter constantly has their mind fully engaged on what is going on around them, unlike a job such as screwing lids onto pickle jars. I think it would be better to have automated machines in a factory performing this task instead of human hands, because it is not engaging or challenging the human brain in the same way that a job such as a waiter would.
I experience flow when I'm working and staying busy. As a nurse assistant, I am always busy, but we still delegate some things to machines. When there are two people working a hall, there is no way to lift a 200 pound patient. The only way we can do our job and nother hurt anyone is to use a lift to bear the weight.
ReplyDeleteI think we should stop relying on machines as a whole. Companies are trying to eliminate blue collar jobs all together. Those are the jobs that we need to bring back.
I think that this was a very interesting statement, and that we do crave flow and something to keep us busy. I often find myself dreading going to school, but school is the place where I experience the most flow. Flow keeps us from being bored and helps us feel productive. In school, we use computers to do our research for us, where we don't have to search the shelves of the library for every simple question. I think it is very useful and doesn't take away too much pleasure.
ReplyDeleteFlow is a good term for it. I work in a pharmacy and make deliveries, but any kind of work that I am involved in from the beginning to the end generates flow for me, be it splitting wood, writing a paper, or checking off deliveries on my route.
ReplyDeleteThe reduction of pleasure in labor is regrettable. After all, the saying does go, "if you're doing what you love, you'll never work a day in your life." I believe that our dislike of work began with the mechanical division of labor. Seeing a task through to its end rewards you with a sense of accomplishment. We stopped liking work when we were downgraded to a stop in the assembly line, a spoke in the wheel. We robbed ourselves of our sense of accomplishment, and we're too far along now to go back.
I completely agree with the notion that doing a task from start to finish is extremely more fulfilling. Having one job to do and not knowing what else happens during the job would become dull and monotonous.
DeleteI experience flow when I am accomplishing tasks. Whether it be preparing my horse for a show, doing chores around the house, or working on homework, I find flow when I know I am getting things done. Although it can sometimes be difficult to get started, knowing that I spent my time and energy accomplishing things always beats going to bed knowing that a day was wasted.
ReplyDeleteWorking at Mazzios, there is one large aspect of my job in which a computer is extremely beneficial. The cash register is helpful in saving time as well as avoiding mistakes in math and communication. I am able to enter a customer's order into the system and it adds up the total including tax and then tells me the correct amount of change to return. After doing this, the computer sends a ticket to the staff in the kitchen informing them what to prepare for that table. Although these tasks could be completed by me, the computer helps to save time that I can then use to complete other aspects of my job that a computer would never be able to execute. Mistakes in math and communication can also be avoided through the use of the computer system. Allowing the computer to complete these tasks does not take from my pleasure as it allows me to interact more with the guests and better complete the other duties involved with my position.
I think that it would depend on the person and the situation as to whether or not the flow is more noticeable. For many people, flow would be much stronger if they could interact with people rather than doing simple math. Some people, however, may have a personality or job that causes them to feel more flow when solving mathematical problems.
DeleteI experience flow while I am fulfilling my duties as a childcare provider. During my hours of work I feel as though I am bettering myself because of the knowledge and experience I am gaining that will help me throughout my life. I also get to teach, comfort, and love the children I work with and hope that I am bettering their lives also. Within minutes of starting my day at work I am absorbed in the tasks that lay before me and find such joy when I successfully finish a busy day. Even though I enjoy my responsibilities at work, I am incredibly grateful for technology such as vacuum cleaners, washing machines, and dishwashers that make theses tasks so much easier. I happily hand over my work to these machines! On the other hand, a day spent doing "leisure" activities leaves me feeling anxious as I go to bed. When I can't think of anything productive that I accomplished in a day I begin to feel guilty and wish that I had done the work that hours before I complained about.
ReplyDeleteI experience flow doing chores around the house. By no means are they my favorite thing to do, but they are repetitive and give me something to consume my time. After I am finished with a chore I get satisfaction that I have done something somewhat productive and made my parents lives easier.
ReplyDeleteAs for working flow, I feel as if I need immerse myself into work to feel some type of flow. I worked at my school as maintenance and I loathed every second of it. I never wanted to wake up for it or put in any effort because I felt as if what I gave was not giving back to me. I only found flow to my work when I stopped looking at the clock and started diving head first into the job without thinking. I personally must be busy at all times to have flow and feel as if I am enjoying myself.
I totally agree! If I am not completely immersed in an activity I will not do as good of a job as I could have. It is really hard to do sometimes, like you said, but I think it ends up being well worth the effort.
DeleteI stock overnights at Walmart and I found that if I just listen to my music and really get into what I am doing, like really get into it and not pay attention to time, then I do a great job and feel wonderful about it. It is amazing what you can do yourself when you simply, just do it. I keep myself busy constantly to get the sense that I really am doing something great and accomplishing what I need to. It was even better when my boss told me that I’m one of the best workers she has had in the apparel section. That makes you want to work even harder and to achieve as much as humanly possible. I have my own apartment so cleaning up everything and making it smell nice gives a huge sense of satisfaction. I just recently moved in so having that feeling of accomplishment that I did it on my own is a great.
DeleteI believe that your leisure activities should give you some sense of "Flow" on their own. More importantly, I think that it is important to place yourself in a job that you don't dread going to each day unless you really have too. If you are taking time out of your day to do something that doesn't make you happy or satisfied as LEISURE should you really keep that going? If your leisure isn't making you happy and satisfied with your time then it really isn't working. The first job that could give a good sense of "Flow" that automation could remove is assembly lines. Some jobs however, simply are too impractical and too broad for a computer or a machine to do themselves. The best example of this would be teaching. I believe that it would be very hard to create a program that could teach somebody at the same rate and effectiveness as an actual teacher. I believe that there are some jobs that simply are not going to produce enough "pleasure" to justify not automating them, and even those jobs are very readily mechanized for the benefit of the workers themselves.
ReplyDeleteI work at a clothing store and like the book said, I get absorbed into tasks that are assigned to me. I enjoy the flow at work. Every time I go to work I dread it, but by the end of my shift I find myself not wanting to leave. I agree with Carr in this case because I seem to enjoy doing things that aren’t challenging but I always end up enjoying them.
ReplyDeletePart of my job is to check out customers. When I tell them their total and they hand me cash, all that I have to do is type in the amount they give me and the register tells me the amount I owe them. In elementary school, we were taught how to make change. However, with the addition of this technology I don’t feel the need to put those skills into practice. Although I can still do it, it takes more time for me to figure it out than it should. I think that being able to make change is a valuable skill to have. I know that if my job were to be taken over by machines, I would not be happy with what I had to do at work. Having projects assigned to workers gives them structure and I think that machines would take this away from people.
I had a internship at a local Walgreen's when I was in highschool, and I had to find the medicine to fit the prescription. The drugs have a NDC number that is special to that exact brand, dosage form, and strength. To finish the prescription out I had to scan the bottle with a machine that had all of the NDC numbers archived so I didn't grab the wrong medicine by mistake. I think this was a good implementation of automation. I could have by all means looked at every number in the 11 digit sequence, but it would cost much more time. This task that Walgreen's has moved to the responsibility of the machines reduces medical errors that could otherwise be fatal. While that was a very mindful part of the job, I don't mind sharing the responsibility with a machine.
ReplyDeleteI also work at a pharmacy and we have with big machine that takes most of the load when it comes to filling prescriptions. The machine fills at least two thirds of the medications that come through the hospital. The machine also is so much faster at counting pills than if the people had to actually count every single pill that is put in the bottle. But there have been many times when that machine goes down and there entire rest of the day is chaotic. There is no way that would could keep up with amount of customers we have without that machine. We would have to fill each prescription and also document that we filled it. But I completely agree that the machines saves so much time and money. But there is definitely a cost.
DeleteI experience flow when I am crafting, specifically sewing. Sometimes I find it quite easier to just sew something on a sewing machine and get it done quickly, but there is a simplicity and enjoyment that comes from sewing by hand. Sure you may prick your finger a few times, and the lines won’t be as straight, but when you finish the sense of accomplishment you receive is one of the most gratifying.
ReplyDeleteWhen discussing if we should return some of the labor to humans instead of computers, I believe it can go either way. Using clothes as an example, many more can be made by a machine than by hand. Although, making clothes by hand can be gratifying, if we go back to making all clothes by hand then we may end up with sweatshops. Technology can assist us, but we should not let it steal away the joy that comes from working for what you get.
After much thought, I have realized that I experience flow the most when I am completing assignments for school. The majority of us could agree that we would rather go out to dinner with our friends, watch Netflix, or even read a book of our own choosing than spend our time doing something demanded of us. However, the feeling of accomplishment I get when I finish an assignment, whether difficult or easy, is something that never fails to put me in a good mood. Working towards that feeling of accomplishment and knowing that I am on my way to receiving a good grade is completely satisfying, and the assignment I am working on, no doubt, has my mind completely absorbed.
ReplyDeleteWhen thinking of something I have handed over to a machine, laundry is the first thing that comes to mind. I do not hand wash my clothes every day, nor do I want to. Who has the time? I know for a fact I do not. Not to mention, I personally think laundry is horrible even when it is completely done by a machine. It gives me a headache just thinking about truly doing it by myself. No fun at all. However, I know that if all of the things I must do were done for me by a machine, I would not be a very happy person. The machines can keep my laundry, but they are not getting my homework.
I typically experience flow either while working or when I'm playing basketball. Besides the obvious kinds of work such as washing clothes or dishes, I've also regulated hayloading to machines.
ReplyDeleteIn my experience, it’s easiest for me to get into the “flow” of labor when I am doing a rote task with an expected, attainable, and concrete result. This is especially true of working on my car. Detailing it, maintaining it, repairing it, and also driving it (something that both Csikszentmihalyi and LeFevre found as one of the most reportedly flow-inducing actions in their studies) all require my working knowledge, reflexes, and physical abilities to be challenged. At the end, the results are both satisfying and increase my motivation even more. Although such tasks might be considered leisure, I have come to treat them as a sort of work as well. In my unoccupied leisure time I feel the same anxiety, boredom, and longing for accomplishment as described in the first chapter in regards to the work I could (and need to) be doing to my car.
ReplyDeleteThere is a task almost all automotive detailers relegate to machines, and one I wish I had the resources to do by machine as well: buffing. Cutting, polishing, or waxing a car’s clear coat by hand is a far more time-consuming and difficult process than if one was using some sort of electric polisher. Often, doing these tasks by hand can have inconsistent or ineffective results as well, while the a dual-action polisher will smooth out of a lot of the inconsistencies of human labor. In already challenging activities such as detailing, I don’t feel that any sense of accomplishment or pleasure of labor is lost in making one aspect of the task a little less intensive, especially in light of achieving better results. In this example, I would say that the real loss in the pleasure of labor case lies in automatic car washes. Such an automated method where the most one has to do is drop a few dollars into a machine and park the vehicle is entirely reductive (in my experience) to the satisfaction of doing it myself. However, in light of those who can’t really find it in them to care about water spots or swirls in their vehicle’s paint, perhaps automatic car washes are a tool by which to free their time in order to immerse themselves in the work that they prefer to draw accomplishment from.
I also experience flow while driving (and listening to good music); I have always enjoyed driving and routinely go on drives in the country to clear my head. I experience flow while I do dishes by hand: I haven’t had a dishwasher in years. I enjoy the warm water on my hands and the smell and color of the soap, and I like to try to buy a new type of soap every time I run out. I like to get them spotless and arrange them on the counter on a dish towel as efficiently as I can to air dry in the small amount of space I have. I just hate putting them away. I feel like at this point a dishwasher is an unnecessary luxury item, but then again, I’m only doing my own dishes, not a family’s. I experience flow while folding fresh warm towels from the dryer. I get into a rhythm with these types of tasks and sometimes see how fast and perfect I can do it, or just listen to the TV in the background and enjoy that I’m multitasking, not wasting time, and am blessed with clean laundry. I probably experience flow the strongest while doing artwork, though. I always feel physically and mentally relieved after putting hours of work into a drawing or painting. I have found no better therapy. So I guess whether or not I am doing a particularly meaningful or important task, I still feel fulfilled after completing something at all. I don’t feel the type of fulfillment laying on a beach somewhere or playing video games.
DeleteI feel that I experience flow the easiest when I am doing some form of hard manual labor or menial chores. The type of repetitive labor where you don’t have to think, just work. I am the type of person that overthinks everything and only when I get completely immersed in a task, I find myself not thinking and just doing. I find that this usually leaves me with a calm, fulfilled, and refreshed feeling. In the instance of splitting wood I do everything from cutting the tree down to loading it, however I delegate the actual splitting to a machine because it’s faster than to do it by hand. I feel that everyone should try doing everything once without a machine, and afterwards they can assess how they feel about the task and then decide if they want to delegate the task or do it themselves.
ReplyDeleteAs a person who used to work in fast-food, there would be days that I would come into work and be so busy that I wouldn’t notice that hours would go by. Because of this, I definitely agree with Carr that we experience flow when we are work. The times I got frustrated at work was when my flow was interrupted. Like when our systems would shut down, dealing with a particularly difficult patron, or when I dropped someone’s food. I remember that during every shift at the Sonic I was employed at; I could not wait until I got to go home. When my manager gave me the green light, I was out the door. Now that I no longer work at that job, I miss the feeling of appreciation and validation that came along with it. I have all of the free time that I wanted when I worked at that job, but the things that I fill my time with provide me of the feeling of working towards a higher goal.
ReplyDeleteAt Sonic, the carhops are required to make change to the costumer without using the help of automation. At times I hated doing this because I thought that it slowed things down. I would have to stay at a car for an extra minute counting back change when I needed to serve the rest of our guests. I soon realized that if I wasn’t careful with the change I gave my patrons, I could have shorted them, or myself. If I accidently gave them an extra five, I’d have to pay for my mistake at the end of the night. If I had had a calculator, I could have made the transaction a whole lot quicker, but I felt a lot more comfortable having my own destiny in my hands.
this is a test
ReplyDeletekamryn
I experience flow when I am writing with an actual utensil in my hand, which I think is something I have pushed over to technology. So often now I use a computer to type and print things out, but it’s something I regret making a habit of. Another area of my life where I have experienced miswanting is in my hobby of shooting. So often I find myself wanting to use a premade bullet just because it’s faster, but making my own loads is half the fun. Somehow I still manage to confuse what gives me joy with what seems easier. I love the occupied feeling of writing and measuring out my own gun powder, and just as I miss this simple feeling of fulfillment, so many other people are giving up the simple tasks they aren’t aware they love and giving them to technology like they are a burden. The simple manual pleasures of life are slowly turning into bothersome tasks in our mind because we see an easier way and automatically think it’s better. The subject of miswanting is the main of the topics in the book that I feel needs to change, or at least be improved if it can’t be eliminated. I wasn’t aware of what miswanting was until I read this chapter of the book, but now that I have learned about it I realize that I have fallen victim to it myself. It is truly everywhere, and not just in my personal little world.
ReplyDeleteKamryn Akers
I would like to start by saying that I don’t think it’s an all or none decision. We should never limit the ingenuity of the human race to continually create new ways to make our lives better. However, we should never lose the ability, knowledge or skill to perform labor because ignorance is only bliss until it’s not. I live out of town and I live with the very realistic possibility of losing power during an ice storm for days or weeks at a time. Tasks normally relegated to a machine are reverted back onto my shoulders. I take great pride in being able to cook, clean and care for my family without automated assistance. I am then happy and relieved when I can share the responsibility again with a machine.
ReplyDeleteThis whole section of the book really stood out to me because I didn't realize how I actually felt while working. When I’m at work, I don’t necessarily hate it at all. I definitely feel better about myself and what I had done that day once the work is over. Some days it’s different but most of them are full of easy going hours where I am just doing what I’ve got to do. The work isn’t necessarily easy, but my mind is at ease. One type of work I’ve relegated to machines is writing. In high school I never used a computer to type essays or do hardly any homework at all. Now that I’m in college, the only time I use actual pen and paper is when doing math work or taking down notes. I have noticed how much more accomplished I feel after writing out a long chemistry equation compared to writing a short essay. It may have something to do with comfort level- that is I can write an essay lying in bed but pen and paper requires a desk and chair most often.
ReplyDeleteI have found flow in working areas, but one that I can put a specific on is pick-axing concrete and asphalt. This seems odd, but a go to on most for this is using a jackhammer or a bobcat to rip it up. I do find this gets the job done quicker, it does, but doing it manually is far more satisfying. One may be on a strict time limit, but if there is no rush, I find my flow in chipping away at it for an hour or two over hopping in a machine and mindlessly destroying the substance. I find that some machine work is good if it is needed. If it speeds up a slow process on a dead line, does what a human physically or mentally cannot, or is an assistant. However, I find also that relying to heavy on machines is a inhibitor to the human body and mind. For one to get a fully benefit from something, it is best to do it manually. Dishes and laundry are good examples of things that can be done by hand but are instead put into machines. Does it inhibit the human? Does it hurt our cognitive process? No, they do a task that otherwise would take longer. Are they tasks that are good to do for learning and for the sake of doing them to survive in a clean, healthy society? I think so. I cannot say that machines inhibit or digress everything, but I can say that doing some things with assistance from machines is more beneficial because you still have to go physically accomplish a task.
ReplyDeleteThe findings of the Psychologists concerning Miswanting- the inclination to desire things that we don't like and to like things we don't desire- is a truism. I believe that is premised on the fact that we usually think that the grass is greener on the other side. It does not usually happen that we don't like those things we desire or we like those things we don't desire, instead we kind of find out what are preferences are after some trials. Sometimes we want easy lives, employ gadgets that will deliver that and believe they will offer us more fulfillment, only to find out that they come along with their own insufficiency like boredom and shrink our talents. That was the case of author when craving for an automatic ride became short-lived and overtaken by a state of boredom; what he craved his pet aversion. He started missing being involved and actively in control of his driving, There was no more flow n doing that job. He then began to feel like he was a mere passenger in his own ride. It takes maximum involvement in a thing to really flow or be absorbed in it. When we choose to delegate our work to some gadgets or any form of automation, it surely robs us of the involvement we might desire and reduces us to spectators or passengers.
ReplyDeleteA popular English adage says that if you find a job you love doing, you will not have worked a day. Suffice that to mean that passion has a great role to play in our achieving flow in our jobs. For instance if a nurse has a passion for caring for people, he/she will find it less onerous than someone doing it out of compulsion, because it comes natural to the former than the latter. Such a passionate nurse will put in dedication, empathy, etc and that will give rise to a flow on the job. In a general sense, flow comes when desire meets with passion and dedication.
There are a lot of works that can be delegated to a machine, it is subjective. Personally, i am a manual person whose believes in do-it-yourself and can only embrace automation when it is inevitable. I do dishes by myself, rarely use washer and dryer to do my laundry, sweep or brush the house rather than use vacuum cleaner. It does not mean that i am anti-automation, no, it simply means that my routine can still accommodate manual chores. The value placed on the loss of pleasure from labor is subjective. While some feel pained when they are not in control of the labor, others glory in it. I personally find dignity in labor and will consider losing the pleasure of labor a significant loss and i will definitely look for a way to restore it, when i can.
There is some kind time warp when I'm experiencing the flow. Time just seems to pass and never even notice how much passed. Especially when I'm at work and we are just getting slammed with patients. I am so focused to get the patients their medications in the least amount of time possible. After the rush is over and I get a chance to look at the clock, an hour had pass. There is some satisfaction in that. The feeling you get when you just accomplish a job. The machine that I hand my work the most is probably the laundry machine. I just pop some detergent in the washer and then close the lid and come back in half an hour. I think that we should try to get that pleasure in labor back. Because of my faith and my theology I believe that humanity was made for labor or work. We were made to complete jobs or tasks someway or another.
ReplyDelete