If we assume the best in people, we can radically redesign our democracy and welfare states.
Rutger BregmanRead
Since long workdays lead to more errors, shorter workdays could reduce accidents. Overtime is deadly. Tired surgeons have been found to be more prone to slip'ups, and soldiers who get too little shuteye are more prone to miss targets.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Shorter workdays can improve performance and safety by reducing fatigue.
The quote emphasizes the negative impact of long work hours on productivity and safety, particularly in high-stakes professions such as surgery and military operations. It suggests that reducing work hours can mitigate errors and accidents caused by fatigue, therefore promoting a healthier work-life balance that ultimately benefits both individuals and their professions.
Themes
WorkFatigueSafetyEfficiencyProductivity
In practice
Example use cases
During a team meeting discussing work-life balance, the quote can highlight the importance of reducing work hours.
More from Rutger Bregman
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While it won't solve all the world's ills - and ideas such as a rent cap and more social housing are necessary in places where housing is scarce - a basic income would work like venture capital for the people.
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Believing in the good of humanity is a revolutionary act - it means that we don't need all those managers and CEO's, kings and generals. That we can trust people to govern themselves and make their own decisions.
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We so often tend to think our democracies are ruled by procedures and laws, but they are also governed by implicit rules and assumptions and one of them is the ability to feel shame - that you can be shamed.
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