(But nobody ever asks me, they know better)
It should last for three generations so as to have meaningful results and keep the statisticians (whoever they are) at bay.
We should all retire at 18. We should work if and only if we pass the age of 65, and then, until we die.
I know, that's impossible. Productivity will be low. People will die of exhaustion for being forced to work at that age. Yeah, yeah.
However, think of your average week-day (smaller example but still fitting). A working day. you wake up, usually too early for your sleep needs. Then it is a succession of chores and family/work related task for the whole day.
Get ready, get to work (maybe take the kids to school) do this do that in the office (or wherever you work), put up with that guy/woman. Get back, get food (do laundry? wash up? persuade the kids to sleep without resorting to pills?)
OK you're done. Let us say we are optimistic and it is 8 pm. Time for yourself. The quality time.
You can: read, listen to music watch a movie write a blog, moonlight as an iPhone developer and pull out the best app yet ever and become millionaire (yeah sure), play the guitar, write a poem, write a book, make interesting conversation with your partner, learn more about the surrounding world, meditate.
And for all that you have got 3-4 hours. OK I hear you! You do not have to do all the above in one day, but the problem is, sunshines that most of us at 8 pm are knackered.
All the intellectual work we can do is to figure out that channel 4+1 is not FIVE but the channel that shows the program you missed one hour ago.
At 9.30 the only physical work your body allows for is reaching for the remote.
Now what if they told you: from tomorrow is the other way round. You go to work at noon.
You wake up, do your yoga, have breakfast with your partner, read the newspaper, jog a little, write your daily haiku maybe. Why all the energy has to go in the most hideous part of your day?
Of course, productivity, technology, reliable products.
I tell you what we are becoming sadder and sadder.
Robots with nice tellies, shiny mobile phones and fast cars: crash test dummies.
So many of us will find ourselves at 65. Overworked and under-pensioned with a life expectancy of another 15 years (or more) physically incapable of having much fun in the abundance of free time suddenly available. Hope then they will have something good on the box.
