Technologyandthedivisionoflabourhavedonetwothings:byeliminatinginmanyfieldstheneedforspecialstrengthorskill,theyhavemadeaverylargenumberofpaidoccupationswhichformerlywereenjoyableworkintoboringlabour,andbyincreasingproductivitytheyhavereducedthenumberofnecessarylabouringofthepopulation,thatistosay,itslabourers,willhavealmostasmuchleisureasinearliertimeswasenjoyedbythearistocracy.
Itseemsinterestingandrelaxinggoodnewsatthefirstsight,butwhenonerecallshowaristocraciesinthepastactuallybehaved,theprospectisnotcheerful.
Thepastaristocraciesinventedalotofactivitiestomakefunoutofboredom,however,theproblemofdealingwithboredommaybeevenmoredifficultforsuchafuturemasssocietythanitwasforaristocracies.Thelatter,forexample,ritualizedtheirtime;therewasaseasontoshootgrouse,aseasontospendintown,aseasontoholdalotofparties,etc.
Themassesaremorelikelytoreplaceanunchangingritualbyfashionwhichitwillbeintheeconomicinterestofcertainpeopletochangeasoftenaspossible.
Again,themassescannotgoinforhunting,forverysoontherewouldbenoanimalslefttohunt.Forotheraristocraticamusementslikegambling,dueling,andwarfare,itmaybeonlytooeasytofindequivalentsindangerousdriving,drug-taking,andsenselessactsofviolence.Workersseldomcommitactsofviolence,becausetheycanputtheiraggressionintotheirwork,beitphysicalliketheworkofasmith,ormentalliketheworkofascientistoranartist.Theroleofaggressioninmentalworkisaptlyexpressedbythephrase“gettingone’steethintoaproblem”.