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”.