Trend - More time to think or just thinking more?

Is it that those of us who blog make it a point to take more time to think or that because we have more time to think, we need an outlet for it, and find that blogging provides that outlet?

I find that knowing there is a place that I can put the things I think about, online, where other people can comment and give feedback has acted as a focus for my thinking.

Now to the real trend: I think that we are finally seeing a change in how much time humanity has available to devote to "just thinking". In a broad sense, think about how much man/brain power, in aggregate, is spent now on things like farming, manufacturing, transporting goods, and all of the rest of the manual labor that humans have had to do for the last few millennia.

The Fair Labor Standards Act, originally approved in 1938, was the foundation of many of the laws that are now in place to protect workers salaries, and prevent child labor abuses as well as the establishment of a minimum wage and overtime pay. It also established the 40-hour work week as a standard. Interestingly, there was also a proposal for a 30-hour week as a way to reduce unemployment and hence increase the quality of life for more people.

Most of us now spend 40 hours of every week (24% of our life/week) working. At least. Many people spend quite a bit more. How much of that quarter of my life is actually used to improve the quality of my life or that of the rest of the humans on earth, in any way other than the salary I am provided in exchange? Almost none.

What is the one thing that human beings produce, that (so far as we know) NO other being in the Universe produces? Novel, unique, and brand new IDEAS! This is the true value that each of us can add to the Universe, should add to the Universe, and as this is the thing that makes us unique in the Universe, MUST add to the Universe.

"But, if I don't work... I don't get paid!" True, but I think that the "work" of thinking is as important to humanity, and depending on your job, immensely more important than cranking out one more PowerPoint presentation.

I have started re-reading Buckminster Fuller's Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth in which he proposes:

Bucky's "Life Fellowship in Research & Development"
Chapter 8. Regenerative Landscape

"To take advantage of the fabulous magnitudes of real wealth waiting to be employed intelligently by humans and unblock automation's postponement by organized labor we must give each human who is or becomes unemployed a life fellowship in research and development or in just simple thinking. Man must be able to dare to think truthfully and to act accordingly without fear of losing his franchise to live. The use of mind fellowships will permit humans comprehensively to expand and accelerate scientific exploration and experimental prototype development. For every 100,000 employed in research and development, or just plain thinking, one probably will make a breakthrough that will more than pay for the other 99,999 fellowships. Thus, production will no longer be impeded by humans trying to do what machines can do better. Contrariwise, omni-automated and inanimately powered production will unleash humanity's unique capability - its metaphysical capability."

I think this is a great idea. It is a little ambitious, but I think the principle is sound. Maybe we could start by spending (volunteering) one hour a week (.59% of a week) thinking about problem solutions. Bucky had many ideas that were VERY far ahead of his time. Some of them are only now becoming feasible. Be sure to read his book preferably in hard copy so it is easier to refer to.

I had a few notes left here at the bottom of the draft for this post. I am going to leave them here, so you can see them, but read carefully the next post, because I think I found a way do address them all at once.

Notes:
1) Profit from thinking/ideas
2) Need more outlets to make profit from ideas.
3) Outlets that assign value to creative thinking.