Working with your brain takes just as much effort as working with your muscles. Think back to taking a multiple hour exam in school, and how knackered you'd feel at the end of it. Now imagine doing that for 8+ hours every day, trying to solve problems that you don't even know have a solution. Yes, your body may still be ready to go, but there's nothing left upstairs to make it happen.
Working with your brain is a breeze. Yes, you get mentally exhausted. Eat some damn sugar, problem solved. You know what you don't get, that manual workers do ? Crippling disabilities, having no energy left once you get home, a terrible salary, dangerous work conditions.
Exactly. My partner hates it when I mention that I had a boring day with little interesting to work on, so I spent a couple hours reading reddit. Meanwhile she works in a fast-paced, no stopping, energy draining customer service managerial job. She hardly even gets breaks, no less time for catching up on your favorite internet blogs.
And yet, for some reason, I get paid almost three times more than her per hour.
You've obviously never heard of repetitive stress injuries like carpal tunnel and others. Your brain doesn't do the typing/pointing and such crippling injuries are fast becoming the norm in most long-term tech workers. For some, it's putting them out of a job or even out of a career. Easy my fucking ass.
Now, I hate the "but other others have it worse" logic, but let's go ahead. I have a family member who was a mason. Started at 16. He is now 45, is unable to do anything properly because his back is completely busted.
I'd love to say that this is an isolated case. I'd love to say that the other construction workers I know are in better health. And I'd love to say that percentage of construction workers with health problems is extremely low. But they're not. Their job is physically hard. They're laying bricks, moving things, moving around on roofs. The body can take it, but not for too long. And they can't take breaks, because their job doesn't allow it. Their body is perpetually being used, and all they can do is reduce the rate at which the damage is done.
Now let's compare with the average developer, which can do regular wrists exercises, sits in a comfy office chair and can perfectly well go exercise after work. Whee, such danger. Take care of your body at least 30 minutes every day.
And yes, carpal tunnel sucks, and can put you out of a career. It can't put you out of 80% of jobs because your back, or your leg, or your shoulder is busted.
Compare both, and tell me the construction worker doesn't have it a thousand times harder than the dev, I dare you.
"Working with your brain takes just as much effort as working with your muscles."
Well, funny you should say that. Years ago when I first moved to New Zealand (as a backpacker) my mindset was to find a job immediately, then look for a better one. My first "job" was as a labourer. Carrying large marble table tops up narrow windy stairs. Hardest job I ever did! Quit after one day, and my back is probably still thankful for it.
