The One Percent Rule
In the 1930’s they spent 48 hours working, 56 hours sleeping, 31 hours on home obligations, and 24 hours eating or running errands. What remained, a rather precarious 9 hours per week, was time spent in the pursuit of what could generously be called pleasure.
The famed psychologist and intelligence science researcher Edward Thorndike, in his reflective work from 1937, took up the task of piecing together a patchwork of human activity, where time went, and what it accomplished. His analysis of Young Women Christian Association (Y.W.C.A.) records and his reflections tell us much about what drives human beings: a curious cocktail of survival, productivity, and, above all, the pursuit of pleasure. So, what’s changed in our modern lives, and what’s stayed all too familiar?
Let's start with Thorndike's findings. In 1937, primarily young, working women, a typical week consisted of a strict allotment of responsibilities and enjoyment. They spent 48 hours working, 56 hours sleeping, 31 hours on home obligations, and 24 hours eating or running errands. What remained, a rather precarious 9 hours per week, was time spent in the pursuit of what could generously be called pleasure. This pleasure time was parsed among automobile rides, movies, social activities, and a small smattering of reading or passive activities like listening to music.
