It is common to divide human activities into manual labor and intellectual work .
But you must be wondering how this is possible if, even when we perform an activity that requires physical effort, we are also using our mind.
In fact, there is even exaggeration in this division, after all the body and mind always work together in any task that we perform. So, let’s see how it all started…
Manual work
Ancient people considered manual labor unworthy. It was common for men of wealth to leave jobs that required greater physical effort for slaves or people who had no wealth.
But in reality, all work involves the joining of body and mind. This is because, with each activity we carry out, it is necessary to combine all our skills to achieve a certain objective.
There are some jobs that require more physical strength , such as rural workers cutting sugar cane. In addition to physical effort, there is constant exposure to the sun.
Manual labor, in this sense, would be an indication of social backwardness, since it affects the health of the worker. On the other hand, manual labor has always existed and is extremely important for humanity. The problem is not in the type of work done, but in the exploitation that exists on the worker.
Manual labor was seen for a long time as a less valuable activity, so it was discriminated against. Over time, it was realized that the value of work is not related to the type of work that is done, but to the fact that it is performed by a human being, and that every type of work requires a type of skill.
Intellectual work
Intellectual work depends on specialized knowledge . This means that the professional’s learning will be used to create, solve, calculate, design, control, evaluate, manage and all other activities that demonstrate complex reasoning.
The more intellectualized the work, the greater the knowledge required.
More technical jobs usually require specific knowledge. The most intellectualized jobs require the use of multiple knowledge.
The differences
It is not possible to affirm that a work is only manual and another only intellectual.
Some jobs require greater skill with the hands, others, greater physical strength, and still others, a higher level of qualification and learning.
For example: to consult and medicate someone who is ill, you need a doctor, that is, a person who has a medical background. In order to hire a domestic worker, it is necessary to check if she knows how to wash, cook, iron, if she is organized and careful.
These activities require qualifications of varying degrees. The medical professional performs an intellectual rather than manual work, because, during college, the student must study for six years, then, for two more years, take up residence, practicing what he has learned, and only then will he be considered a doctor.
The important thing is to understand that each person has the aptitude to carry out a type of activity. When we work with an activity we like, the result is certainly better!
