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<i>Ditch digging is worth less than programming in the market only because there are more ditch diggers than programmers.</i>

Is that the only reason? Surely the labor supply matters, but so does the value of the work to others.




Hard labor is valuable. Sure, it's difficult to get around when your GPS software is buggy. But's its also hard to get around if nobody has built any roads.

Generally speaking, our economy doesn't accurately price in how exhausting and difficult it is to work with your hands because there's less of a barrier to entry when it comes to labor. If there was equal opportunity, there would be a larger number of people competing for white collar jobs in an air conditioned office.




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