Re: Yes, and

I spent a long time honing my trade and I did learn a lot in the process, so I want to believe this argument, I really do. But then I imagine it applied to a lot of pre-industrial era jobs and I am not so sure.

"Master, should I still learn to weave our beautiful Persian rugs by hand?"

"Yes, and... Have you seen one of these mass-produced rugs? They all look the same and their quality is terrible! And how would you ever operate one of those new machines if you don't know a good rug from a bad one? By learning to weave manually, you are also learning about choosing the right yarn, negotiating the right prices with the merchant down at the market, selecting a good apprentice to pass down the trade. All these things will always be useful!"

Yes, there are still artisans making and selling beautiful rugs at premium prices. But most people now are content with resting their feet on a cheap Ikea thing that they can replace every few years, so that market has shrunk to almost nothing.

fpaf, 1 day ago