Head Hand Heart

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The coronavirus pandemic highlighted the essential roles of care workers, supermarket staff, delivery drivers, and cleaners, whose contributions keep society functioning. Previously viewed as menial, these jobs are now recognized as vital. This analysis explores why such roles are undervalued. David Goodhart categorizes human aptitudes into three: Head (cognitive), Hand (manual and craft), and Heart (caring and emotional). While a balanced society requires recognition of all three, recent decades have skewed this balance, elevating cognitive ability as the gold standard. The cognitive class now dominates, shaping society to prioritize the knowledge economy and higher education, often at the expense of those in manual and caring professions. The narrative traces the cognitive takeover over the last forty years, noting that in the 1970s, many left school without qualifications, whereas today, 40% of jobs require a degree. To foster a just society, we must redefine skilled work to equally value those who work with their hands and hearts alongside those who excel in cognitive tasks. Addressing this imbalance is crucial for providing meaning and dignity to individuals who do not fit into traditional educational or professional molds, marking a significant struggle for status in the twenty-first century.