We can say without exaggeration that the present national ambition of the United States is unemployment. People live for quitting time, for weekends, for vacations, and for retirement; moreover, this ambition seems to be classless, as true in the executive suites as on the assembly lines. One works not because the work is necessary, valuable, useful to a desirable end, or because one loves to do it, but only to be able to quit - a condition that a saner time would regard as infernal, a condemnation. Wendell Berry
About This Quote

In 1937, in a book titled "The Vanishing American," Walter Lippmann wrote a scathing indictment of the American Dream. Among other things, he argued that Americans have been seduced by the idea that work is a burden, not a privilege. Instead of recognizing work as an opportunity to make a better world, we see it as a necessary evil. We see all its value in terms of money and cents.

This is true whether we are talking about the work we do at our jobs or the work we do for charity or other volunteer organizations. We can all be reminded of the Vanishing American every time we look at our bank statements and see how much money we spend on things like cell phones and Internet access and movies and other things that we no longer need to do anything for.

Source: Bringing It To The Table: On Farming And Food

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