For the sake of this discussion, let's restrict the definition of work as those activities we pursue in order to keep a roof over our heads and food in our bellies. Whether you have fun whilst doing it or not.

There is, and has to be in the majority of cases, a distinction between what we do at our own instigation, to our own criteria, and for our own pleasure. And that which we do for others, for payment, whether we enjoy it or not. The difference is consequences.

...I see a similar mixup of concepts here as there is in Perl, when it comes to packages, name spaces, symbol tables and classes :) Work can be done - and very responsible and important work - in one's so-called "free time". So, real work does stem from a necessity, but not necessarily the necessity to fill one's belly, i.e. to satisfy basic needs. It might be the other way round: doing necessary things grants the revenue needed to pay the monthly rent.

Today, there's a tight coupling of subsistence and income, of income and work, of work and making money, of making money and business success - and these are acquiesced almost as laws of physics. But then there are lots of businesses whose primary goal is not making money, but satisfying some crucial need of society - think Red Cross. Although moving money and book keeping is necessary for those businesses, they do big work for others not for payment, but because it's necessary to get that work done.

"What we do at our own instigation, to our own criteria, and for our own pleasure" has impact on the society as a whole, and we are responsible for those deeds also, not only for what we craft under another flag than our own.

My work consists in not small amount of research, learning and trying out things, all of which don't give my enterprise immediate revenue; but although this doing benefits my knowledge alone at first sight, it is necessary in the company's context also - even hanging around at PerlMonks. I tend to blur the lines of "business work" and "private work", because I don't care what hat I'm wearing whilst doing what is fun for me to do. Of course my work also comprises tasks that I don't like - but that's no different between tasks at home or at the office.

I'm not sure about the ostensible relations of the aformentioned coupling wrt to cause and effect - I do what I can and accept getting paid for it... I'm more comfortable thinking that I get paid because I work and am having fun with it, rather than that I work because I have to get paid. Freedom often is to be free from wrong perceptions. Still waay to go... ;-)

_($_=" "x(1<<5)."?\n".q·/)Oo.  G°\        /
                              /\_¯/(q    /
----------------------------  \__(m.====·.(_("always off the crowd"))."·
");sub _{s./.($e="'Itrs `mnsgdq Gdbj O`qkdq")=~y/"-y/#-z/;$e.e && print}