In the face of transactional virtue, idleness is held in contempt and effort greeted with applause. A judgement borne out of transactional virtue is no virtue at all. You may have goals of your own or none at all. You may simply pursue process-happiness. Monetary value can never be criteria for working. Any occupation that is taken up whether or not it yields results is work regardless of the popular standards of 'utilitarianism'. This is the difference between work as evaluated from the viewpoint of economic productivity and work as a law of nature. Work as a law of nature falls in line with Physics.
'Work' is described in Physics as the net impact of a force on a 'point' that moves through a 'distance'. The movement of the point follows a curve x, with a velocity v at each instant. The 'net impact' is a 'result'. The word 'point' has a variant meaning in Physics. It has a general application which means that it is valid in any situation. 'Point' is subjective and it is decided entirely by the agent that applies force. It moves through a distance which means that the agent is not static. Curve 'x' is without context; arbitrary and non-specific. It can represent a 'direction' that the agent intends to take. It may be seen as directionless by a non-entity outside the subjective context of the agent. A non-entity is someone who fails to understand the context and as a corollary passes a verdict that the effort is in vain. Just because its road does not bend to a popular notion of 'result', the destination of the enterprise is never pointless.
You may pursue 'embroidery' for the joy that the craft gifts you. Does it have to lead to business for it to be entitled to the label of 'work'? -Not at all. You enjoy it as an agent and it is your occupation. You are said to be working for pleasure. Whether work is done for a living, for pleasure or for neither it is work all the same. The definition of work in Physics covers terrains beyond the scope of our standards. If you move to pick up a remote control, you are said to be working even if your parents deny it.
Idleness in the context of Physics is static wherein there is absolutely no movement. The agent is at rest. 'Idleness' as condemned by human beings is merely human convention. The net impact can be felt only by the agent and other agents to whom their work has value.
Physics reminds us that even 'idleness' takes effort.
Idleness does indeed take effort. If you are forced to sit and do nothing, you will realize this quickly. In fact, it leaves me exhausted. Whiling away time at the beach or sitting on a park bench doing nothing, on the other hand, is quite enjoyable :-) Physics, however, cares not whether you enjoy it or not - work is work.
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