--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Look at labor policy. What's the point of…" description: "\"Look at labor policy. What's the point of making everybody work too much? It's not very useful. It is destroying the planet, actually. But it's great a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ad/david-graeber-4667_body-work_look-at-labor-policy-what-s-the-point-of_1395966.jpg" --- # Look at labor policy. What's the point of making everybody… ![“Look at labor policy. What's the point of making everybody work too much? It's not very useful. It is destroying the planet, actually. But it's great at keeping people off the streets.” quote by David Graeber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ad/david-graeber-4667_body-work_look-at-labor-policy-what-s-the-point-of_1395966.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ad/david-graeber-4667_body-work_look-at-labor-policy-what-s-the-point-of_1395966.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ad/david-graeber-4667_body-work_look-at-labor-policy-what-s-the-point-of_1395966.jpg) > “Look at labor policy. What's the point of making everybody work too much? It's not very useful. It is destroying the planet, actually. But it's great at keeping people off the streets.” [David Graeber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-graeber/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Excessive work demands harm the environment and serve to keep people occupied rather than productive. **In simple terms:** Overwork harms Earth and distracts people. Key Takeaway Prioritize sustainable work practices. Themes labor environment productivity society Mood reflective concerned Type critical inspirational When to use this quote - workplace design - government regulation - activism - education Key Concepts economics sustainability social policy Questions to Reflect On - What policies could reduce overwork? - How to align work with ecological goals? A Different Perspective Balancing productivity with well‑being is complex. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Body work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body-work/) [Destroying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destroying/) [Everybody Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everybody-work-1156690/) [Keeping People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/keeping-people-248176/) [Labor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labor/) [Labor Policy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labor-policy-4878977/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Planets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/planets/) [Policy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/policy/) [Streets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/streets/) [Too much](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-much/) [Useful Destroying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/useful-destroying-4878978/) ## Related quotes > [I always outworked everybody. 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Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [Everybody has to work with their talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-lorre/everybody-has-to-work-with-their-talent/) [Peter Lorre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-lorre/) > [Everybody's a work in progress. I'm a work in progress. I mean, I've never arrived... I'm still learning all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renee-fleming/everybody-s-a-work-in-progress-i-m-a-work-in-progress-i-mean-i-ve/) [Renee Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renee-fleming/) > [I try to stay friends with everybody because you might go back and work with somebody who you had a horrible experience with and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-zombie/i-try-to-stay-friends-with-everybody-because-you-might-go-back-and/) [Rob Zombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-zombie/) > [Everybody has to work on themselves, no one is perfect. 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You should never look down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-ehrenreich/it-was-a-very-big-principle-in-my-upbringing-that-you-should-respect/) [Barbara Ehrenreich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-ehrenreich/) > [Not everybody has to work on the big problems, but if nobody does, they don't get solved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-lonsdale/not-everybody-has-to-work-on-the-big-problems-but-if-nobody-does-they/) [Joe Lonsdale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-lonsdale/) ## More by David Graeber > [People don't have an ongoing relation unless it's a form of debt because everything is an exchange, so ongoing relationships are incomplete exchanges, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-graeber/people-don-t-have-an-ongoing-relation-unless-it-s-a-form-of-debt/) [David Graeber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-graeber/) > [I would like, then, to end by putting in a good word for the non-industrious poor. At least they aren’t hurting anyone. 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