--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Besides, 99 hundredths of all the work…" description: "\"“Besides, 99 hundredths of all the work done in the world is either foolish and unnecessary, or harmful and wicked.\" Herman Melville”\" — Peter Wortsman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/685/peter-wortsman-269493_work-done_besides-99-hundredths-of-all-the-work-do_1112869.jpg" --- # Besides, 99 hundredths of all the work done in the world… ![“Besides, 99 hundredths of all the work done in the world is either foolish and unnecessary, or harmful and wicked." Herman Melville” quote by Peter Wortsman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/685/peter-wortsman-269493_work-done_besides-99-hundredths-of-all-the-work-do_1112869.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/685/peter-wortsman-269493_work-done_besides-99-hundredths-of-all-the-work-do_1112869.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/685/peter-wortsman-269493_work-done_besides-99-hundredths-of-all-the-work-do_1112869.jpg) > ““Besides, 99 hundredths of all the work done in the world is either foolish and unnecessary, or harmful and wicked." Herman Melville”” Peter Wortsman ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Most work is either foolish, unnecessary, or harmful, suggesting a critique of societal labor. **In simple terms:** Much work lacks purpose or is harmful. Key Takeaway Seek meaningful, ethical work. Themes labor society meaning ethics Mood critical skeptical Type Work done:1 Herman Melville:1 World Foolish:0 Hundredths Work:0 99 Hundredths:0 Foolish Unnecessary:0 When to use this quote - career choice - social activism - education - policy making - personal fulfillment Key Concepts philosophy critical theory Questions to Reflect On - What work feels purposeful to you? - How can you reduce harmful labor? A Different Perspective Not all work is harmful; some is essential. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [“No, love is never foolish. Or unnecessary.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/no-love-is-never-foolish-or-unnecessary/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [To want to come to New York, you have to have a sense of wonder about the world and a foolish sense of worth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-c-wolfe/to-want-to-come-to-new-york-you-have-to-have-a-sense-of-wonder-about/) [George C. Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-c-wolfe/) > [Yeah I do this shit till the death, yeah I do this shit till I'm gone. Yeah I told you that its are world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/yeah-i-do-this-shit-till-the-death-yeah-i-do-this-shit-till-i-m-gone/) [Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/) > [I do this shit til the death, yeah I do this shit til I'm gone. Yeah I told you that it's our world and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/i-do-this-shit-til-the-death-yeah-i-do-this-shit-til-i-m-gone-yeah-i/) [Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/) > [Art has always been my salvation. And my gods are Herman Melville, Emily Dickinson, Mozart. I believe in them with all my heart. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-sendak/art-has-always-been-my-salvation-and-my-gods-are-herman-melville/) [Maurice Sendak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/) > [“Every book is an alchemical creation, and I'm thinking back to 1857 when Herman Melville arrived in Greece and saw the Parthenon for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/every-book-is-an-alchemical-creation-and-i-m-thinking-back-to-1857/) [Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/) > [“MOBY DICK; OR THE WHALE by Herman Melville CHAPTER 1 Loomings Call me Ishmael. Some years ago—never mind how long precisely— having little or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/moby-dick-or-the-whale-by-herman-melville-chapter-1-loomings-call-me/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [“When one reads, and re-reads, Moby Dick , it seems to me that one gets a more convincing, a more definite, impression of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/when-one-reads-and-re-reads-moby-dick-it-seems-to-me-that-one-gets-a/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [My first attraction to writing novels was the plot, that almost extinct animal. Those novels I read which made me want to be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/my-first-attraction-to-writing-novels-was-the-plot-that-almost/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [Herman Melville was supposed to be an accountant. Van Gogh was meant to be an art dealer. I was meant to take the train…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-mclean/herman-melville-was-supposed-to-be-an-accountant-van-gogh-was-meant/) [Don McLean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-mclean/) > [If you want to know why the coast is such an inspirational place, ask Herman Melville, Jack London, Nordhoff and Hall, Robert Louis Stevenson…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cooper-clarke/if-you-want-to-know-why-the-coast-is-such-an-inspirational-place-ask/) [John Cooper Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cooper-clarke/) > [IN ANSWER TO THE QUESTION: WHAT SCENES ONE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE FILMED Shakespeare in the part of the King's Ghost. The beheading of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/in-answer-to-the-question-what-scenes-one-would-like-to-have-filmed/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [“Of all the preposterous assumptions of humanity over humanity, nothing exceeds most of the criticisms made on the habits of the poor by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-fuhrman/of-all-the-preposterous-assumptions-of-humanity-over-humanity-nothing/) [Joel Fuhrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-fuhrman/) > [The idea of Herman Melville in a writing class is always distressing to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-bloom/the-idea-of-herman-melville-in-a-writing-class-is-always-distressing/) [Harold Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-bloom/) > [I cling to the idea that Herman Melville had to work at the end of his career watching ships in a dock, as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jess-walter/i-cling-to-the-idea-that-herman-melville-had-to-work-at-the-end-of/) [Jess Walter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jess-walter/) ## More Work done quotes > [“I hope we're not intruding,' she croons, sweetly. "Well, I say, "I was trying to get a little work done." I give T.J. a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-grunwald/i-hope-we-re-not-intruding-she-croons-sweetly-well-i-say-i-was-trying/) [Lisa Grunwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-grunwald/) > [God doesn't love me any more or less because I had some work done on my face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/god-doesn-t-love-me-any-more-or-less-because-i-had-some-work-done-on/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [“For some employers, there is no more glorious work than work done for free.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamerlan-kuzgov/for-some-employers-there-is-no-more-glorious-work-than-work-done-for/) [Tamerlan Kuzgov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamerlan-kuzgov/) > [Most celebrities are not going to admit they had work done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-nassif/most-celebrities-are-not-going-to-admit-they-had-work-done/) [Paul Nassif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-nassif/) > [There are actresses who've had expensive work done and look great, so I'm not holier-than-thou about it. But it wouldn't be for me, perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celia-imrie/there-are-actresses-who-ve-had-expensive-work-done-and-look-great-so/) [Celia Imrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celia-imrie/) > [When his (the good ruler's) task is accomplished and his work done, The people all say, "It happened to us naturally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/when-his-the-good-ruler-s-task-is-accomplished-and-his-work-done-the/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [I love computers. I love writing on them. I love gadgetry. The thing is: I am a slow reader. So, if I am going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-sondheim/i-love-computers-i-love-writing-on-them-i-love-gadgetry-the-thing-is/) [Stephen Sondheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-sondheim/) > [Never do any work for free or get any work done for free if you are good at it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mazher/never-do-any-work-for-free-or-get-any-work-done-for-free-if-you-are/) [Mazher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mazher/) > [I am making my television debut with 'Dream Girl,' and hence, this role is very important for me. The uniqueness of my character prompted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikita-dutta/i-am-making-my-television-debut-with-dream-girl-and-hence-this-role/) [Nikita Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikita-dutta/) > [“all human work (especially excellent work), done by all people, as a channel of God’s love for his world. They will be able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/all-human-work-especially-excellent-work-done-by-all-people-as-a/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [Sometimes I feel like just to get all my own work done would be great. You always feel like you're behind, and they're six…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-burger/sometimes-i-feel-like-just-to-get-all-my-own-work-done-would-be-great/) [Neil Burger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-burger/) > [I'm glad that, despite everything, I was able to get work done and finish something. I never finish anything. So just being able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zachary-cole-smith/i-m-glad-that-despite-everything-i-was-able-to-get-work-done-and/) [Zachary Cole Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zachary-cole-smith/) > [ “Work done with anxiety about results is far inferior to work done without such anxiety, in the calm of self-surrender. \[...\] They who work… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/work-done-with-anxiety-about-results-is-far-inferior-to-work-done/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [“Whatever God orders and whatever God guides, he provides. God’s work, done in God’s way, never lacks for God’s supply.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-hudson-taylor/whatever-god-orders-and-whatever-god-guides-he-provides-god-s-work/) J. Hudson Taylor > [I go into the gym and do 75 pullups, 75 dips, 150 squats, 150 pushups, and then 20 minutes of ab work. Done. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-hunnam/i-go-into-the-gym-and-do-75-pullups-75-dips-150-squats-150-pushups/) [Charlie Hunnam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-hunnam/) Browse all 419 Work done quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Besides, 99 hundredths of all the work done in the world is either foolish and unnecessary, or harmful and wicked.\" Herman Melville”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Peter Wortsman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-wortsman/besides-99-hundredths-of-all-the-work-done-in-the-world-is-either/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Work done" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-wortsman/besides-99-hundredths-of-all-the-work-done-in-the-world-is-either/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/685/peter-wortsman-269493_work-done_besides-99-hundredths-of-all-the-work-do_1112869.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/685/peter-wortsman-269493_work-done_besides-99-hundredths-of-all-the-work-do_1112869.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/685/peter-wortsman-269493_work-done_besides-99-hundredths-of-all-the-work-do_1112869.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Besides, 99 hundredths of all the work done in the world is either foolish and unnecessary, or harmful and…” — Peter Wortsman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Peter Wortsman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-wortsman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Besides, 99 hundredths of all the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-wortsman/besides-99-hundredths-of-all-the-work-done-in-the-world-is-either/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-wortsman/besides-99-hundredths-of-all-the-work-done-in-the-world-is-either/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```