--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have absolutely no concept of work…" description: "\"I have absolutely no concept of work, except for university. But I like to talk to people a lot about their jobs.\" — Rachel Cusk" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/002/rachel-cusk-3482_career_i-have-absolutely-no-concept-of-work-exc_2889001.png" --- # I have absolutely no concept of work, except for… ![“I have absolutely no concept of work, except for university. But I like to talk to people a lot about their jobs.” quote by Rachel Cusk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/002/rachel-cusk-3482_career_i-have-absolutely-no-concept-of-work-exc_2889001.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/002/rachel-cusk-3482_career_i-have-absolutely-no-concept-of-work-exc_2889001.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/002/rachel-cusk-3482_career_i-have-absolutely-no-concept-of-work-exc_2889001.png) > “I have absolutely no concept of work, except for university. But I like to talk to people a lot about their jobs.” [Rachel Cusk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cusk/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker feels detached from work concepts, yet enjoys discussing others’ jobs, indicating curiosity without personal identification. **In simple terms:** I don’t see work as part of me, but I like hearing about others’ jobs. Key Takeaway Explore personal values beyond conventional work identity. Themes identity career curiosity social interaction self‑reflection Mood introspective conversational Type philosophical psychological When to use this quote - career counseling - social gatherings - interview settings Key Concepts work concept personal narrative social curiosity Questions to Reflect On - How does your view of work affect your life choices? - What draws you to others’ job stories? A Different Perspective May limit professional networking opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Career](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/career/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [University](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/university/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [“The concept of work should be understood diligently”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/the-concept-of-work-should-be-understood-diligently/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [Since my retirement, I've spent a lot of time trying to help the School of Social Work at the University of North Carolina. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kuralt/since-my-retirement-i-ve-spent-a-lot-of-time-trying-to-help-the/) [Charles Kuralt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kuralt/) > [I worked in the mechanical factories repairing cement trucks. The Cuban government wanted me to work in the university as a teacher in literature,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-newton/i-worked-in-the-mechanical-factories-repairing-cement-trucks-the/) [Huey Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-newton/) > [To talk about the reality of life here and the work that you do here at the university.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pinsky/to-talk-about-the-reality-of-life-here-and-the-work-that-you-do-here/) [Robert Pinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pinsky/) > [I was gonna work in a university, but no one was hiring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washed-out/i-was-gonna-work-in-a-university-but-no-one-was-hiring/) [Washed Out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washed-out/) > [I lost a lot of jobs because I looked too much like Tom Selleck... or Robert Redford.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-berry/i-lost-a-lot-of-jobs-because-i-looked-too-much-like-tom-selleck-or/) [Ken Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-berry/) > [I had a lot of jobs in New York. I worked in a cafe, and I did bike delivery, and I was a mover.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-morby/i-had-a-lot-of-jobs-in-new-york-i-worked-in-a-cafe-and-i-did-bike/) [Kevin Morby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-morby/) > [With industrial revival, I see a lot of jobs coming in for the youth of Punjab.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amarinder-singh/with-industrial-revival-i-see-a-lot-of-jobs-coming-in-for-the-youth/) [Amarinder Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amarinder-singh/) > [There's a lot of jobs that you can do that you can be miserable at. Making movies should not be one of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-jenkins/there-s-a-lot-of-jobs-that-you-can-do-that-you-can-be-miserable-at/) [Richard Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-jenkins/) > [I always thought that if I made it big or got successful at what I had started out to do, that I wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/i-always-thought-that-if-i-made-it-big-or-got-successful-at-what-i/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [I turn a lot of jobs down because they are patronising.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toyah-willcox/i-turn-a-lot-of-jobs-down-because-they-are-patronising/) [Toyah Willcox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toyah-willcox/) > [I've done a lot of period drama before. A lot of my jobs have been that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-morgan/i-ve-done-a-lot-of-period-drama-before-a-lot-of-my-jobs-have-been-that/) [Joseph Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-morgan/) > [A lot of the jobs I had revolved around metal fabrication and creating and building and maintaining equipment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-schultz/a-lot-of-the-jobs-i-had-revolved-around-metal-fabrication-and/) [Mike Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-schultz/) > [I had a lot of jobs, because I wanted to be an actor, and I had this bad habit of wanting to eat regularly.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-hilton-jacobs/i-had-a-lot-of-jobs-because-i-wanted-to-be-an-actor-and-i-had-this/) [Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-hilton-jacobs/) > [I think I've been really lucky to be able to improv in a lot of my jobs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-stalter/i-think-i-ve-been-really-lucky-to-be-able-to-improv-in-a-lot-of-my/) [Megan Stalter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-stalter/) ## More by Rachel Cusk > [A creative writing workshop will contain students whose ambitions and abilities, whose conceptions of literature itself, are so diverse that what they have in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cusk/a-creative-writing-workshop-will-contain-students-whose-ambitions-and/) [Rachel Cusk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cusk/) > [“If a man had a nasty side to his character, she wanted to get to it immediately and confront it. She didn’t want it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cusk/if-a-man-had-a-nasty-side-to-his-character-she-wanted-to-get-to-it/) [Rachel Cusk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cusk/) > [If I know somebody is coming 'round, it is incredibly difficult for me to work because I'm waiting for this interruption - even the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cusk/if-i-know-somebody-is-coming-round-it-is-incredibly-difficult-for-me/) [Rachel Cusk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cusk/) > [I felt that I could swim for miles, out into the ocean: a desire for freedom, an impulse to move, tugged at me as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cusk/i-felt-that-i-could-swim-for-miles-out-into-the-ocean-a-desire-for/) [Rachel Cusk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cusk/) > [The creativity of childhood was often surrendered amid feelings of unworthiness. So the idea that others are demanding to be given it back -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cusk/the-creativity-of-childhood-was-often-surrendered-amid-feelings-of/) [Rachel Cusk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cusk/) > [A neighbor is something that belongs to the stable world of home life, the thing that lives next door to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cusk/a-neighbor-is-something-that-belongs-to-the-stable-world-of-home-life/) [Rachel Cusk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cusk/) > [Help is dangerous because it exists outside the human economy: the only payment for help is gratitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cusk/help-is-dangerous-because-it-exists-outside-the-human-economy-the/) [Rachel Cusk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cusk/) > [A feminist man is a bit like a vegetarian: it's the humanitarian principle he's defending, I suppose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cusk/a-feminist-man-is-a-bit-like-a-vegetarian-it-s-the-humanitarian/) [Rachel Cusk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cusk/) > [Feminism remains something that needs to be explained to people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cusk/feminism-remains-something-that-needs-to-be-explained-to-people/) [Rachel Cusk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cusk/) > [“At the time, he had got rid of her so efficiently and so suavely that she had felt almost reassured even as she was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cusk/at-the-time-he-had-got-rid-of-her-so-efficiently-and-so-suavely-that/) [Rachel Cusk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cusk/) > [“From the distance of England the Italian cuisine seems to be all things to all people. It does not expect you to bend to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cusk/from-the-distance-of-england-the-italian-cuisine-seems-to-be-all/) [Rachel Cusk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cusk/) > [You could time a suburban story by your watch: it lasts as long as it takes a small furry animal that's lonely to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cusk/you-could-time-a-suburban-story-by-your-watch-it-lasts-as-long-as-it/) [Rachel Cusk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cusk/) > [It is expected that a children's story will raise a difficulty and then resolve it: increasingly, this resolution is so prompt and so resounding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cusk/it-is-expected-that-a-children-s-story-will-raise-a-difficulty-and/) [Rachel Cusk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cusk/) > [Human beings have a need, generally, to destroy things. The Freudian principle of civilisation is correct. There's always, always a difference between the family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cusk/human-beings-have-a-need-generally-to-destroy-things-the-freudian/) [Rachel Cusk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cusk/) > [I don't think I knew that you could be a novelist. I think a lot of my students are in the same condition. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cusk/i-don-t-think-i-knew-that-you-could-be-a-novelist-i-think-a-lot-of-my/) [Rachel Cusk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cusk/) [Explore all 128 Rachel Cusk quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cusk/) ## More Career quotes > [“Don’t allow anyone to pressure you into taking a job in a field that doesn’t feel right in your gut. You are the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-james/don-t-allow-anyone-to-pressure-you-into-taking-a-job-in-a-field-that/) Alison James > [In every province, the chief occupations, in order of importance, are lovemaking, malicious gossip, and talking nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/in-every-province-the-chief-occupations-in-order-of-importance-are/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [One needs more than ambition and talent to make a success of anything, really. There must be love and a vocation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessye-norman/one-needs-more-than-ambition-and-talent-to-make-a-success-of-anything/) [Jessye Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessye-norman/) > [There are so many things you can do with your life, you can go to school and study toward your career, you can become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simphiwe-scientist-dumi/there-are-so-many-things-you-can-do-with-your-life-you-can-go-to/) [Simphiwe Scientist Dumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simphiwe-scientist-dumi/) > [I always knew I wanted to have a good career, so I made it happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chord-overstreet/i-always-knew-i-wanted-to-have-a-good-career-so-i-made-it-happen/) [Chord Overstreet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chord-overstreet/) > [I am a very big fan of Brian Eno, of his work as an artist and making his music, and as a producer. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/i-am-a-very-big-fan-of-brian-eno-of-his-work-as-an-artist-and-making/) [Rostam Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/) > [If I can beat a proven champion like Canelo, that will take my career to a different level.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennady-golovkin/if-i-can-beat-a-proven-champion-like-canelo-that-will-take-my-career/) [Gennady Golovkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennady-golovkin/) > [My non-career. My excuse for a career? Honestly, I never think about the word 'career.' I've had managers, the minute they say it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-verlaine/my-non-career-my-excuse-for-a-career-honestly-i-never-think-about-the/) [Tom Verlaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-verlaine/) > [“The vocation of a man lies in his vision.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/the-vocation-of-a-man-lies-in-his-vision/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [I started off as a model maker, so the first part of my career was a model maker and then a motion control camera…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-knoll/i-started-off-as-a-model-maker-so-the-first-part-of-my-career-was-a/) [John Knoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-knoll/) > [Growing up I did commercials and things like that, but nothing serious. As I got older, my family is really hardcore into academics. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-doubleday/growing-up-i-did-commercials-and-things-like-that-but-nothing-serious/) [Portia Doubleday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-doubleday/) > [You can have a career and kids who love you. But you have to nurture yourself and find a way to be fulfilled so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-reitman/you-can-have-a-career-and-kids-who-love-you-but-you-have-to-nurture/) [Catherine Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-reitman/) > [As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-doing-good-that-is-one-of-the-professions-which-is-full/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Even though I'm already successful and have a career, it is always good to have your eggs in more than one basket.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farrah-abraham/even-though-i-m-already-successful-and-have-a-career-it-is-always/) [Farrah Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farrah-abraham/) [Browse all 11,387 Career quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/career/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I have absolutely no concept of work, except for university. 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