--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We should abolish 'work.' By that I mean…" description: "\"We should abolish 'work.' By that I mean abolishing the distinction between work and leisure, one of the greatest mistakes of the last century, one tha..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfd/theodore-zeldin-9828_abolish_we-should-abolish-work-by-that-i-mean-ab_74277.png" --- # We should abolish 'work.' By that I mean abolishing the… ![“We should abolish 'work.' By that I mean abolishing the distinction between work and leisure, one of the greatest mistakes of the last century, one that enables employers to keep workers in lousy jobs by granting them some leisure time.” quote by Theodore Zeldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfd/theodore-zeldin-9828_abolish_we-should-abolish-work-by-that-i-mean-ab_74277.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfd/theodore-zeldin-9828_abolish_we-should-abolish-work-by-that-i-mean-ab_74277.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfd/theodore-zeldin-9828_abolish_we-should-abolish-work-by-that-i-mean-ab_74277.png) > “We should abolish 'work.' By that I mean abolishing the distinction between work and leisure, one of the greatest mistakes of the last century, one that enables employers to keep workers in lousy jobs by granting them some leisure time.” [Theodore Zeldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-zeldin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote argues that separating work from leisure creates a false hierarchy that lets employers exploit workers, suggesting that merging them would eliminate this exploitation. **In simple terms:** Work and leisure should be unified to prevent exploitation. Key Takeaway Abolish the work‑leisure divide. Themes Labor theory Social hierarchy Work‑life balance Capitalism critique Human fulfillment Mood Critical Reflective Provocative Type Philosophical Social critique Policy suggestion When to use this quote - Corporate policy design - Labor union negotiations - Personal time management - Societal reform debates Key Concepts Exploitation Leisure value Job quality Economic structure Practical Applications - Redesigning employment contracts - Creating flexible work schedules Questions to Reflect On - How does the work‑leisure split affect worker autonomy? - What would a society look like where work and leisure are indistinguishable? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Distinction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distinction/) [Employers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/employers/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Leisure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leisure/) [Leisure time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leisure-time/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Mistakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistakes/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) [Workers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/workers/) ## Related quotes > [It is now possible to abolish work and replace it, insofar as it serves useful purposes, with a multitude of new kinds of free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-black/it-is-now-possible-to-abolish-work-and-replace-it-insofar-as-it/) [Bob Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-black/) > [Work and leisure are complementary parts of the same living process and cannot be separated without destroying the joy of work and the bliss…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/work-and-leisure-are-complementary-parts-of-the-same-living-process/) [E. 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But by abolishing any chance of being bored we have also lost the times we used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mckeown/of-course-nobody-likes-to-be-bored-but-by-abolishing-any-chance-of/) [Greg McKeown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mckeown/) > [The only sane policy for the world is that of abolishing war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linus-pauling/the-only-sane-policy-for-the-world-is-that-of-abolishing-war/) [Linus Pauling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linus-pauling/) ## More by Theodore Zeldin > [People in this world of superficial communication find themselves isolated and lonely and have difficult in talking about personal things that really matter to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-zeldin/people-in-this-world-of-superficial-communication-find-themselves/) [Theodore Zeldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-zeldin/) > [The institution of marriage, if you look at it over many centuries, has come and gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-zeldin/the-institution-of-marriage-if-you-look-at-it-over-many-centuries-has/) [Theodore Zeldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-zeldin/) > [When two people talk with mutual respect and listen with a real interest in understanding another point of view, when they try to put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-zeldin/when-two-people-talk-with-mutual-respect-and-listen-with-a-real/) [Theodore Zeldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-zeldin/) > [ Everything I am going to say to you is the child of a conversation. \[...\] That is the aspect of conversation that particularly excites… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-zeldin/everything-i-am-going-to-say-to-you-is-the-child-of-a-conversation/) [Theodore Zeldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-zeldin/) > [The more education you do, the less you are capable of doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-zeldin/the-more-education-you-do-the-less-you-are-capable-of-doing/) [Theodore Zeldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-zeldin/) > [In every life there is an element of victory over fear, which needs to be searched for, though it may be a false victory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-zeldin/in-every-life-there-is-an-element-of-victory-over-fear-which-needs-to/) [Theodore Zeldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-zeldin/) > [What does it mean to dance? 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