“Perhaps too many of us have become so decadent and lethargic that the basics in life seem like work?”
‘They are work. . . but too many people have been conditioned to avoid work. . . or anything that even resembles it.’
Swordmaker, you have nailed it.
My wife and relatives on both sides are amazed at the people our age (mid 70’) down to our off spring’s age of 40 something, and the younger teen age generation and of course the new failure to launch generation. They work at avoiding work that will benefit them.
One of our younger relatives, in his early teens, who doesn’t want a smart phone, says so many of his peers don’t want to memorize anything. They just ‘Google’ what they want to know.
Heaven for bid that they read a book or essay, talk to their parents/relatives and friends to find answers. He uses Kindle on his mother’s home computer to look up things. His sister uses her I Pad for references and uses Kindle on her I Pad to read for fun and to learn. Her I Pad is required at the private school she attends, and it gets used all the time at school and at home.