It’s a kind of distortion stemming from what we know as the puritan work ethic. Maybe it should have been better handed down as a puritan work-and-rest ethic, but that would have needed a theological rethink. The severe Calvinists kept wanting to see proof that their lives were producing fruit for God, and anything short of working to a frazzle was feared to be a sign of not being destined to heaven. Ironically they were moved to work for their salvations even though they would never have theologically formulated it that way. And then this shows up in the “conservative” ethic too, that says just because we don’t want the government wrapped up in welfare, we don’t want to help our needy neighbor in a change of life direction either.
Anyhow, to not heed when God personally says stop, is to plunge into folly. Why should we blame the tools by which people plunge on rather than listen to God. After all, axes are good for many things other than murder. And so forth.
In re the Puritan work ethic they were quite steadfast about keeping a Sunday Sanbath. That’s one day in seven, strict rest.