Probably the greatest living writer, Cormac McCarthy, refused to work, opting to live in poverty while he perfected his art. He somehow kept a wife during this period. They ate cheap canned food every night, and bathed in a frigid nearby lake. Now he's a legend, up to his nose in money. But he had a reason for not working. He found it a waste of time, intolerable, but more importantly, he had a better use of his time: honing his craft. I think that's the only justifiable reason not to work, if you're working towards something else on your own. Then again, if you don't want to work you don't want to work, but if that's the case then don't bitch about living in squalor. Because unless you live in a socialist country that's exactly what you'll be doing.
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