One of the most common misunderstandings about socialism is the idea that in a socialist society, no one would want to work. But this assumption ignores the actual reasons why so many people hate work today. It’s not work itself that people resent—it’s the exploitation, precarity, and humiliation that come with working under capitalism. The structure of capitalism turns work into a transaction of survival rather than a meaningful contribution. It alienates people from the products of their labor, their co-workers, their time, and ultimately, themselves.

Under capitalism, people work long hours not because they want to, but because they have no choice. They labor for the enrichment of others—corporations, landlords, shareholders—while struggling to cover their own basic needs. This system punishes people for resting, undervalues care work and education, and ties self-worth to productivity. It’s no surprise, then, that many would rather receive support through social services than take on yet another underpaid job. That’s not laziness—it’s self-preservation in a system that demands too much and gives too little.

In socialism, the relationship to work fundamentally changes. Work is still necessary—people will still build, teach, grow, heal, maintain—but they will do it for themselves and their communities, not to generate profit for capitalists. In a socialist society, work is democratic and collectively organized. It is about cooperation, not coercion. People are motivated not by threat of poverty, but by shared responsibility and the desire to build a better world. This reorients work toward public good, human dignity, and environmental care.

People do want to work—when their work is respected, meaningful, and part of a system that values them as human beings. They want to support their communities, contribute to shared wellbeing, and see the tangible results of their labor. What they don’t want is to pour their energy into making profits for someone else while barely scraping by themselves.

To build a society where work is fulfilling again, we must end the exploitative model that treats workers as disposable inputs. Socialism offers not an end to work, but a beginning—a chance to reshape labor as an act of solidarity, not servitude.