[sotojuan]

I was not brought up in America so I didn't grow up with the Protestant Work Ethic as part of my culture, so this question is hard for me to answer. Honestly, anything else?

Nothing wrong with focusing on work, especially if you're an entrepreneur or very ambitious. I respect that.

But I think most of us are just putting our eight hours in and then doing other stuff, and that's okay too. The problem I see in the US is that the latter group of people is subconsciously guilty about this and thus spends their free time reading about how to be better at work. It's yet another manifestation if the "temporarily embarrassed millionaire" culture.

How about reading or learning about something that has nothing to do with your day to day job that you find interesting?

[hippich]

Everything I find interesting is somehow ends up related to what friends call "work" =)

EDIT: I was brought up in ex-USSR country, place not quite known for work ethic.

[frosted-flakes]

Is there something wrong with having work as your hobby? Or should I say, having work and your hobby be the same thing. I don't think most people are "subconsciously guilty" about anything. They just enjoy their work.