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People born in the U.S. and those I've met from other countries almost universally tend to believe in the virtues of hard work. The value of work seems to be present across all demographic categories. On the other hand, people blessed with privilege seem to enjoy it when other people work hard under their dominance.

Hard work is considered a virtue among blue collar and middle-class Americans. Yet, this "work ethic" is sometimes carried to a point of it being damaging. Also, some elements of it seem to be irrational.

The common work ethic is sometimes used to "whip people into shape." I've met people who have applied the work ethic to me--I've been unable to tolerate too much of it. I do perform hard work, but I am not happy when pushed. At times, I've had no viable choice other than to tolerate it. I may soon be in that position again. 

For some mentally ill people, applying the ethic of working as hard as possible is toxic. People are made of soft stuff, and mentally ill people, softer stuff. I've been in work situations in which I just "couldn't cut it." I've had to resign abruptly to get out of situations that I just couldn't handle. On the other hand, at several positions, I made the decision that quitting was not an option. In those situations, I did very well, after struggling at the beginning. 

There are some who use the concept of work as a club with which to batter you. The "work ethic" is often something used by management of companies as a psychological implement of control and dominance on lower tier employees. If mentally ill, and the work ethic is applied to us too much, is not always tolerable. It is not so much about resentment, albeit that too exists; it is more like an anxiety or paranoia response. Also, let's not deny that psychiatric medication will tend to make a worker far less efficient. The psychiatric disability itself also interferes. 

I have some PTSD related to being employed by merciless companies. I tried very hard to work when I was in my twenties, and I was forced by circumstances to give that up and apply for SSDI and SSI. 

I love many types of work. But when I am subject to dominance, or subject to a ridiculous task intended to torture me, I will not even "go there" any more. 

The idea of being self-employed is far more appealing. The pay could be more, or it could be nothing. But I like having my own "company" (with no employees), I like the independence, and I can maintain the ability to refuse a task if I feel that it is bad for me. 

I can do a number to things as well as, or better than, many people who make big money. However, I am not able to handle a corporate environment, and I am allergic to punching a time card. Most recently, a friend offered me an opportunity to dust off the tops of clothes on hangers and offered to give me an old photocopier to sell. Neither of these ideas were appealing. 

Work ethic is also a tool used by classist people to maintain interpersonal superiority. It is predatory to push people and use the threat of firing them as a weapon. 

Labor unions in the U.S. were created for some of the above reasons. However, the unions have morphed into their own power-grabbing entities, and probably don't fulfill the original purpose as much as they once did. I was in my late teens and tried to be hired for a union job in San Francisco. I was told I was supposed to go to an address across town and participate in a picket line before I could be considered for a job. It wasn't particularly great to do this, and I didn't last. 

My grandmother, in the early twentieth century, apparently participated in a move to create a union for seamstresses. Now, we have people doing this kind of work mostly in foreign countries, for almost no money. 

For many mentally ill people the supposed "work ethic" is often toxic. In some work programs intended for mentally ill people, the situations are humiliating and demeaning. For others, post-traumatic stress, the symptoms of the illness, or the sedating effects of the medication get in the way. While hard work is often a good thing, it should not become a stick with which to bludgeon us.