I want to say, in all seriousness, that a great deal of harm is being done in the modern world by belief in the virtuousness of work, and that the road to happiness and prosperity lies in an organised diminution of work.

Meaning: Enjoyment can feel uncomplicated until the responsibilities attached to it become clear. The feast and its reckoning contrast immediate pleasure with the later account, without condemning celebration or predicting that enjoyment must end badly.

Meaning: Another worker can often find something to improve in work already considered finished. The second barber’s remaining task suggests that completion depends on standards and perspective, without proving that earlier work was careless or endless correction is necessary.