Ch. 1: Serving in Florida (p. 31)
“
I complain to one of my fellow servers that I don't understand how she can go so long without food. "Well, I don't understand how you can go so long without a cigarette," she responds in a tone of reproach. Because work is what you do for others; smoking is what you do for yourself.
— Barbara Ehrenreich
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "I complain to one of my fellow servers that I don't understand how she can go so long without food. "Well, I don't understand how you can go so long without a cigarette," she responds in a tone of reproach. Because work is what you do for others; smoking is what you do for yourself." in the context of "Ch. 1: Serving in Florida (p. 31)" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Barbara Ehrenreich" (Quotes, Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America (2001))
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About Barbara Ehrenreich
Barbara Ehrenreich (August 26, 1941 – September 1, 2022) was a journalist, social critic and honorary co-chair of the Democratic Socialists of America.
About Barbara Ehrenreich
Barbara Ehrenreich (August 26, 1941 – September 1, 2022) was a journalist, social critic and honorary co-chair of the Democratic Socialists of America.
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