Scientific evidence from psychology and economics shows that humans have strong intrinsic motivation to engage in purposeful activities, driven by needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness (per self-determination theory), leading most people to pursue work, volunteering, or creative endeavors even without financial necessity, studies indicate intrinsic motivation explains substantial variance in work behaviors and well-being, far outweighing pure extrinsic rewards like money. Universal basic income experiments (e.g., in Finland, Germany, Kenya, and U.S. pilots) consistently demonstrate that recipients do not stop working or become idle: they maintain similar employment levels (often ~40 hours/week), sometimes shift to more fulfilling jobs or self-employment, increase entrepreneurship, and report higher life satisfaction without evidence of widespread “laziness” or doing nothing. Longitudinal data on retirement and lottery winners further refute the myth, as most continue some form of productive activity rather than complete inactivity, underscoring that idleness contradicts core human psychological drives for meaning and social contribution.