Work And Leisure

We work so that we can fund our leisure. Does it also mean that if we do not work, we no longer have any leisure? Does one have to work so that off-work hours can in contrast, be leisure otherwise one would have leisure all the time? Hence it cannot be leisure? Like if there is no pain, there can be no pleasure?

If one no longer feels the pain, the pleasure of pleasure (or leisure) would be less pronounced I suppose. It won't completely be negated, just that the enjoyment of it would be so much lessened, that one needs some pain to remind one of how pleasurable non-work can be.

Or that is the line of reasoning I am being led to come to... except that I've had those 5.5 months in Singapore in 2005 when I did not work. And thoroughly enjoyed every minute of my leisure. So I know. From first hand experience that one does not need work to feel great pleasure in leisure. The memory of work was sufficient. Perhaps if I had a prolonged period of leisure, the extent of pleasure I had felt would be greatly diminished. But I did not have the leisure of time to find out because after 5.5 months, I eased back into part-time work, then part-time work cum full-time post-grad classes, then full-time employment.

Maybe all I need is another 5.5 months (or thereabouts) off, and then I can put this behind me and go on for another 10 years before I can finally call it quits and look forward to full-time leisure.