alt Hacker NewsPeople don't need to do much work to survive. They choose to because they want to play the rat-race. They want to compete with each other for status and wealth. And that's a good thing - it's what drives all the productivity that enables easy-goers to live off grid or in a tent or renting in a cheap neighborhood doing just a little part-time work.
You essentially need to work a full-time job to survive. Ideally, a somewhat good job to be comfortable. But if you want, say, a place to live, a steady supply of food, and your medical needs taken care of so you don't die prematurely, you need to be working full-time.