the.com/labor of love
Work you'd do unpaid, which is exactly why someone asks you to do it unpaid.
means Work done for the satisfaction or affection it brings rather than for payment, so the effort feels worthwhile despite the lack of reward.
from The phrase draws on biblical language — the apostle Paul's letters (translated into English in the King James Bible) speak of a 'labour of love' in referring to work done out of Christian devotion rather than obligation. Over centuries the religious weight wore off, and the phrase settled into everyday use for any task — a hobby, a passion project, a favor — undertaken for its own sake rather than for wages.
- etymology
- biblical phrase, 1 Thessalonians, originally about faith not hobbies
- economics
- passion discount: skilled work priced at zero because you enjoyed it
- red flag
- often said by the person not doing the labor
- test
- still worth it if no one ever sees the result