History Main / WorkHardPlayHard

* [[AncientRome Imperium Romanum]]: Work ethic centred around strict obedience to the ''Paterfamilias'', massive engineering projects, technology too advanced for their time, a well-sustained government, the ability to manage countless nationalities into a single Imperium that most considered the equal of The Empire of the Han or The Persian Empire, even a thousand years afterward. The language of [[AltumVidetur Latin]] IS the official language of European societies' Laws (hence why European societies' legalese has all kinds of Latin terms, and considering the Legalistic tradition of Roman society), and the field of Science would not mind borrowing a few Latin words to supplement the Greek. Yet the Romans were, also, you know, [[EveryoneIsBi Rom]][[APartyAlsoKnownAsAnOrgy ans]].

TruthInTelevision here, as relaxing and having fun is good way to keep stress levels down. Being social is also a good way to find employment and learn from others, so a complete workaholic is pretty tough to find in RealLife. There's also the fact that most people ''enjoy'' having fun and relaxing -- but need to work to earn money. Frequently this is the other side to characters like TheReliableOne.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', Homer was worried that Bart was turning gay and he brought Bart to a steel mill to show him manly men doing manly jobs. Turned out it was a ManlyGay steel mill. Then the 5 o'clock whistle blew, and the place became an industrial-themed gay dance club. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=icIwKaci3MI "We work hard, we play hard."]]

* In the Franchise/StarTrekExpandedUniverse of novels, there was a temporary security chief on the ''Enterprise'' who embodied this trope: a total hard-ass with his staff on-duty, but off-duty he parties with them in the lounge, and as a result, their loyalty to him is absolute.

* Winterfae of ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'' are a dark example. They're bound to fight in an EndlessWar against an EldritchAbomination that often corrupts their allies into traitorous OmnicidalManiacs, so when it isn't around they let off steam by abusing humans. Their queen is more self-aware, but no less entitled, seeing it as a NecessaryEvil that her people deserve.

* In the ElvesVsDwarves dynamic, the entire Dwarven archetype often revolves around this idea. Dwarves are often depicted as the Industrial Faction, making use of hard work, technology and sheer industrial strength as the counterbalance to their magical elven counterparts. However, at the same time, while Elves are often archetypically intellectual and puritanical, the Dwarves, at the opposite side of the spectrum, are also depicted as the fun-loving, sociable, extroverted faction, i.e. welcoming outsiders for social drinking.

* Surprisingly, Xander Harris in ''[[https://www.tthfanfic.org/story.php?no=30534 The Passing of the Shades of Black]]''. Off the clock, he's still the same lovable goofball as canon. On the clock, anything that doesn't pertain to the mission or his comrades' safety gets passing acknowledgment at most. Best shown when he has to help a pair of bounty hunters stake out an alien strip club/brothel for a couple of bounties; he gives the working girls a glance to make sure they're not the target before moving on and ignores the manager's attempts to goad him with insults to his experience and age.

* In the StarTrekExpandedUniverse of novels, there was a temporary security chief on the ''Enterprise'' who embodied this trope: a total hard-ass with his staff on-duty, but off-duty he parties with them in the lounge, and as a result, their loyalty to him is absolute.

TruthInTelevision here, as relaxing and having fun is good way to keep stress levels down. Being social is also a good way to find employment and learn from others, so a complete workaholic is pretty tough to find in RealLife. There's also the fact that most people ''enjoy'' having fun and relaxing — but need to work to earn money. Frequently this is the other side to characters like TheReliableOne.

[[AC:{{Anime and Manga}}]]

[[AC:{{Film}}]]

* The late Charlie Wilson, as portrayed in ''Film/CharlieWilsonsWar'', fell under this. Well, after he decided to get involved in Afghanistan, anyway — we see little evidence of the "work hard" before that.

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]

[[AC:VideoGames]]

[[AC:Web Original]]
* Ystos from ''Series/{{Noob}}'' plays a MMORPG professionally. In his downtime, he's never without reading material or a portable console, while his casual play second avatar is a master of the StealthHiBye who speaks in borderline CreepyMonotone. He's also seen to have a big outburst of joy when [[spoiler:his older but less talented brother's avatar reaches level 100]].

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

[[AC:RealLife]]

He's the most efficient person in your workplace. [[TheStrategist He thinks of]] [[TheLeader plans that work]] [[TheSmartGuy better than anybody else's]] and [[{{Badass}} can take]] [[BadassBookworm down anyone]] [[MinoredInAsskicking when he's attacked.]] He might be a [[DrillSergeantNasty harsh]] employer or a [[BigBrotherMentor kind helper]] who teaches you how to make your work habits more efficient. He is always professional and mature, if not a little too uptight. Either way, you can always rely on him for anything, as long as it's work related.

* Jadzia Dax from ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' is an exceptional science officer who enjoys partying hard, gambling with Ferengi, brawling with Klingons, drinking, rough sex, fun on the holosuite, and playing practical jokes, and still finds time to be the station's biggest gossip.

He's the most efficient person in your workplace. [[TheStrategist He thinks of]] [[TVGenius plans that work]] [[TheSmartGuy better than anybody else's]] and [[{{Badass}} can take]] [[BadassBookworm down anyone]] [[MinoredInAsskicking when he's attacked.]] He might be a [[DrillSergeantNasty harsh]] employer or a [[BigBrotherMentor kind helper]] who teaches you how to make your work habits more efficient. He is always professional and mature, if not a little too uptight. Either way, you can always rely on him for anything, as long as it's work related.

* Despite his well-deserved reputation for self-indulgence, UsefulNotes/LouisXIV was no decadent wastrel. Quite the contrary, he was a meticulous {{workaholic}} who spend long hours handling official business and oversaw his programs down to the last detail.

* Despite his well-deserved reputation for self-indulgence, UsefulNotes/LouisXIV was no decadent wastrel. Quite the contrary, he was a {{workaholic}} who oversaw his programs down to the last detail.

* Despite his well-deserved reputation for self-indulgence, UsefulNotes/{{LouisXIV}} was no decadent wastrel. Quite the contrary, he was a {{workaholic}} who oversaw his programs down to the last detail.

* Misato from ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion''

* Investment traders/speculators and corporate executives are said to subscribe to this trope particularly strongly, especially during the heady days 80s and 90s (as memorialized by movies such as ''Film/WallStreet'' and ''Film/TheWolfOfWallStreet''). It was said that there are only two possible ways for a respectable speculator to die: overwork or drug overdose.

* [[AsianandNerdy Nip]][[AnimeLand pon]]. [[note]]Japan[[/note]]

He's the most efficient person in your workplace. [[TheStrategist He thinks of]] [[TVGenius plans that work]] [[TheSmartGuy better than anybody else's]] and [[BadAss can take]] [[BadassBookworm down anyone]] [[MinoredInAsskicking when he's attacked.]] He might be a [[DrillSergeantNasty harsh]] employer or a [[BigBrotherMentor kind helper]] who teaches you how to make your work habits more efficient. He is always professional and mature, if not a little too uptight. Either way, you can always rely on him for anything, as long as it's work related.