I find working a good way to meet interesting people that I might not actively choose to meet otherwise. Though, I am in an area where this is possible, not all jobs allow for it.
What I do value though is being able to gain new perspectives and experiences and I think if there is no need to do anything, many end up doing nothing. Not all, but many. It is especially easy in this on-demand consumer life we have built to avoid doing anything of purpose.