On a more serious note, there was a paper 20 years ago or so by a sociologist speculating that the prot work ethic was largely a bourgeois imitation of the aristocratic tradition of courtly love. If you recall, one of the stock scenarios in romance tales is where the lady fair is out of reach, either because of marital status but most likely because of higher social station. So the knight goes on these "adventures" to win her admiration. It's what Cervantes satirized in Don Quixote.
At my age, I'm about $80,000 a year short of the women I find attractive. I could fake it for a while but then my bank account would run out and where would I be? Broke again with yet another fabulous-looking ex-girlfriend. Better to put on the armour and go out looking for windmills to slay.
The Sandwichman