Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 3: The Path of Action

Bhagavad Gita 3.25

saktāḥ karmaṇyavidvāṃso yathā kurvanti bhārata | kuryādvidvāṃstathāsaktaścikīrṣurlokasaṃgraham ||

As the unwise act with attachment to their work, Arjuna, so the wise should act without attachment, wishing for the good of the world.

Modern context

The wise should work as hard as the ambitious do, with one difference: the motive. The ambitious work for themselves; the wise work with the same energy for the good of all. Detachment is no excuse for half-hearted effort. If anything, the person without a private stake should be the most diligent in the room.