It’s true hard work never killed anybody, but I figure, why take the chance?

A wry, self-deprecating quip that plays on the cliché “hard work never killed anybody.” By pretending to treat the saying as a literal risk assessment, the speaker humorously justifies avoiding overwork. The joke depends on the contrast between the moralizing tone of the original proverb (work is virtuous and safe) and the speaker’s mock-cautious pragmatism (“why take the chance?”). In quotation culture it often functions as a lighthearted critique of workaholism and a celebration of leisure, but it can also be read as a satirical jab at excuses and rationalizations people use to dodge effort.