I would love hard work if it actually resulted in something. I'm not making very good money. I'm not making meaningful contributions to my field. I'm not even in a position to do either. The problem is, hard work is rarely rewarded beyond some words. If it's not rewarded and I'm not in a position to make an impact, then there's no point.
Have you ever considered that in the worst case scenario you could move to Colombia or South Africa or Thailand and have an immediate boost in your social relevancy?
My wife would leave me if I tried to move us anywhere out of our current county, let alone country.
"... and have an immediate boost in your social relevancy?"
I'm not sure I believe this. You have to become a trusted/respected member of the community, which takes time.
Also, if you're not really motivated by anything working hard can get you, then there's no point in hard work. Most people hate hard work and it's not worth it for them, hence they coast doing the minimum that doesn't get them fired. It's a perfectly valid life strategy, although the American religion of workoholism treats it as heresy (while millions of people practice it, feeling unnecessary guilt doing it).