Not a defense, but I feel part of it is due to the value we place in our society in on being busy, see: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/30/the-busy-tra...
It's not just in the workplace that we equate being busy with being important.
It's not just in the workplace that we equate being busy with being important.
It makes me wonder how much religion has affected our social norms even today beyond the obvious question of prohibitions on certain sexualities, drinks, and the like.