Napoleon presents work as a defining part of his character rather than simply an obligation. By contrasting labour with the physical limits of his legs and eyes, he suggests that his capacity for sustained mental effort seemed much harder to exhaust. The statement reflects an unusually strong identification between personal purpose and continuous activity.

The surrounding conversation gives the remark a practical context. Napoleon had been spending long periods working despite concerns about his health and lack of exercise. His response implies that intensive work felt natural to him, even when other aspects of his physical condition imposed limits.

The quote can therefore be read both as a statement of personal discipline and as an observation about human capacity. It presents perseverance as a central trait, while also revealing a tendency to measure achievement through sustained labour rather than rest or physical comfort.

Full quotation

“At dinner, he told us that he was much better, and we pointed out to him, about this, that, for some time however, he had not been out, and had been working eight, ten, or twelve hours a day. That is just it, said he: work is my element; I was born and made for it. I have found the limits of my legs; I have found the limits of my eyes; but I have never been able to find the limits of my labour.”