"The idea that one might derive satisfaction from his or her successful work, because that work is ingenious, beautiful, or just pleasing, has become ridiculed"

In this quote, Niklaus Wirth is highlighting a common social shift where the idea of taking pride in one's work has become less valued. He discusses that the fulfillment stemmed from developing something that is smart, aesthetically pleasing, or simply enjoyable is now ridiculed. This shift might have taken place due to a focus on efficiency and performance in modern-day society, where the worth of work is typically defined entirely by its financial output. Wirth's comment works as a suggestion that taking pleasure in one's work can be simply as crucial as its financial or useful worth, and that creativity ought to be celebrated and motivated.