The bond between a man and his profession is similar to that which ties him to his country; it is just as complex, often ambivalent, and in general it is understood completely only when it is broken: by exile or emigration in the case of one’s country, by retirement in the case of a trade or profession.
ATTRIBUTION:
Primo Levi (1919–1987), Italian chemist, author. “Ex-Chemist,” Other People’s Trades (1985, trans. 1989).
