Prolonged idleness paralyzes initiative.
—Unknown
I look upon indolence as a sort of suicide; for the man is efficiently destroyed, though the appetite of the brute may survive.
—Earl of Chesterfield (1694–1773) English Statesman, Man of Letters
There is no fatigue so wearisome as that which comes from lack of work.
—Charles Spurgeon (1834–92) English Baptist Preacher
If you ask me which is the real hereditary sin of human nature, do you imagine I shall answer pride, or luxury, or ambition, or egotism? No; I shall say indolence. Who conquers indolence will conquer all the rest. Indeed all good principles must stagnate without mental activity.
—Johann Georg Ritter von Zimmermann (1728–1795) Swiss Philosophical Writer, Naturalist, Physician
Troubles spring from idleness, and grievous toils from needless ease: many without labor would live by their own wits only, but they break for want of stock.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
He that is doing nothing is seldom in need of helpers.
—Common Proverb
By doing nothing we learn to do ill.
—Common Proverb
Extreme busyness, whether at school or college, kirk or market, is a symptom of deficient vitality; and a faculty for idleness implies a catholic appetite and a strong sense of personal identity.
—Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–94) Scottish Novelist
Lazy people are always anxious to be doing something.
—Luc de Clapiers, marquis de Vauvenargues (1715–47) French Moralist, Essayist, Writer
To try and to fail, is not laziness
—African Proverb
The present generation, wearied by its chimerical efforts, relapses into complete indolence. Its condition is that of a man who has only fallen asleep towards morning: first of all come great dreams, then a feeling of laziness, and finally a witty or clever excuse for remaining in bed.
—Soren Kierkegaard (1813–55) Danish Philosopher, Theologian
Though you may have known clever men who were indolent, you never knew a great man who was so; and when I hear a young man spoken of as giving promise of great genius, the first question I ask about him always is, “Does he work?”
—John Ruskin (1819–1900) English Writer, Art Critic
The love of indolence is universal, or next to it.
—Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772–1834) English Poet, Literary Critic, Philosopher
Satan finds some mischief still for idle hands to do.
—Isaac Watts (1674–1748) English Hymn writer
A young man idle, an old man needy.
—English Proverb
A chronic lack of pleasure, of any enjoyable, rewarding or stimulating experiences, produces a slow, gradual, day-by-day erosion of man’s emotional vitality, which he may ignore or repress, but which is recorded by the relentless computer of his subconscious mechanism that registers an ebbing flow, then a trickle, then a few last drops of fuel—until the day when his inner motor stops and he wonders desperately why he has no desire to go on, unable to find any definable cause of his hopeless, chronic sense of exhaustion.
—Ayn Rand (1905–82) Russian-born American Novelist, Philosopher
Laziness is the one common deficiency in mankind that blocks the establishment of a perfect world in which everyone leads a happy life.
—William Feather (1889–1981) American Publisher, Author
Efficiency is intelligent laziness.
—Anonymous
Yet it is in our idleness, in our dreams, that the submerged truth sometimes comes to the top.
—Virginia Woolf (1882–1941) English Novelist
There are men here and there to whom the whole of life is like an after-dinner hour with a cigar; easy, pleasant, empty, perhaps enlivened by some fable of strife to be forgotten—before the end is told—even if there happens to be any end to it.
—Joseph Conrad (1857–1924) Polish-born British Novelist
Live life fully while you’re here. Experience everything. Take care of yourself and your friends. Have fun, be crazy, be weird. Go out and screw up! You’re going to anyway, so you might as well enjoy the process. Take the opportunity to learn from your mistakes: find the cause of your problem and eliminate it. Don’t try to be perfect; just be an excellent example of being human.
—Tony Robbins (b.1960) American Self-Help Author, Entrepreneur
I never remember feeling tired by work, though idleness exhausts me completely.
—Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930) Scottish Writer
Loafing needs no explanation and is its own excuse.
—Christopher Morley (1890–1957) American Novelist, Essayist
Life is mostly froth and bubble. Two things stand like stone: Dodging duty at the double, leaving work alone.
—Unknown
He also who is slack in his work is brother to him who destroys.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
The path of least resistance makes all rivers, and some men, crooked.
—Napoleon Hill (1883–1970) American Author, Journalist, Attorney, Lecturer
Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
Millions are idle, but it’s comforting to know that most of them have jobs.
—Unknown
‘Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.
—Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–92) British Poet
If ever this free people—if this government itself is ever utterly demoralized, it will come from this incessant human wriggle and struggle for office, which is but a way to live without work.
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–65) American Head of State
If a man will not work, he shall not eat.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
Employ thy time well if thou meanest to gain leisure; and since thou art not sure of a minute, throw not away an hour. Leisure is time for doing something useful, and this leisure the diligent man will obtain, but the lazy man never, for a life of leisure and a life of laziness are two things.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
The idle always have a mind to do something.
—Luc de Clapiers, marquis de Vauvenargues (1715–47) French Moralist, Essayist, Writer
Some men are so lazy they won’t even feed themselves.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
Perhaps man is the only being that can properly be called idle.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
Laziness erodes a person of his enthusiasm and energy. As a result the person loses all opportunities and finally becomes dejected and frustrated. The worst thing is that he stops believing in himself.
—The Vedas Sacred Books of Hinduism
Purity of mind and idleness are incompatible.
—Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869–1948) Indian Hindu Political leader
Shun idleness. It is a rust that attaches itself to the most brilliant metals.
—Victor Hugo (1802–85) French Novelist
We make a pretext of difficulty to excuse our sloth.
—Quintilian (c.35–c.100 CE) Roman Rhetorician, Literary Critic
Sloth is the key to poverty.
—Common Proverb
A life of ease is a difficult pursuit.
—William Cowper (1731–1800) English Anglican Poet, Hymn writer
Idleness is many gathered miseries in one name.
—Jean Paul (1763–1825) German Novelist, Humorist
Expect poison from standing water.
—William Blake (1757–1827) English Poet, Painter, Printmaker
It is better to sit down than to stand, it is better to lie down than to sit, but death is the best of all.
—Indian Proverb
As peace is the end of war, so to be idle is the ultimate purpose of the busy.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
Indolence is a delightful but distressing state; we must be doing something to be happy. Action is no less necessary than thought to the instinctive tendencies of the human frame.
—William Hazlitt (1778–1830) English Essayist
The only menace is inertia.
—Saint-John Perse (1887–1975) French Poet, Diplomat
Sloth, if it has prevented many crimes, has also smothered many virtues.
—Charles Caleb Colton (c.1780–1832) English Clergyman, Aphorist
‘Tis the voice of the sluggard; I heard him complain, you have waked me too soon, I must slumber again.
—Isaac Watts (1674–1748) English Hymn writer
Labor disgraces no man; unfortunately, you occasionally find men who disgrace labor.
—Ulysses S. Grant (1822–85) American Civil War General, Head of State