Sloth never arrived at the attainment of a good wish.
—Miguel de Cervantes (1547–1616) Spanish Novelist
Prostration is our natural position. A worm-like movement from a spot of sunlight to a spot of shade, and back, is the type of movement that is natural to men.
—Wyndham Lewis (1882–1957) English Novelist, Painter, Critic
Just as iron rusts from disuse, even so does inaction spoil the intellect.
—Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) Italian Polymath, Painter, Sculptor, Inventor, Architect
‘Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.
—Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–92) British Poet
A young man idle, an old man needy.
—English Proverb
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
The idle always have a mind to do something.
—Luc de Clapiers, marquis de Vauvenargues (1715–47) French Moralist, Essayist, Writer
Purity of mind and idleness are incompatible.
—Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869–1948) Indian Hindu Political leader
To have done anything just for money is to have been truly idle.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–62) American Philosopher
He that is doing nothing is seldom in need of helpers.
—Common Proverb
The only menace is inertia.
—Saint-John Perse (1887–1975) French Poet, Diplomat
Lazy people are always anxious to be doing something.
—Luc de Clapiers, marquis de Vauvenargues (1715–47) French Moralist, Essayist, Writer
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
The sluggard does not plow after the season, so he begs during the harvest and has nothing.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
Some men are so lazy they won’t even feed themselves.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
Never be entirely idle; but either be reading, or writing, or praying or meditating or endeavoring something for the public good.
—Thomas a Kempis (1379–1471) German Religious Priest, Writer
Sloth, if it has prevented many crimes, has also smothered many virtues.
—Charles Caleb Colton (c.1780–1832) English Clergyman, Aphorist
Idleness is an inlet to disorder, and makes way for licentiousness.—People who have nothing to do are quickly tired of their own company.
—Jeremy Collier (1650–1726) Anglican Church Historian, Clergyman
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
Expect poison from standing water.
—William Blake (1757–1827) English Poet, Painter, Printmaker
Perhaps man is the only being that can properly be called idle.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
We seldom call anybody lazy, but such as we reckon inferior to us, and of whom we expect some service.
—Bernard Mandeville (1670–1733) Anglo-Dutch Philosopher, Satirist
The hardest work of all is to do nothing.
—Common Proverb
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
By doing nothing we learn to do ill.
—Common Proverb
The insupportable labor of doing nothing.
—Richard Steele (1672–1729) Irish Writer, Politician
Failure is not the only punishment for laziness;
there is also the success of others.
—Jules Renard (1864–1910) French Writer, Diarist
Far from idleness being the root of all evil, it is rather the only true good.
—Soren Kierkegaard (1813–55) Danish Philosopher, Theologian
It is not the hours we put in on the job, it is what we put into the hours that counts.
—Sidney Madwed (1926–2013) American Poet, Author