This world is a place of business. What an infinite…
““This world is a place of business. What an infinite bustle! I am awaked almost every night by the panting of the locomotive. It interrupts my dreams. There is no sabbath. It would be glorious to see mankind at leisure for once. It is nothing but work, work, work. I cannot easily buy a blank-book to write thoughts in; they are commonly ruled for dollars and cents. An Irishman, seeing me making a minute in the fields, took it for granted that I was calculating my wages. If a man was tossed out of a window when an infant, and so made a cripple for life, or scared out of his wits by the Indians, it is regretted chiefly because he was thus incapacitated for—business! I think that there is nothing, not even crime, more opposed to poetry, to philosophy, ay, to life itself, than this incessant business.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The passage critiques relentless industrial work, yearning for leisure and creative freedom.
In simple terms: Work dominates life, stifling art and rest.
Key Takeaway
Seek balance between work and creative rest.
Themes
industrialization
leisure
creativity
philosophy
Mood
reflective
melancholic
Type
philosophical
critical
When to use this quote
- urban life
- creative writing
- personal reflection
- social critique
Key Concepts
Capitalism
existentialism
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you carve leisure into a busy schedule?
- What role does work play in your identity?
A Different Perspective
The ideal of leisure may be unrealistic for many.