Tom said to himself that it was not such a hollow world…
““Tom said to himself that it was not such a hollow world, after all. He had discovered a great law of human action, without knowing it -- namely, that in order to make a man or a boy covet a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to attain. If he had been a great and wise philosopher, like the writer of this book, he would now have comprehended that Work consists of whatever a body is obliged to do, and that Play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do. And this would help him to understand why constructing artificial flowers or performing on a tread-mill is work, while rolling ten-pins or climbing Mont Blanc is only amusement. There are wealthy gentlemen in England who drive four-horse passenger-coaches twenty or thirty miles on a daily line, in the summer, because the privilege costs them considerable money; but if they were offered wages for the service, that would turn it into work and then they would resign.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
People desire what is scarce; effort makes something a pleasure, not a duty.
In simple terms: Hard things become desirable; work feels like duty.
Key Takeaway
Make challenges desirable, not burdensome.
Themes
desire
scarcity
work
play
motivation
Mood
reflective
analytical
Type
philosophical
observational
When to use this quote
- marketing
- education
- personal development
- recreation
- career choices
Key Concepts
psychology
economics
human behavior
Questions to Reflect On
- How does scarcity shape our motivations?
- When does effort become counterproductive?
A Different Perspective
If something is too easy, it may lose appeal and become mundane.