--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To stand up straight and tread the…" description: "\"“To stand up straight and tread the turning mill, To lie flat and know nothing and be still, Are the two trades of man; and which is worse I know not, ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/656/a-e-housman-2-12514_leisure_to-stand-up-straight-and-tread-the-turni_3234791.jpg" --- # To stand up straight and tread the turning mill, To lie… ![“To stand up straight and tread the turning mill, To lie flat and know nothing and be still, Are the two trades of man; and which is worse I know not, but I know that both are ill.” quote by A.E. Housman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/656/a-e-housman-2-12514_leisure_to-stand-up-straight-and-tread-the-turni_3234791.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/656/a-e-housman-2-12514_leisure_to-stand-up-straight-and-tread-the-turni_3234791.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/656/a-e-housman-2-12514_leisure_to-stand-up-straight-and-tread-the-turni_3234791.jpg) > ““To stand up straight and tread the turning mill, To lie flat and know nothing and be still, Are the two trades of man; and which is worse I know not, but I know that both are ill.”” [A.E. Housman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-e-housman-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Balancing active effort and passive contemplation are both fraught; neither is ideal. **In simple terms:** Both work and rest have drawbacks. Key Takeaway Seek balance, avoid extremes. Themes balance work rest philosophy Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical poetic When to use this quote - career - mental health - spiritual practice - creative work Key Concepts existentialism dualism Questions to Reflect On - What does “standing up straight” symbolize for you? - How can you integrate action and stillness? A Different Perspective Choosing one path may neglect the other’s benefits. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Know Ill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-ill-3699963/) [Leisure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leisure/) [Lie Flat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lie-flat-4850773/) [Man Worse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-worse-337713/) [Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mill/) [Stand Straight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stand-straight-676296/) [Turning Lie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turning-lie-6132806/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [A question: when is a bed not a bed? When it is angled lie-flat. My back hurts, my legs ache and my clothes are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-quest/a-question-when-is-a-bed-not-a-bed-when-it-is-angled-lie-flat-my-back/) [Richard Quest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-quest/) > [Few men know all the ill they do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/few-men-know-all-the-ill-they-do/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [We walk up the beach under the stars. And when we are tired of walking, we lie flat on the sand under a bowl…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-morrow-lindbergh/we-walk-up-the-beach-under-the-stars-and-when-we-are-tired-of-walking/) [Anne Morrow Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-morrow-lindbergh/) > [When I wish I was rich, then I know I am ill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence/when-i-wish-i-was-rich-then-i-know-i-am-ill/) [D. H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence/) > [Pride in the case of a rich man is bad, but pride in the case of a poor man is worse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abu-bakr/pride-in-the-case-of-a-rich-man-is-bad-but-pride-in-the-case-of-a/) [Abu Bakr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abu-bakr/) > [A bitter and perplexed "What shall I do?" Is worse to man than worse necessity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-taylor-coleridge/a-bitter-and-perplexed-what-shall-i-do-is-worse-to-man-than-worse/) [Samuel Taylor Coleridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-taylor-coleridge/) > [Man is always worse than most people suspect, but also generally better than most people dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/man-is-always-worse-than-most-people-suspect-but-also-generally/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [The more kindness shown to an envious man, the worse he becomes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helmut-schoeck/the-more-kindness-shown-to-an-envious-man-the-worse-he-becomes/) [Helmut Schoeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helmut-schoeck/) > [“in America the worst thing you could be was a black man. Worse than dead, you were a dead man walking.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yaa-gyasi/in-america-the-worst-thing-you-could-be-was-a-black-man-worse-than/) [Yaa Gyasi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yaa-gyasi/) > [A man may do worse than make what the world calls a not wholly happy marriage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-bailey-aldrich/a-man-may-do-worse-than-make-what-the-world-calls-a-not-wholly-happy/) [Thomas Bailey Aldrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-bailey-aldrich/) > [That which makes the man no worse than he was makes his life no worse: it has no power to harm, without or within.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/that-which-makes-the-man-no-worse-than-he-was-makes-his-life-no-worse/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [A man has no worse enemy than himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/a-man-has-no-worse-enemy-than-himself/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [Taking all the round of professions and occupations, you will find that every man is the worse for being poor; and the doctor is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/taking-all-the-round-of-professions-and-occupations-you-will-find/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [If originally it was not good for a man to be alone, it is much worse for a sick man to be so; he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/if-originally-it-was-not-good-for-a-man-to-be-alone-it-is-much-worse/) [Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/) > [Be sure that religion cannot be right that a man is the worse for having.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/be-sure-that-religion-cannot-be-right-that-a-man-is-the-worse-for/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) ## More by A.E. Housman > [“I to my perils Of cheat and charmer Came clad in armour By stars benign. Hope lies to mortals And most believe her, But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-e-housman-2/i-to-my-perils-of-cheat-and-charmer-came-clad-in-armour-by-stars/) [A.E. Housman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-e-housman-2/) > [“There pass the careless people That call their souls their own: Here by the road I loiter, How idle and alone. Ah, past the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-e-housman-2/there-pass-the-careless-people-that-call-their-souls-their-own-here/) [A.E. Housman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-e-housman-2/) > [“Smart lad, to slip betimes away From fields where glory does not stay And early though the laurel grows It withers quicker than the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-e-housman-2/smart-lad-to-slip-betimes-away-from-fields-where-glory-does-not-stay/) [A.E. Housman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-e-housman-2/) > [“Oh on my breast in days hereafter Light the earth should lie, Such weight to bear is now the air, So heavy hangs the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-e-housman-2/oh-on-my-breast-in-days-hereafter-light-the-earth-should-lie-such/) [A.E. Housman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-e-housman-2/) > [“Oh many a peer of England brews Livelier liquor than the Muse, And malt does more than Milton can To justify God’s ways to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-e-housman-2/oh-many-a-peer-of-england-brews-livelier-liquor-than-the-muse-and/) [A.E. Housman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-e-housman-2/) > [“In my own shire, if I was sad Homely comforters I had: The earth, because my heart was sore, Sorrowed for the son she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-e-housman-2/in-my-own-shire-if-i-was-sad-homely-comforters-i-had-the-earth/) [A.E. Housman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-e-housman-2/) > [“If it chance your eye offends you, Pluck it out lad, and be sound: 'Twill hurt, but here are salves to friend you, And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-e-housman-2/if-it-chance-your-eye-offends-you-pluck-it-out-lad-and-be-sound-twill/) [A.E. Housman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-e-housman-2/) > [“They say my verse is sad: no wonder. Its narrow measure spans Rue for eternity, and sorrow Not mine, but man's This is for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-e-housman-2/they-say-my-verse-is-sad-no-wonder-its-narrow-measure-spans-rue-for/) [A.E. Housman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-e-housman-2/) > [“Diffugere Nives Horace, Odes, iv, 7 The snows are fled away, leaves on the shaws And grasses in the mead renew their birth, The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-e-housman-2/diffugere-nives-horace-odes-iv-7-the-snows-are-fled-away-leaves-on/) [A.E. Housman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-e-housman-2/) > [“The time you won your town the race We chaired you through the market-place; Man and boy stood cheering by, And home we brought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-e-housman-2/the-time-you-won-your-town-the-race-we-chaired-you-through-the-market/) [A.E. Housman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-e-housman-2/) > [“Along the field as we came by A year ago, my love and I, The aspen over stile and stone Was talking to itself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-e-housman-2/along-the-field-as-we-came-by-a-year-ago-my-love-and-i-the-aspen-over/) [A.E. Housman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-e-housman-2/) > [“Knowledge is good, method is good, but one thing beyond all others is necessary; and that is to have a head, not a pumpkin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-e-housman-2/knowledge-is-good-method-is-good-but-one-thing-beyond-all-others-is/) [A.E. Housman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-e-housman-2/) > [“It nods and curtseys and recovers When the wind blows above, The nettle on the graves of lovers That hanged themselves for love. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-e-housman-2/it-nods-and-curtseys-and-recovers-when-the-wind-blows-above-the/) [A.E. Housman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-e-housman-2/) > [“Oh fair enough are sky and plain, But I know fairer far: Those are as beautiful again That in the water are; The pools…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-e-housman-2/oh-fair-enough-are-sky-and-plain-but-i-know-fairer-far-those-are-as/) [A.E. Housman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-e-housman-2/) > [“Iniquity it is; but pass the can. My lad, no pair of kings our mothers bore; Our only portion is the estate of man:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-e-housman-2/iniquity-it-is-but-pass-the-can-my-lad-no-pair-of-kings-our-mothers/) [A.E. Housman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-e-housman-2/) [Explore all 54 A.E. Housman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-e-housman-2/) ## More Leisure quotes > [“I don't envy "busy." Busy means having a schedule, not living life. What I really covet is leisure and peace of mind. Those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-lynn-hope/i-don-t-envy-busy-busy-means-having-a-schedule-not-living-life-what-i/) [Donna Lynn Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-lynn-hope/) > [We simply do not have time as we move from one meeting to the next to have hours to peruse leisure websites of whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crispin-blunt/we-simply-do-not-have-time-as-we-move-from-one-meeting-to-the-next-to/) [Crispin Blunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crispin-blunt/) > [Sure, I’m dramatic and sloppily semi-cynical and semi-sentimental. But, in leisure years I could grow and choose my way. Now I am living on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/sure-i-m-dramatic-and-sloppily-semi-cynical-and-semi-sentimental-but/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [Work and leisure are complementary parts of the same living process and cannot be separated without destroying the joy of work and the bliss…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/work-and-leisure-are-complementary-parts-of-the-same-living-process/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [Leisure time is that five or six hours when you sleep at night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-allen-sr/leisure-time-is-that-five-or-six-hours-when-you-sleep-at-night/) [George Allen, Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-allen-sr/) > [Leisure without study is death, and the grave of a living man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/leisure-without-study-is-death-and-the-grave-of-a-living-man/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [“Key to the success of ugly leisure is that it keeps those who participate in it in the dark about how little it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-munson-joshua-farris-drake/key-to-the-success-of-ugly-leisure-is-that-it-keeps-those-who/) [Paul Munson & Joshua Farris Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-munson-joshua-farris-drake/) > [“Every private thought is performed for public consumption, and every leisure moment (from toilet training to lovemaking) is a highly focused search for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-siegel/every-private-thought-is-performed-for-public-consumption-and-every/) [Lee Siegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-siegel/) > [Men love in haste, but they detest at leisure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-byron/men-love-in-haste-but-they-detest-at-leisure/) [Lord Byron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-byron/) > [English literature is a glorious inheritance which is open to all - there are no barriers, no coupons, and no restrictions. In the English…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/english-literature-is-a-glorious-inheritance-which-is-open-to-all/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [Now it is time to sit quiet, face to face with thee, and to sing dedication of life in this silent and overflowing leisure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/now-it-is-time-to-sit-quiet-face-to-face-with-thee-and-to-sing/) [Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/) > [Mend when thou canst; be better at thy leisure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/mend-when-thou-canst-be-better-at-thy-leisure/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Nobody can live in society without conventions. The reason why sensible people are as conventional as they can bear to be is that conventionality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/nobody-can-live-in-society-without-conventions-the-reason-why/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [The bourgeois thinkers of the eighteenth century thus turned Aristotle's formula on its head: satisfactions which the Greek philosopher had identified with leisure were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/the-bourgeois-thinkers-of-the-eighteenth-century-thus-turned/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [Remove but the temptations of leisure, and the bow of Cupid will lose its effect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/remove-but-the-temptations-of-leisure-and-the-bow-of-cupid-will-lose/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) [Browse all 869 Leisure quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leisure/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“To stand up straight and tread the turning mill, To lie flat and know nothing and be still, Are the two trades of man; and which is worse I know not, but I know that both are ill.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "A.E. 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