--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's not a man's working hours that are…" description: "\"It's not a man's working hours that are important--it's his leisure hours. That's the mistake we all make.\" — Agatha Christie" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/009/agatha-christie-154_failure_it-s-not-a-man-s-working-hours-that-are_774718.jpg" --- # It's not a man's working hours that are important--it's… ![“It's not a man's working hours that are important--it's his leisure hours. That's the mistake we all make.” quote by Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/009/agatha-christie-154_failure_it-s-not-a-man-s-working-hours-that-are_774718.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/009/agatha-christie-154_failure_it-s-not-a-man-s-working-hours-that-are_774718.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/009/agatha-christie-154_failure_it-s-not-a-man-s-working-hours-that-are_774718.jpg) > “It's not a man's working hours that are important--it's his leisure hours. That's the mistake we all make.” [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Leisure time defines quality of life more than work hours, urging balance. **In simple terms:** Leisure matters most. Key Takeaway Prioritize downtime. Themes work-life balance leisure time management Mood relaxed thoughtful Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - career - personal life Key Concepts quality of life personal fulfillment Questions to Reflect On - How do you schedule leisure? - What activities recharge you? A Different Perspective Leisure alone isn’t sufficient. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Hours](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hours/) [Hours Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hours-important-2646471/) [Hours Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hours-mistake-5981340/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Important Leisure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-leisure-5067208/) [Leisure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leisure/) [Leisure Hours](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leisure-hours-2988288/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Working Hours](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working-hours-247031/) ## Related quotes > [What we do during our working hours determines what we have; what we do in our leisure hours determines what we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eastman/what-we-do-during-our-working-hours-determines-what-we-have-what-we/) [George Eastman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eastman/) > [It's not a man's working hours that is important, it is how he spends his leisure time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/it-s-not-a-man-s-working-hours-that-is-important-it-is-how-he-spends/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) > [This is very important -- to take leisure time. Pace is the essence. Without stopping entirely and doing nothing at all for great periods,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/this-is-very-important-to-take-leisure-time-pace-is-the-essence/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [“Leisure Hours more then needs are roots sins”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taimoor/leisure-hours-more-then-needs-are-roots-sins/) [Taimoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taimoor/) > [I would not exchange my leisure hours for all the wealth in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honore-gabriel-riqueti-comte-de-mirabeau/i-would-not-exchange-my-leisure-hours-for-all-the-wealth-in-the-world-2/) [Honore Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honore-gabriel-riqueti-comte-de-mirabeau/) > [The best of wages will not compensate for excessively long working hours which undermine heath.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/the-best-of-wages-will-not-compensate-for-excessively-long-working/) [Louis D. 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I had to leave for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayobami-adebayo/in-2010-i-was-working-in-a-bank-in-lagos-it-was-a-crazy-job-with-long/) [Ayobami Adebayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayobami-adebayo/) > [If you have nothing to hide, if you're actually working for eight hours, or 10 or 12 hours, however long people decide to work,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcelo-claure/if-you-have-nothing-to-hide-if-you-re-actually-working-for-eight/) [Marcelo Claure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcelo-claure/) > [Working hours are never long enough. Each day is a holiday, and ordinary holidays are grudged as enforced interruptions in an absorbing vocation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/working-hours-are-never-long-enough-each-day-is-a-holiday-and/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [No man can make good during working hours who does the wrong thing outside of working hours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-h-boetcker/no-man-can-make-good-during-working-hours-who-does-the-wrong-thing/) [William J. H. Boetcker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-h-boetcker/) > [“By faithfully working eight hours a day you may eventually get to be boss and work twelve hours a day.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-frost/by-faithfully-working-eight-hours-a-day-you-may-eventually-get-to-be/) [Robert Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-frost/) > [Working 90 hours a week is easily racked up when you're self-employed and rely on portable tech to do your work; your train journeys,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-monroe/working-90-hours-a-week-is-easily-racked-up-when-you-re-self-employed/) [Jack Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-monroe/) > [I don't like working all hours of the night and having an unreliable working pattern.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-giacchino/i-don-t-like-working-all-hours-of-the-night-and-having-an-unreliable/) [Michael Giacchino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-giacchino/) ## More by Agatha Christie > [One must accept the fact that we have only one companion in this world, a companion who accompanies us from the cradle to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/one-must-accept-the-fact-that-we-have-only-one-companion-in-this/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [“I like to see an angry Englishman," said Poirot. "They are very amusing. The more emotional they feel the less command they have of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/i-like-to-see-an-angry-englishman-said-poirot-they-are-very-amusing/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [“Now, as I expect you know, there is nothing more cruel than talk, and there is nothing more difficult to combat. When people say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/now-as-i-expect-you-know-there-is-nothing-more-cruel-than-talk-and/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [“A child says ‘Thank God for my good dinner’. What can I say at seventy-five? ‘Thank God for my good life, and for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/a-child-says-thank-god-for-my-good-dinner-what-can-i-say-at-seventy/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [“I'm afraid I always find Shakespeare terribly dreary. All those long scenes where everybody is drunk and it's supposed to be funny.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/i-m-afraid-i-always-find-shakespeare-terribly-dreary-all-those-long/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [“Either her dream had taken a very odd turn or else - or else Mary had really rushed into the room and had said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/either-her-dream-had-taken-a-very-odd-turn-or-else-or-else-mary-had/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [“Every murderer is probably somebody’s old friend,” observed Poirot philosophically. “You cannot mix up sentiment and reason.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/every-murderer-is-probably-somebody-s-old-friend-observed-poirot/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [“Well, of course, it was not any of my business but you get very queer glimpses of life sometimes, and you can't help speculating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/well-of-course-it-was-not-any-of-my-business-but-you-get-very-queer/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [“Mr. Satterthwaite looked cheered. Suddenly an idea struck him. His jaw fell. "My goodness," he cried, "I've only just realized it! That rascal, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/mr-satterthwaite-looked-cheered-suddenly-an-idea-struck-him-his-jaw/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [“The old gentleman refuses to have the telephone which he regards as a device of the devil, and on a par with radio, television,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/the-old-gentleman-refuses-to-have-the-telephone-which-he-regards-as-a/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [“That’s how they do it, these girls! Othello charmed Desdemona by telling her stories, but, oh, didn’t Desdemona charm Othello by the way she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/that-s-how-they-do-it-these-girls-othello-charmed-desdemona-by/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [It is ridiculous to set a detective story in New York City. New York City is itself a detective story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/it-is-ridiculous-to-set-a-detective-story-in-new-york-city-new-york/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [“Poirot, watching him, felt suddenly a doubt--an uncomfortable twinge. Was there, here, something that he had missed? Some richness of the spirit? Sadness crept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/poirot-watching-him-felt-suddenly-a-doubt-an-uncomfortable-twinge-was/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [In the midst of life, we are in death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/in-the-midst-of-life-we-are-in-death/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [Then there are some minor points that strike me as suggestive - for instance, the position of Mrs. Hubbard's sponge bag, the name of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/then-there-are-some-minor-points-that-strike-me-as-suggestive-for/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) [Explore all 1,053 Agatha Christie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) ## More Failure quotes > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [No one is completely unhappy at the failure of his best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/no-one-is-completely-unhappy-at-the-failure-of-his-best-friend/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [“Rhiannon's Law #28: If you're going to fuck up, be sure to fuck up good and proper. Nothing makes failure acceptable, so you might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/rhiannon-s-law-28-if-you-re-going-to-fuck-up-be-sure-to-fuck-up-good/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Failure is a part of life and you have to learn to deal with it. Failure is something that is part of life's cycle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/failure-is-a-part-of-life-and-you-have-to-learn-to-deal-with-it/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [First action was a mistake. What about the second? third? fourth and fifth?...Mehn you are bad...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/first-action-was-a-mistake-what-about-the-second-third-fourth-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God's love never fail :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-s-love-never-fail/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don’t you just hate nights like that, when you think over every mistake you’ve made, every hurt you’ve received, every bit of meanness you’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/don-t-you-just-hate-nights-like-that-when-you-think-over-every/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [“Our failure to understand another being's inner reality doesn't make that reality any less real, or any less valuable to that being. (p.255)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-schulz/our-failure-to-understand-another-being-s-inner-reality-doesn-t-make/) [Kathryn Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-schulz/) > [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [Don't take too much comfort in the fact that you're successful today because tomorrow could bring failure. There's no surety in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-savage/don-t-take-too-much-comfort-in-the-fact-that-you-re-successful-today/) [Michael Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-savage/) > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [As we are coming to the end of the year, I want you to forget about the past, the failure, the negative thoughts or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-we-are-coming-to-the-end-of-the-year-i-want-you-to-forget-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 27,498 Failure quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's not a man's working hours that are important--it's his leisure hours. 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