Food for thought Quote by Anthony Bloom
““(Quoted in Dennis Okholm's Monk Habits for Everyday People ) Settle down in your room at a moment when you have nothing else to do. Say "I am now with myself," and just sit with yourself. After an amazingly short time you will most likely feel bored. This teaches us one very useful thing. It gives us insight into the fact that if after ten minutes of being alone with ourselves we feel like that, it is no wonder that others should feel equally bored! Why is this so? It is so because we have so little to offer to our own selves as food for thought, for emotion and for life. If you watch your life carefully you will discover quite soon that we hardly ever live from within outwards; instead we respond to incitement, to excitement. In other words, we live by reflection, by reaction... We are completely empty, we do not act from within ourselves but accept as our life a life which is actually fed in from the outside; we are used to things happening which compel us to do other things. How seldom can we live simply by means of the depth and the richness we assume that there is within ourselves. ””
About This Quote
Source Book: Monk Habits for Everyday People by Dennis Okholm, 2021
Spending quiet time alone reveals boredom, showing we lack inner substance and rely on external stimulation instead of self‑generated meaning.
In simple terms: Alone time shows our inner emptiness.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate inner contentment and self‑reflection.
Themes
self‑growth
mindfulness
solitude
reflection
inner life
Mood
contemplative
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- meditation
- journaling
- creative work
- personal development
- mindful breaks
Key Concepts
psychology
philosophy
spirituality
Questions to Reflect On
- What inner resources can you develop to fill solitude?
- How does external distraction hinder self‑knowledge?
A Different Perspective
Boredom may be uncomfortable but signals growth opportunity.
