--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Idleness and idolatry aren't related but…" description: "\"“Idleness and idolatry aren't related but they ought to be.”\" — David R. Dow" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ced/david-r-dow-72885_procrastination_idleness-and-idolatry-aren-t-related-but_1648038.jpg" --- # Idleness and idolatry aren't related but they ought to be. ![“Idleness and idolatry aren't related but they ought to be.” quote by David R. Dow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ced/david-r-dow-72885_procrastination_idleness-and-idolatry-aren-t-related-but_1648038.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ced/david-r-dow-72885_procrastination_idleness-and-idolatry-aren-t-related-but_1648038.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ced/david-r-dow-72885_procrastination_idleness-and-idolatry-aren-t-related-but_1648038.jpg) > ““Idleness and idolatry aren't related but they ought to be.”” David R. Dow ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Idleness and idolatry are distinct, yet both involve misplaced devotion of time and reverence. **In simple terms:** Idle habits and worshipful obsessions both waste focus. Key Takeaway Recognize and redirect idle energy. Themes idleness idolatry focus values Mood reflective critical Type philosophical observational When to use this quote - personal productivity - spiritual practice - cultural critique Key Concepts misplaced devotion human behavior Questions to Reflect On - How does idleness manifest in your life? - What does idolatry look like today? A Different Perspective Idle time can be productive if purposefully directed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Idleness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idleness/) [Idolatry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idolatry/) [Procrastination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/procrastination/) ## Related quotes > [Surely nothing is more reproachful to a being endowed with reason, than to resign its powers to the influence of the air, and live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/surely-nothing-is-more-reproachful-to-a-being-endowed-with-reason/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Observe a method in the distribution of your time. Every hour will then know its proper employment, and no time will be lost. Idleness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hartwell-horne/observe-a-method-in-the-distribution-of-your-time-every-hour-will/) [Thomas Hartwell Horne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hartwell-horne/) > [He who saddens at thought of idleness cannot be idle, / And he's awake who thinks himself asleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keats/he-who-saddens-at-thought-of-idleness-cannot-be-idle-and-he-s-awake/) [John Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keats/) > [Rather do what is nothing to the purpose than be idle; that the devil may find thee doing. The bird that sits is easily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/rather-do-what-is-nothing-to-the-purpose-than-be-idle-that-the-devil/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) > [The idle brain is the devil's playground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-lange/the-idle-brain-is-the-devil-s-playground/) [Eric Lange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-lange/) > [It can be set down as a broad, general principle that we cannot indulge in idleness and abundance during both the first and second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-c-forbes/it-can-be-set-down-as-a-broad-general-principle-that-we-cannot/) [B. C. Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-c-forbes/) > [Wasting time is negative, but there is something positive about idleness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-lynes/wasting-time-is-negative-but-there-is-something-positive-about/) [Russell Lynes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-lynes/) > [The reason of idleness and of crime is the deferring of our hopes. Whilst we are waiting, we beguile the time with jokes, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-reason-of-idleness-and-of-crime-is-the-deferring-of-our-hopes/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Idleness is an expert thief,and our mind is its victim.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abid-al-qarni/idleness-is-an-expert-thief-and-our-mind-is-its-victim/) Abid Al Qarni > [Timing is everything. Tell me how a young man spends his evenings and I will tell you how far he is likely to go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-c-forbes/timing-is-everything-tell-me-how-a-young-man-spends-his-evenings-and/) [B. C. Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-c-forbes/) > [“Reality has a tendency to reveal itself when man is idle, and so it is because of this that idleness is often regarded as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vd/reality-has-a-tendency-to-reveal-itself-when-man-is-idle-and-so-it-is/) VD > [Idleness is paralysis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roswell-dwight-hitchcock/idleness-is-paralysis/) [Roswell Dwight Hitchcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roswell-dwight-hitchcock/) > [“Liza had a finely developed sense of sin Idleness was a sin, and card playing, which was a kind of idleness to her. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/liza-had-a-finely-developed-sense-of-sin-idleness-was-a-sin-and-card/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [The frivolous work of polished idleness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mackintosh/the-frivolous-work-of-polished-idleness/) [James Mackintosh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mackintosh/) > [“Idleness is seductive. Just relax and do nothing, it says.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/innocent-mwatsikesimbe/idleness-is-seductive-just-relax-and-do-nothing-it-says/) [Innocent Mwatsikesimbe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/innocent-mwatsikesimbe/) ## More by David R. Dow > [“Socrates had it backward. He thought the unexamined life is not worth living. I think no one's life holds up to examination. The more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-r-dow/socrates-had-it-backward-he-thought-the-unexamined-life-is-not-worth/) David R. Dow > [“Lessons in life are context specific. Contexts are never the same. If there are no lessons you can use does that mean there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-r-dow/lessons-in-life-are-context-specific-contexts-are-never-the-same-if/) David R. Dow > [“Everything important we learn too late.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-r-dow/everything-important-we-learn-too-late/) David R. Dow Explore all 4 David R. Dow quotes ## More Idleness quotes > [“Idleness is seductive. Just relax and do nothing, it says.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/innocent-mwatsikesimbe/idleness-is-seductive-just-relax-and-do-nothing-it-says/) [Innocent Mwatsikesimbe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/innocent-mwatsikesimbe/) > [“Virtue? A fig! 'Tis in ourselves that we are thus or thus. Our bodies are our gardens, to the which our wills are gardeners.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/virtue-a-fig-tis-in-ourselves-that-we-are-thus-or-thus-our-bodies-are/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [The frivolous work of polished idleness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mackintosh/the-frivolous-work-of-polished-idleness/) [James Mackintosh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mackintosh/) > [We are more heavily taxed by our idleness, pride and folly than we are taxed by government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/we-are-more-heavily-taxed-by-our-idleness-pride-and-folly-than-we-are/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Doing nothing is the hardest torture that a person can put himself through. For he is always brought face to face with his own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iwan-goll/doing-nothing-is-the-hardest-torture-that-a-person-can-put-himself/) [Iwan Goll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iwan-goll/) > [Inactivity and deprivation of all accustomed stimulus is not rest; it is a preparation for the tomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/inactivity-and-deprivation-of-all-accustomed-stimulus-is-not-rest-it/) [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) > [“Liza had a finely developed sense of sin Idleness was a sin, and card playing, which was a kind of idleness to her. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/liza-had-a-finely-developed-sense-of-sin-idleness-was-a-sin-and-card/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [Idleness is paralysis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roswell-dwight-hitchcock/idleness-is-paralysis/) [Roswell Dwight Hitchcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roswell-dwight-hitchcock/) > [The even mead, that erst brought sweetly forth The freckled cowslip, burnet, and green clover, Wanting the scythe, all uncorrected, rank, Conceives by idleness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/the-even-mead-that-erst-brought-sweetly-forth-the-freckled-cowslip/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [There is a perennial nobleness, and even sacredness, in work. Were he never so benighted, forgetful of his high calling, there is always hope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/there-is-a-perennial-nobleness-and-even-sacredness-in-work-were-he/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [Great talents, by the rust of long disuse, Grow lethargic and shrink from what they were.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/great-talents-by-the-rust-of-long-disuse-grow-lethargic-and-shrink/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) > [Far from idleness being the root of all evil, it is rather the only true good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/far-from-idleness-being-the-root-of-all-evil-it-is-rather-the-only/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) > [“Reality has a tendency to reveal itself when man is idle, and so it is because of this that idleness is often regarded as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vd/reality-has-a-tendency-to-reveal-itself-when-man-is-idle-and-so-it-is/) VD > [Let us be grateful to Adam: he cut us out of the blessing of idleness and won for us the curse of labor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/let-us-be-grateful-to-adam-he-cut-us-out-of-the-blessing-of-idleness/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [If I gave my mother a knitted scarf she'd be worried I was wasting my time doing stupid stuff like knitting instead of school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-kaling/if-i-gave-my-mother-a-knitted-scarf-she-d-be-worried-i-was-wasting-my/) [Mindy Kaling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-kaling/) [Browse all 564 Idleness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idleness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Idleness and idolatry aren't related but they ought to be.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David R. 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