--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We think work with the brain is more…" description: "\"We think work with the brain is more worthy than work with the hands. Nobody who thinks with his hands could ever fall for this.\" — E. F. Schumacher" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efd/e-f-schumacher-8282_brain_we-think-work-with-the-brain-is-more-wor_3096765.png" --- # We think work with the brain is more worthy than work with… ![“We think work with the brain is more worthy than work with the hands. Nobody who thinks with his hands could ever fall for this.” quote by E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efd/e-f-schumacher-8282_brain_we-think-work-with-the-brain-is-more-wor_3096765.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efd/e-f-schumacher-8282_brain_we-think-work-with-the-brain-is-more-wor_3096765.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efd/e-f-schumacher-8282_brain_we-think-work-with-the-brain-is-more-wor_3096765.png) > “We think work with the brain is more worthy than work with the hands. Nobody who thinks with his hands could ever fall for this.” [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Intellectual work is valued over manual labor, but this hierarchy undervalues hands‑on experience. **In simple terms:** Thinking is seen as superior to doing. Key Takeaway Balance mental and physical work for fuller insight. Themes work value mind body society Mood thoughtful critical Type sociological motivational When to use this quote - Workplace training - craft apprenticeships - educational curricula Key Concepts Labor hierarchy cognitive bias skill appreciation Questions to Reflect On - What benefits arise from integrating hands‑on practice with theory? - How does this bias affect societal respect for trades? A Different Perspective Neglecting manual skills can limit creativity and practical knowledge. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/) [Brain Worthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain-worthy-5348778/) [Fall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fall/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [Hands Thinks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands-thinks-5348777/) [Massage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/massage/) [Think Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-work-261718/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Thinks Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinks-hands-4170124/) [Work Brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-brain-1884096/) [Worthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worthy/) ## Related quotes > [The head thinks, the hands labor, but it's the heart that laughs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-curtis-higgs/the-head-thinks-the-hands-labor-but-it-s-the-heart-that-laughs/) [Liz Curtis Higgs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-curtis-higgs/) > [It's to your advantage to work your brain as well as your body. The rest is up to fate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-reinking/it-s-to-your-advantage-to-work-your-brain-as-well-as-your-body-the/) [Ann Reinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-reinking/) > [Doing is very good, but that comes from thinking. Little manifestations of energy through the muscles are called work. But where there is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/doing-is-very-good-but-that-comes-from-thinking-little-manifestations/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [Be With Me In The Phases Of My Work Because My Brain Feels Like It Has Been Whipped And I Yearn To Make A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/be-with-me-in-the-phases-of-my-work-because-my-brain-feels-like-it/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [Most of the brain's work is done while the brain's owner is ostensibly thinking about something else, so sometimes you have to deliberately find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/most-of-the-brain-s-work-is-done-while-the-brain-s-owner-is/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [Perhaps the most important ingredient in my work... is my brain - particularly the right brain... the free spontaneous side, and the left brain,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-johnson/perhaps-the-most-important-ingredient-in-my-work-is-my-brain/) [Brian Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-johnson/) > [Ageing is very exciting. But if I didn't work on ageing, I'd want to work on the brain. There are really cool techniques you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-kenyon/ageing-is-very-exciting-but-if-i-didn-t-work-on-ageing-i-d-want-to/) [Cynthia Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-kenyon/) > [The principles now being discovered at work in the brain may provide, in the future, machines even more powerful than those we can at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-zachary-young/the-principles-now-being-discovered-at-work-in-the-brain-may-provide/) [John Zachary Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-zachary-young/) > [You don't have a work brain and a home brain. You have a single brain, one you carry with you wherever you go. Whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-medina/you-don-t-have-a-work-brain-and-a-home-brain-you-have-a-single-brain/) [John Medina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-medina/) > [To be truly engaged at work, your brain needs periodic breaks to gain fresh perspective and energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-achor/to-be-truly-engaged-at-work-your-brain-needs-periodic-breaks-to-gain/) [Shawn Achor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-achor/) > [If you don't work your brain turns to cheese.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sinatra-jr/if-you-don-t-work-your-brain-turns-to-cheese/) [Frank Sinatra Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sinatra-jr/) > [Every time you think, your brain works but every time you work your brain thinks !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thesaintsays/every-time-you-think-your-brain-works-but-every-time-you-work-your/) [TheSaintsays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thesaintsays/) > [I work every day on skills, and I don't think you can ever work enough on that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-hayward/i-work-every-day-on-skills-and-i-don-t-think-you-can-ever-work-enough/) [Gordon Hayward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-hayward/) > [“Tip 2 Think! About Your Work”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-hunt/tip-2-think-about-your-work/) [Andrew Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-hunt/) > [I can't imagine not working, really. I just think work's more fun than fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-quant/i-can-t-imagine-not-working-really-i-just-think-work-s-more-fun-than/) [Mary Quant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-quant/) ## More by E. F. Schumacher > [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/) > [Study how a society uses its land, and you can come to pretty reliable conclusions as to what its future will be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/study-how-a-society-uses-its-land-and-you-can-come-to-pretty-reliable/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [Without ... the creative imagination rushing in where bureaucratic angels fear to tread - without this, life is a mockery and a disgrace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/without-the-creative-imagination-rushing-in-where-bureaucratic-angels/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [Why precisely do we want to change land ownership? The answer seems to me to be quite clear: to inhibit land speculation, to inhibit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/why-precisely-do-we-want-to-change-land-ownership-the-answer-seems-to/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [Our task - and the task of all education - is to understand the present world, the world in which we live and make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/our-task-and-the-task-of-all-education-is-to-understand-the-present/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [Infinite growth of material consumption in a finite world is an impossibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/infinite-growth-of-material-consumption-in-a-finite-world-is-an/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [Even bigger machines, entailing even bigger concentrations of economic power and exerting ever greater violence against the environment, do not represent progress: they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/even-bigger-machines-entailing-even-bigger-concentrations-of-economic/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [The substance of man cannot be measured by Gross National Product.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/the-substance-of-man-cannot-be-measured-by-gross-national-product/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [To describe an animal as a physico-chemical system of extreme complexityis no doubt perfectly correct, except that it misses out on the animalness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/to-describe-an-animal-as-a-physico-chemical-system-of-extreme/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [Our task is to look at the world, and see it whole.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/our-task-is-to-look-at-the-world-and-see-it-whole/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [The most striking about modern industry is that it requires so much and accomplishes so little. Modern industry seems to be inefficient to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/the-most-striking-about-modern-industry-is-that-it-requires-so-much/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [The modern world tends to be skeptical about everything that makes demands on man's higher faculties. But it is not at all skeptical about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/the-modern-world-tends-to-be-skeptical-about-everything-that-makes/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [Many people love in themselves what they hate in others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/many-people-love-in-themselves-what-they-hate-in-others/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [I cannot predict the wind but I can have my sail ready.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/i-cannot-predict-the-wind-but-i-can-have-my-sail-ready/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [The technology of mass production is inherently violent, ecologically damaging, self-defeating in terms of non-renewable resources, and stultifying for the human person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/the-technology-of-mass-production-is-inherently-violent-ecologically/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) [Explore all 82 E. F. Schumacher quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) ## More Brain quotes > [The brain abhors discrepancies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vilayanur-s-ramachandran/the-brain-abhors-discrepancies/) [Vilayanur S. Ramachandran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vilayanur-s-ramachandran/) > [In some circles where very heavy people think they have very heavy brains, words like "charming" and "clever" and "pretty" are all put-downs; all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-warhol/in-some-circles-where-very-heavy-people-think-they-have-very-heavy/) [Andy Warhol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-warhol/) > [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) > [down with ought with because with every brain that thinks it thinks nor dares to feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/down-with-ought-with-because-with-every-brain-that-thinks-it-thinks/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To explicate the uses of the Brain seems as difficult a task as to paint the Soul, of which it is commonly said, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-willis/to-explicate-the-uses-of-the-brain-seems-as-difficult-a-task-as-to/) [Thomas Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-willis/) > [I prefer the word 'musician.' I'm a musician and a composer. I have a problem with the word 'artist.' I don't know if it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stromae/i-prefer-the-word-musician-i-m-a-musician-and-a-composer-i-have-a/) [Stromae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stromae/) > [Thinking of sex provides enough mental stimulation to reduce risk of diseases that damage the brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/thinking-of-sex-provides-enough-mental-stimulation-to-reduce-risk-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My writing routine is: get son off to school and sit down at 8 A.M. I read what I wrote the day before, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-chevalier/my-writing-routine-is-get-son-off-to-school-and-sit-down-at-8-a-m-i/) [Tracy Chevalier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-chevalier/) > [The reason I'm drawn to it is - both the off road racing and the motorcycles on the track - it takes a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dax-shepard/the-reason-i-m-drawn-to-it-is-both-the-off-road-racing-and-the/) [Dax Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dax-shepard/) > [Without illusions. I love you because you are fallible and because your poor misguided testosterone-corrupted brain has you doing cartwheels trying not to be.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-gerard/without-illusions-i-love-you-because-you-are-fallible-and-because/) [Cindy Gerard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-gerard/) > [being asked to decide between your passion for work and your passion for children was like being asked by your doctor whether you preferred…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-bevington/being-asked-to-decide-between-your-passion-for-work-and-your-passion/) [Helen Bevington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-bevington/) > [I was told I had brain damage. I always knew it was an unfair label. Now I have a clearer understanding of what's wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-boyle/i-was-told-i-had-brain-damage-i-always-knew-it-was-an-unfair-label/) [Susan Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-boyle/) > [The act of learning to read added an entirely new circuit to our hominid brain's repertoire. The long developmental process of learning to read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/the-act-of-learning-to-read-added-an-entirely-new-circuit-to-our/) [Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/) > [I can't let fear kill my creative brain. Fear is the killer. Your bad choices come from fear. And I'm constantly combating fear. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-m-chu/i-can-t-let-fear-kill-my-creative-brain-fear-is-the-killer-your-bad/) [Jon M. Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-m-chu/) > [I am the way I am. If you like me because I'm glamorous, so be it. If you like me, because I speak well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malaika-arora-khan/i-am-the-way-i-am-if-you-like-me-because-i-m-glamorous-so-be-it-if/) [Malaika Arora Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malaika-arora-khan/) [Browse all 8,465 Brain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We think work with the brain is more worthy than work with the hands. Nobody who thinks with his hands could ever fall for this.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "E. F. Schumacher" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/we-think-work-with-the-brain-is-more-worthy-than-work-with-the-hands/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Brain" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/we-think-work-with-the-brain-is-more-worthy-than-work-with-the-hands/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efd/e-f-schumacher-8282_brain_we-think-work-with-the-brain-is-more-wor_3096765.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efd/e-f-schumacher-8282_brain_we-think-work-with-the-brain-is-more-wor_3096765.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efd/e-f-schumacher-8282_brain_we-think-work-with-the-brain-is-more-wor_3096765.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We think work with the brain is more worthy than work with the hands. Nobody who thinks with his hands could…” — E. F. Schumacher", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "E. F. Schumacher", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We think work with the brain...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/we-think-work-with-the-brain-is-more-worthy-than-work-with-the-hands/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/we-think-work-with-the-brain-is-more-worthy-than-work-with-the-hands/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```