--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It bothered Veblen’s mother that most…" description: "\"“It bothered Veblen’s mother that most people were lazy and had given up original thought a long time ago, stealing stale phrases from the media like m..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/763/elizabeth-mckenzie-62609_lazy_it-bothered-veblen-s-mother-that-most-pe_2570783.jpg" --- # It bothered Veblen’s mother that most people were lazy and… ![“It bothered Veblen’s mother that most people were lazy and had given up original thought a long time ago, stealing stale phrases from the media like magpies.” quote by Elizabeth Mckenzie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/763/elizabeth-mckenzie-62609_lazy_it-bothered-veblen-s-mother-that-most-pe_2570783.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/763/elizabeth-mckenzie-62609_lazy_it-bothered-veblen-s-mother-that-most-pe_2570783.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/763/elizabeth-mckenzie-62609_lazy_it-bothered-veblen-s-mother-that-most-pe_2570783.jpg) > ““It bothered Veblen’s mother that most people were lazy and had given up original thought a long time ago, stealing stale phrases from the media like magpies.”” [Elizabeth Mckenzie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-mckenzie/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Veblen criticizes society’s tendency to abandon original thinking, copying stale ideas from media without creativity. **In simple terms:** People copy media ideas instead of thinking fresh. Key Takeaway Encourage original thought, avoid mindless copying. Themes criticism media originality conformity Mood critical reflective Type analytical commentary When to use this quote - education - writing - media consumption - creative work Key Concepts cultural critique intellectual laziness Questions to Reflect On - How can you foster originality in your daily life? - What media sources challenge you to think critically? A Different Perspective Original ideas still thrive despite widespread copying. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Original thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/original-thought/) ## Related quotes > [People are not lazy they are on their ENERGY SAVING MODE.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-angelo-de-leon/people-are-not-lazy-they-are-on-their-energy-saving-mode/) [Michael Angelo De Leon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-angelo-de-leon/) > [I think overweight people are lazy and that they are bankrupting the country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-hopkins/i-think-overweight-people-are-lazy-and-that-they-are-bankrupting-the/) [Katie Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-hopkins/) > [People who are lazy may smoke pot and remain lazy. That is aging the person finding a drug to help one create the vegetable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-machat/people-who-are-lazy-may-smoke-pot-and-remain-lazy-that-is-aging-the/) [Steven Machat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-machat/) > [People who are lazy, careless, doubtful-minded or arrogant need not expect God to reveal His secret or covenant to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/watchman-nee/people-who-are-lazy-careless-doubtful-minded-or-arrogant-need-not/) [Watchman Nee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/watchman-nee/) > [Take us generally as a people, we are neither lazy nor idle; and considering how little we have to excite or stimulate us, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-w-stewart/take-us-generally-as-a-people-we-are-neither-lazy-nor-idle-and/) [Maria W. Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-w-stewart/) > [“There’s a stereotype that black people are lazy. I don’t know if that’s true, but I know white people went all the way to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-crouther/there-s-a-stereotype-that-black-people-are-lazy-i-don-t-know-if-that/) Lance Crouther > [Laziness is contagious just like hard work is. I didn't give myself an opportunity to be lazy and I didn't surround myself with people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chandler/laziness-is-contagious-just-like-hard-work-is-i-didn-t-give-myself-an/) [Michael Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chandler/) > [A lot of people are lazy when it comes to making up their own mind about something, you know? If you're labelled one way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rashad-evans/a-lot-of-people-are-lazy-when-it-comes-to-making-up-their-own-mind/) [Rashad Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rashad-evans/) > [People who are too lazy to look for the truth have no right to blame the person who lies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-who-are-too-lazy-to-look-for-the-truth-have-no-right-to-blame/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [These people that watch our MTV shows, they're not music fans. They're people that are lazy on their couch and want to watch funny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanel-west-coast/these-people-that-watch-our-mtv-shows-they-re-not-music-fans-they-re/) [Chanel West Coast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanel-west-coast/) > [Most people are lazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-povitsky/most-people-are-lazy/) [Esther Povitsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-povitsky/) > [People are not lazy. They simply have impotent goals - that is, goals that do not inspire them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/people-are-not-lazy-they-simply-have-impotent-goals-that-is-goals/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [People are not lazy. They simply have important goals that is, goals that do not inspire them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kavinder-kanwar/people-are-not-lazy-they-simply-have-important-goals-that-is-goals/) [Kavinder Kanwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kavinder-kanwar/) > [The paintings may communicate even better because people are lazy and they can look at a painting with less effort than they can read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-ferlinghetti/the-paintings-may-communicate-even-better-because-people-are-lazy-and/) [Lawrence Ferlinghetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-ferlinghetti/) > [As actors, you have to keep showing variety in performance, as people are lazy to think about you in a different way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shweta-tripathi/as-actors-you-have-to-keep-showing-variety-in-performance-as-people/) [Shweta Tripathi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shweta-tripathi/) ## More by Elizabeth Mckenzie > [“Are you committed to having a really strange life?" She laughed. "Probably. What do you mean?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-mckenzie/are-you-committed-to-having-a-really-strange-life-she-laughed/) [Elizabeth Mckenzie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-mckenzie/) > [“You see, the work of maintaining your life with your own skills was never counted in hours. The days were long and arduous, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-mckenzie/you-see-the-work-of-maintaining-your-life-with-your-own-skills-was/) [Elizabeth Mckenzie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-mckenzie/) > [“He says marriage is a continuous inevitable confrontation that can be resolved only through death.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-mckenzie/he-says-marriage-is-a-continuous-inevitable-confrontation-that-can-be/) [Elizabeth Mckenzie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-mckenzie/) > [“If you love it enough, anything will talk with you.” —G. W. CARVER”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-mckenzie/if-you-love-it-enough-anything-will-talk-with-you-g-w-carver/) [Elizabeth Mckenzie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-mckenzie/) [Explore all 5 Elizabeth Mckenzie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-mckenzie/) ## More Lazy quotes > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [In the movie, the stars above the ship bear no correspondence to any constellations in a real sky. Worse yet, while the heroine bobs...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/in-the-movie-the-stars-above-the-ship-bear-no-correspondence-to-any/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [Steven Spielberg seems to have wanted to be a director from 13. He put his dog in a certain position and made him eat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-brooks/steven-spielberg-seems-to-have-wanted-to-be-a-director-from-13-he-put/) [Albert Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-brooks/) > [Babbo's menu is only four pages, but it's overwhelming - there are 20 different pastas in there, a lot of stuff. There is nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bastianich/babbo-s-menu-is-only-four-pages-but-it-s-overwhelming-there-are-20/) [Joe Bastianich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bastianich/) > [I find theater very lazy and artificial, and then when it's not, it lacks refinement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-tsakos/i-find-theater-very-lazy-and-artificial-and-then-when-it-s-not-it/) [Natasha Tsakos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-tsakos/) > [I feel as if my mission is to write, to see, to observe, and I feel lazy if I'm not reaching conclusions. I feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-theroux/i-feel-as-if-my-mission-is-to-write-to-see-to-observe-and-i-feel-lazy/) [Paul Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-theroux/) > [Why, just a couple of economic seasons ago, was idle cash considered an indication of bad management or lazy management? Because it meant that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/why-just-a-couple-of-economic-seasons-ago-was-idle-cash-considered-an/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [Some say work smarter, not harder, but the wisest are both. Whether you're more of a hard worker or a smart worker, if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colby-tatem/some-say-work-smarter-not-harder-but-the-wisest-are-both-whether-you/) [Colby Tatem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colby-tatem/) > [As a race, the Negroes are not lazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/as-a-race-the-negroes-are-not-lazy/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [Anyone can practice. Young man can practice. Old man can practice. Very old man can practice. Man who is sick, he can practice. Man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-pattabhi-jois/anyone-can-practice-young-man-can-practice-old-man-can-practice-very/) [K. Pattabhi Jois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-pattabhi-jois/) > [“Be quick to bless but lazy to curse.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bamikole/be-quick-to-bless-but-lazy-to-curse/) [Paul Bamikole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bamikole/) > [I'm too lazy to work out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-robuchon/i-m-too-lazy-to-work-out/) [Joel Robuchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-robuchon/) > [When I meet a new person, something has to be a little off for me to consider them beautiful. It could be crooked teeth,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-sedaris/when-i-meet-a-new-person-something-has-to-be-a-little-off-for-me-to/) [Amy Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-sedaris/) > [My troubles taught me not to be lazy if I really want to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/my-troubles-taught-me-not-to-be-lazy-if-i-really-want-to-win/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [“Don't you dare take the lazy way. It's too easy to excuse yourself because of your ancestry.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/don-t-you-dare-take-the-lazy-way-it-s-too-easy-to-excuse-yourself/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) Browse all 1,647 Lazy quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It bothered Veblen’s mother that most people were lazy and had given up original thought a long time ago, stealing stale phrases from the media like magpies.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Elizabeth Mckenzie" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-mckenzie/it-bothered-veblen-s-mother-that-most-people-were-lazy-and-had-given/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Lazy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-mckenzie/it-bothered-veblen-s-mother-that-most-people-were-lazy-and-had-given/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/763/elizabeth-mckenzie-62609_lazy_it-bothered-veblen-s-mother-that-most-pe_2570783.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/763/elizabeth-mckenzie-62609_lazy_it-bothered-veblen-s-mother-that-most-pe_2570783.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/763/elizabeth-mckenzie-62609_lazy_it-bothered-veblen-s-mother-that-most-pe_2570783.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It bothered Veblen’s mother that most people were lazy and had given up original thought a long time ago…” — Elizabeth Mckenzie", "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": "Elizabeth Mckenzie", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-mckenzie/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“It bothered Veblen’s mother that most...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-mckenzie/it-bothered-veblen-s-mother-that-most-people-were-lazy-and-had-given/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-mckenzie/it-bothered-veblen-s-mother-that-most-people-were-lazy-and-had-given/#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 } } ] } ```