--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is an unfortunate reality for innate…" description: "\"“It is an unfortunate reality for innate idlers that our modern world requires one to hold a job to maintain a sustainable existence. Idling, I find, i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a09/j-maarten-troost-23088_idlers_it-is-an-unfortunate-reality-for-innate_826167.jpg" --- # It is an unfortunate reality for innate idlers that our… ![“It is an unfortunate reality for innate idlers that our modern world requires one to hold a job to maintain a sustainable existence. Idling, I find, if immensely underrated, even vilified by some who see inactivity as the gateway for the Evil One.” quote by J. Maarten Troost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a09/j-maarten-troost-23088_idlers_it-is-an-unfortunate-reality-for-innate_826167.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a09/j-maarten-troost-23088_idlers_it-is-an-unfortunate-reality-for-innate_826167.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a09/j-maarten-troost-23088_idlers_it-is-an-unfortunate-reality-for-innate_826167.jpg) > ““It is an unfortunate reality for innate idlers that our modern world requires one to hold a job to maintain a sustainable existence. Idling, I find, if immensely underrated, even vilified by some who see inactivity as the gateway for the Evil One.”” [J. Maarten Troost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-maarten-troost/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Modern society forces employment for survival, while idling is undervalued and stigmatized. **In simple terms:** Work is required, idling is judged. Key Takeaway Recognize the value of rest. Themes work idling societal norms Mood contemplative critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career planning - mental health breaks - cultural critique Key Concepts economics philosophy well‑being Questions to Reflect On - Is idling a form of resistance? - How can society honor downtime? A Different Perspective Rest can be seen as laziness, limiting its acceptance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Idling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idling/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Modern world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern-world/) ## Related quotes > [“Idleness as a waste of time is a damaging notion put about by its spiritually vacant enemies. The fact that idling can be enormously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hodgkinson/idleness-as-a-waste-of-time-is-a-damaging-notion-put-about-by-its/) [Tom Hodgkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hodgkinson/) > [Personally I regard idling as a virtue, but civilized society holds otherwise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-maarten-troost/personally-i-regard-idling-as-a-virtue-but-civilized-society-holds/) [J. Maarten Troost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-maarten-troost/) > [“Idling has always been my strong point. I take no credit to myself in the matter-it is a gift.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-k-jerome/idling-has-always-been-my-strong-point-i-take-no-credit-to-myself-in/) [Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) > [“I like idling when I ought not to be idling; not when it is the only thing I have to do. Thatis my pig-headed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-k-jerome/i-like-idling-when-i-ought-not-to-be-idling-not-when-it-is-the-only/) [Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) > [Patience is idling your motor when you feel like stripping a gear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gothard/patience-is-idling-your-motor-when-you-feel-like-stripping-a-gear/) [Bill Gothard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gothard/) > [It is impossible to enjoy idling thoroughly unless one has plenty of work to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-k-jerome/it-is-impossible-to-enjoy-idling-thoroughly-unless-one-has-plenty-of-2/) [Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) > [When you go to pick your kids up from school, cars are lined up idling for anywhere from five to 20 minutes. Starting a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-david/when-you-go-to-pick-your-kids-up-from-school-cars-are-lined-up-idling/) [Laurie David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-david/) > [“Life was not to be sitting in hot amorphic leisure in my backyard idly writing or not-writing, as the spirit moved me. It was,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/life-was-not-to-be-sitting-in-hot-amorphic-leisure-in-my-backyard/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [As for the dispute about solitude and society, any comparison is impertinent. It is an idling down on the plane at the base of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-the-dispute-about-solitude-and-society-any-comparison-is/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“It is impossible to enjoy idling thoroughly unless one has plenty of work to do. There is no fun in doing nothing when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-k-jerome/it-is-impossible-to-enjoy-idling-thoroughly-unless-one-has-plenty-of/) [Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) > [“Relaxing brings weakness, when done by a muscle; but brings strength, when done by a person.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/relaxing-brings-weakness-when-done-by-a-muscle-but-brings-strength/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [In idling, the motor's running, but you're letting your mind take in anything. Things pop into it. Those are the gifts of subterranean conscious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mortimer-adler/in-idling-the-motor-s-running-but-you-re-letting-your-mind-take-in/) [Mortimer Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mortimer-adler/) > [Idling is not my strong suit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cam-gigandet/idling-is-not-my-strong-suit/) [Cam Gigandet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cam-gigandet/) > [I feel like Court Yard Hounds keeps us idling. I think Emily and I function better when we're continually making music and playing, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martie-maguire/i-feel-like-court-yard-hounds-keeps-us-idling-i-think-emily-and-i/) [Martie Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martie-maguire/) > [“Alberta had always had many forms of idling. She frittered away her time with virtuosity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cora-sandel/alberta-had-always-had-many-forms-of-idling-she-frittered-away-her/) [Cora Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cora-sandel/) ## More by J. Maarten Troost > [“The longer we spent on Tarawa the more Sylvia and I came to realize that to live on Tarawa is to experience a visceral…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-maarten-troost/the-longer-we-spent-on-tarawa-the-more-sylvia-and-i-came-to-realize/) [J. Maarten Troost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-maarten-troost/) > [“When it comes to naming things, vanity and flattery are dull motivations best suited for deciding on a child’s middle name. Much more interesting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-maarten-troost/when-it-comes-to-naming-things-vanity-and-flattery-are-dull/) [J. Maarten Troost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-maarten-troost/) > [Like many air travelers, I am aware that airplanes fly aided by capricious fairies and invisible strings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-maarten-troost/like-many-air-travelers-i-am-aware-that-airplanes-fly-aided-by/) [J. Maarten Troost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-maarten-troost/) > [“Christopher Hitchens once said that he drinks “because it makes other people less boring.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-maarten-troost/christopher-hitchens-once-said-that-he-drinks-because-it-makes-other/) [J. Maarten Troost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-maarten-troost/) > [“for what is life, a good life, but the accumulation of small pleasures?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-maarten-troost/for-what-is-life-a-good-life-but-the-accumulation-of-small-pleasures/) [J. Maarten Troost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-maarten-troost/) > [I was simply restless, quite likely because of a dissatisfaction with the recent trajectory of my life, and if there is a better, more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-maarten-troost/i-was-simply-restless-quite-likely-because-of-a-dissatisfaction-with/) [J. Maarten Troost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-maarten-troost/) > [“It was, to reiterate, to stress, to accentuate the point, to leave no doubt, hot.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-maarten-troost/it-was-to-reiterate-to-stress-to-accentuate-the-point-to-leave-no/) [J. Maarten Troost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-maarten-troost/) > [“Look for a wave shaped like an A. An A . Hmm. I saw Zs and H's and Vs . I saw the Hindi…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-maarten-troost/look-for-a-wave-shaped-like-an-a-an-a-hmm-i-saw-zs-and-h-s-and-vs-i/) [J. Maarten Troost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-maarten-troost/) > [Personally I regard idling as a virtue, but civilized society holds otherwise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-maarten-troost/personally-i-regard-idling-as-a-virtue-but-civilized-society-holds/) [J. Maarten Troost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-maarten-troost/) > [Like many highly educated people, I didn't have much in the way of actual skills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-maarten-troost/like-many-highly-educated-people-i-didn-t-have-much-in-the-way-of/) [J. Maarten Troost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-maarten-troost/) > [“Seriously. There were three of them, all roughly in their thirties, and they spent their time traveling the world, putting together documentaries about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-maarten-troost/seriously-there-were-three-of-them-all-roughly-in-their-thirties-and/) [J. Maarten Troost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-maarten-troost/) > [“I made arrangements with Bitaki, a teammate on the soccer team I played with, to go fishing with his brothers, who typically worked the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-maarten-troost/i-made-arrangements-with-bitaki-a-teammate-on-the-soccer-team-i/) [J. Maarten Troost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-maarten-troost/) > [“i'm off to an island nation where formal wear consists of a leaf tired around a penis.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-maarten-troost/i-m-off-to-an-island-nation-where-formal-wear-consists-of-a-leaf/) [J. Maarten Troost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-maarten-troost/) > [It is often said that Americans have no sense of history. Ask a college student who Jimmy Carter was and they will likely reply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-maarten-troost/it-is-often-said-that-americans-have-no-sense-of-history-ask-a/) [J. Maarten Troost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-maarten-troost/) > [I had grown accustomed to life being interesting and adventure ridden and, rather childishly, I refused to believe that this must necessarily come to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-maarten-troost/i-had-grown-accustomed-to-life-being-interesting-and-adventure-ridden/) [J. Maarten Troost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-maarten-troost/) [Explore all 26 J. Maarten Troost quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-maarten-troost/) ## More Idlers quotes > [By amusing myself with all these games, all this nonsense, all these picture puzzles, I became famous... I am only a public entertainer who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/by-amusing-myself-with-all-these-games-all-this-nonsense-all-these/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [Writing a book is a brilliant thing because once you've finished it, you've done it, and there's the potential for it to go on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hodgkinson/writing-a-book-is-a-brilliant-thing-because-once-you-ve-finished-it/) [Tom Hodgkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hodgkinson/) > [Truly, the bench is a boon to idlers. Whoever first came up with the idea is a genius: free public resting places where you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hodgkinson/truly-the-bench-is-a-boon-to-idlers-whoever-first-came-up-with-the/) [Tom Hodgkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hodgkinson/) > [ The perfect woman, you see \[is\] a working-woman; not an idler; not a fine lady; but one who \[uses\] her hands and her head… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/the-perfect-woman-you-see-is-a-working-woman-not-an-idler-not-a-fine/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [Beauty, pleasure, freedom and plenty of sleep: these are the hallmarks of a successful idler's break. Travel should not be hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hodgkinson/beauty-pleasure-freedom-and-plenty-of-sleep-these-are-the-hallmarks/) [Tom Hodgkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hodgkinson/) > [“When I pretended to be precocious, people started the rumor that I was precocious. When I acted like an idler, rumor had it I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osamu-dazai/when-i-pretended-to-be-precocious-people-started-the-rumor-that-i-was/) [Osamu Dazai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osamu-dazai/) > [The faster you go, the idler you get.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferreira-gullar/the-faster-you-go-the-idler-you-get/) Ferreira Gullar > [The idea of a government is to create an ordered, willing work force where there's no trouble. I think idlers are generally seen as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hodgkinson/the-idea-of-a-government-is-to-create-an-ordered-willing-work-force/) [Tom Hodgkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hodgkinson/) > [All poets are idlers, even if all idlers are not poets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hodgkinson/all-poets-are-idlers-even-if-all-idlers-are-not-poets/) [Tom Hodgkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hodgkinson/) > [Sometimes I think that idlers seem to be a special class for whom nothing can be planned, plead as one will with them -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/sometimes-i-think-that-idlers-seem-to-be-a-special-class-for-whom/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [Idlers do not make history: they suffer it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kropotkin/idlers-do-not-make-history-they-suffer-it/) [Peter Kropotkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kropotkin/) > [No mercy for these enemies of the people, the enemies of socialism, the enemies of the working people! War to the death against the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-lenin/no-mercy-for-these-enemies-of-the-people-the-enemies-of-socialism-the/) [Vladimir Lenin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-lenin/) > [Go your way, seducers, flatterers, idlers, those glib of tongue and charlatans; I am not a seed that you can force to grow; my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominique-fernandez/go-your-way-seducers-flatterers-idlers-those-glib-of-tongue-and/) Dominique Fernandez > [Go West, young man, go West. There is health in the country, and room away from our crowds of idlers and imbeciles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-greeley/go-west-young-man-go-west-there-is-health-in-the-country-and-room/) [Horace Greeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-greeley/) > [I had neither kith nor kin in England, and was therefore as free as air -- or as free as an income of eleven…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/i-had-neither-kith-nor-kin-in-england-and-was-therefore-as-free-as/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) Browse all 63 Idlers quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It is an unfortunate reality for innate idlers that our modern world requires one to hold a job to maintain a sustainable existence. Idling, I find, if immensely underrated, even vilified by some who see inactivity as the gateway for the Evil One.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "J. 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