---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Work never hurt anyone. It's idleness…"
description: "\"“Work never hurt anyone. It's idleness that causes mischief.”\" — Jane Corrie"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a01/jane-corrie-245955_work_work-never-hurt-anyone-it-s-idleness-tha_890926.jpg"
---

#  Work never hurt anyone. It's idleness that causes mischief.

![“Work never hurt anyone. It's idleness that causes mischief.” quote by Jane Corrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a01/jane-corrie-245955_work_work-never-hurt-anyone-it-s-idleness-tha_890926.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a01/jane-corrie-245955_work_work-never-hurt-anyone-it-s-idleness-tha_890926.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a01/jane-corrie-245955_work_work-never-hurt-anyone-it-s-idleness-tha_890926.jpg)

> ““Work never hurt anyone. It's idleness that causes mischief.””

[Jane Corrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-corrie/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Work is harmless; idleness breeds trouble.

**In simple terms:** Being idle leads to mischief.

Key Takeaway

Stay active to avoid problems.

Themes

work idleness productivity trouble mischief

Mood

cautionary motivational

Type

idleness:1 mischief:1 work:1 hurt idleness:0 idleness causes:0 causes mischief:0

When to use this quote

- employment
- personal habits
- community health
- education

Key Concepts

behavioral economics social responsibility

Questions to Reflect On

- What productive activities replace idle time?
- How does idleness affect mental health?

A Different Perspective

Overemphasis on work can cause burnout.

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[Causes Mischief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/causes-mischief-1147924/) [Hurt Idleness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hurt-idleness-1147922/) [Idleness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idleness/) [Idleness Causes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idleness-causes-1147923/) [Mischief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mischief/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/)

## Related quotes

> [I know of nothing that is so degenerating and so dangerous as idleness, for the brain will seek out mischief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-m-lyman/i-know-of-nothing-that-is-so-degenerating-and-so-dangerous-as/)

[Francis M. Lyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-m-lyman/)

> [It has been said that idleness is the parent of mischief, which is very true; but mischief itself is merely an attempt to escape…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-has-been-said-that-idleness-is-the-parent-of-mischief-which-is/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [In works of labour or of skillI would be busy too:For Satan finds some mischief stillFor idle hands to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-watts/in-works-of-labour-or-of-skilli-would-be-busy-too-for-satan-finds/)

[Isaac Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-watts/)

> [You ought to love all mankind; nay, every individual of mankind. You ought not to love the individuals of your domestic circles less, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-bysshe-shelley/you-ought-to-love-all-mankind-nay-every-individual-of-mankind-you/)

[Percy Bysshe Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-bysshe-shelley/)

> [That men, in reality, did not have friends in other men. That the fellowship of men, despite its joyous banter, old memories of exaggerated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manu-joseph/that-men-in-reality-did-not-have-friends-in-other-men-that-the/)

[Manu Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manu-joseph/)

> [A pure Democracy, by which I mean a Society consisting of a small number of citizens, who assemble and administer the Government in person,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/a-pure-democracy-by-which-i-mean-a-society-consisting-of-a-small/)

[James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/)

> [The peril of every fine faculty is the delight of playing with it for pride. Talent is commonly developed at the expense of character,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-peril-of-every-fine-faculty-is-the-delight-of-playing-with-it-for/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [“The mischief springs from the power which the monied interest derives from a paper currency which they are able to control, from the multitude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-jackson/the-mischief-springs-from-the-power-which-the-monied-interest-derives/)

[Andrew Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-jackson/)

> [If the Soul sees, after death , what passes on this earth , and watches over the welfare of those it loves, then must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-pike/if-the-soul-sees-after-death-what-passes-on-this-earth-and-watches/)

[Albert Pike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-pike/)

> [The mischiefs of anarchy have been equaled by the mischiefs of government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/the-mischiefs-of-anarchy-have-been-equaled-by-the-mischiefs-of/)

[Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/)

> [No one has something original or important to say will willing we run the risk of being misunderstood; people who write obscurely are either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/no-one-has-something-original-or-important-to-say-will-willing-we-run/)

[William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/)

> [Certainty is the mother of repose, and therefore the common law aims at certainty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yorke-1st-earl-of-hardwicke/certainty-is-the-mother-of-repose-and-therefore-the-common-law-aims/)

[Philip Yorke, 1st Earl of Hardwicke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yorke-1st-earl-of-hardwicke/)

> [To smile at the jest which plants a thorn in another's breast is to become a principal in the mischief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brinsley-sheridan/to-smile-at-the-jest-which-plants-a-thorn-in-another-s-breast-is-to/)

[Richard Brinsley Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brinsley-sheridan/)

> [“I never met a pig I didn't like. All pigs are intelligent, emotional, and sensitive souls. They all love company. They all crave contact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sy-montgomery/i-never-met-a-pig-i-didn-t-like-all-pigs-are-intelligent-emotional/)

[Sy Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sy-montgomery/)

> [No man is exempt from saying silly things; the mischief is to say them deliberately.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/no-man-is-exempt-from-saying-silly-things-the-mischief-is-to-say-them/)

[Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/)

## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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/)

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