---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If I was a stone mason or if I was a…"
description: "\"If I was a stone mason or if I was a painter or building bridges or whatever, there's going to be some wear and tear on your body and your brain. And t..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dc/joe-thomas-10196_body_if-i-was-a-stone-mason-or-if-i-was-a-pai_2395461.jpg"
---

#  If I was a stone mason or if I was a painter or building…

![“If I was a stone mason or if I was a painter or building bridges or whatever, there's going to be some wear and tear on your body and your brain. And that's just the way it is.” quote by Joe Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dc/joe-thomas-10196_body_if-i-was-a-stone-mason-or-if-i-was-a-pai_2395461.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dc/joe-thomas-10196_body_if-i-was-a-stone-mason-or-if-i-was-a-pai_2395461.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dc/joe-thomas-10196_body_if-i-was-a-stone-mason-or-if-i-was-a-pai_2395461.jpg)

> “If I was a stone mason or if I was a painter or building bridges or whatever, there's going to be some wear and tear on your body and your brain. And that's just the way it is.”

[Joe Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-thomas/)

## About This Quote

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

The quote reflects on the inevitable physical and mental wear from any demanding work, acknowledging it as a natural part of labor.

**In simple terms:** All work causes body and mind wear.

Key Takeaway

Accept wear as part of effort.

Themes

work physical strain mental fatigue career

Mood

pragmatic realistic

Type

advice reflective

When to use this quote

- construction
- art
- engineering
- any demanding job

Key Concepts

sociology health psychology

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you mitigate wear in your work?
- What practices sustain long‑term performance?

A Different Perspective

Ignoring wear can lead to burnout.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/) [Brain Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain-just/) [Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bridges/) [Building](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/building/) [Building bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/building-bridges/) [Going Wear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going-wear/) [Stone Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stone-mason-1870177/) [Tear Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tear-body-5980440/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Wear Tear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wear-tear-891430/)

## Related quotes

> [My father was a stone mason, and a talented amateur pianist and vocalist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-walker/my-father-was-a-stone-mason-and-a-talented-amateur-pianist-and/)

[John E. Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-walker/)

> [“He often said that he wished that he could be a stone mason like me. He said a stone mason would have time and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/he-often-said-that-he-wished-that-he-could-be-a-stone-mason-like-me/)

[Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/)

> [Often I'll try things that just won't happen the way I'd like them to, so hearing that they're not working saves me some wear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-e-feist/often-i-ll-try-things-that-just-won-t-happen-the-way-i-d-like-them-to/)

[Raymond E. Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-e-feist/)

> [One thing you have to accept with vintage clothing is that is has very probably been worn before and will, by nature, be quite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dawn-o-porter/one-thing-you-have-to-accept-with-vintage-clothing-is-that-is-has/)

[Dawn O'Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dawn-o-porter/)

> [The sport is rough. It does wear and tear on the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jermell-charlo/the-sport-is-rough-it-does-wear-and-tear-on-the-body/)

[Jermell Charlo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jermell-charlo/)

> [But I had been in love pretty often and I didn't think it stood the wear and tear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enid-bagnold/but-i-had-been-in-love-pretty-often-and-i-didn-t-think-it-stood-the/)

[Enid Bagnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enid-bagnold/)

> [You're using the same body parts over and over again, eventually there will be wear and tear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-connaughton/you-re-using-the-same-body-parts-over-and-over-again-eventually-there/)

[Pat Connaughton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-connaughton/)

> [Say what we will, we may be sure that ambition is an error. Its wear and tear on the heart are never recompensed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-bulwer-lytton-1st-baron-lytton/say-what-we-will-we-may-be-sure-that-ambition-is-an-error-its-wear/)

[Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-bulwer-lytton-1st-baron-lytton/)

> [There's going to be wear and tear on your body; that's just the nature of the sport, no matter if you're a rookie or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saquon-barkley/there-s-going-to-be-wear-and-tear-on-your-body-that-s-just-the-nature/)

[Saquon Barkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saquon-barkley/)

> [Sixteen, 17 games in a season is a lot of wear and tear on the body, especially for guys who don't come out when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mack-brown/sixteen-17-games-in-a-season-is-a-lot-of-wear-and-tear-on-the-body/)

[Mack Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mack-brown/)

> [I don't always choose to stay fit by playing tennis, because that comes with its own wear-and-tear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-agassi/i-don-t-always-choose-to-stay-fit-by-playing-tennis-because-that/)

[Andre Agassi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-agassi/)

> [“Protein is what we use to rebuild our bodies after normal daily wear and tear breaks us down.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinnie-tortorich/protein-is-what-we-use-to-rebuild-our-bodies-after-normal-daily-wear/)

[Vinnie Tortorich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinnie-tortorich/)

> [If you're going to wear statement shoes, it is best to keep your outfit simple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanne-damas/if-you-re-going-to-wear-statement-shoes-it-is-best-to-keep-your/)

[Jeanne Damas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanne-damas/)

> [If you have items in your closet that you haven't worn in a year, then you're never going to wear them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tan-france/if-you-have-items-in-your-closet-that-you-haven-t-worn-in-a-year-then/)

[Tan France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tan-france/)

> [You don't want to have a boring runway presentation, but you don't want to show stuff nobody is going to wear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bastian/you-don-t-want-to-have-a-boring-runway-presentation-but-you-don-t/)

[Michael Bastian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bastian/)

## More by Joe Thomas

> [Goodbye not because I'm retiring, but because I'm merely changing jobs. From being your left tackle to being the No. 1 fan of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-thomas/goodbye-not-because-i-m-retiring-but-because-i-m-merely-changing-jobs/)

[Joe Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-thomas/)

> [So, there's no guarantee in the NFL that if you've got the No. 1 pick or you've got a top-five pick, that you're going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-thomas/so-there-s-no-guarantee-in-the-nfl-that-if-you-ve-got-the-no-1-pick/)

[Joe Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-thomas/)

> [So while most people dealt with the scale every Monday at the Berea training facility nervous about how high the number was going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-thomas/so-while-most-people-dealt-with-the-scale-every-monday-at-the-berea/)

[Joe Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-thomas/)

> [You just don't eat until you feel like you're gonna throw up at every meal and all of a sudden the weight falls right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-thomas/you-just-don-t-eat-until-you-feel-like-you-re-gonna-throw-up-at-every/)

[Joe Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-thomas/)

> [You look at guys with significant Alzheimer's and dementia and the mood swings and the suicides that unfortunately NFL players have been faced with.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-thomas/you-look-at-guys-with-significant-alzheimer-s-and-dementia-and-the/)

[Joe Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-thomas/)

> [I love Cleveland. I really do. I love the Browns, I love being a part of this organization, and it's been kind of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-thomas/i-love-cleveland-i-really-do-i-love-the-browns-i-love-being-a-part-of/)

[Joe Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-thomas/)

> [You have to be able to process 1,000 things that are happening at one time and be able to decide the right technique to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-thomas/you-have-to-be-able-to-process-1-000-things-that-are-happening-at-one/)

[Joe Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-thomas/)

> [I live in a flat in central London. I do like it there; there's always stuff going on. But I do crave a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-thomas/i-live-in-a-flat-in-central-london-i-do-like-it-there-there-s-always/)

[Joe Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-thomas/)

> [It's weird leaving London - you go through the fields between London and Essex and think, 'This is so beautiful - why am I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-thomas/it-s-weird-leaving-london-you-go-through-the-fields-between-london/)

[Joe Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-thomas/)

> [If you look historically at the draft at quarterbacks in the top 10, about half of them flame out very quickly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-thomas/if-you-look-historically-at-the-draft-at-quarterbacks-in-the-top-10/)

[Joe Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-thomas/)

> [When I was drafted in Cleveland, I wanted to turn this team back into a perennial playoff contender and to win the Super Bowl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-thomas/when-i-was-drafted-in-cleveland-i-wanted-to-turn-this-team-back-into/)

[Joe Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-thomas/)

> [David Bakhtiari is a guy I like to watch. He's an exceptional left tackle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-thomas/david-bakhtiari-is-a-guy-i-like-to-watch-he-s-an-exceptional-left/)

[Joe Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-thomas/)

> [Your run blocking looks pretty similar to what the pass blocking looks like when you're going with the play-action pass. So you really do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-thomas/your-run-blocking-looks-pretty-similar-to-what-the-pass-blocking/)

[Joe Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-thomas/)

> [Growing up in a predominantly white area of the predominantly white state of Wisconsin, it was, I'm sad to say, relatively easy for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-thomas/growing-up-in-a-predominantly-white-area-of-the-predominantly-white/)

[Joe Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-thomas/)

> [The idea of going to New York for five days and kinda being paraded around by the NFL as they make money off your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-thomas/the-idea-of-going-to-new-york-for-five-days-and-kinda-being-paraded/)

[Joe Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-thomas/)

[Explore all 67 Joe Thomas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-thomas/)

## More Body quotes

> [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/)

[Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/)

> [The very purpose for being in this body, for every one of us, is to live and rejoice in that virgin area, that untouched,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/the-very-purpose-for-being-in-this-body-for-every-one-of-us-is-to/)

[Sri Sri Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/)

> [Because of the womb being a central phenomenon in the feminine body, the whole psychology of woman differs: she is non-aggressive, non-inquiring, non-questioning, non-doubting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/because-of-the-womb-being-a-central-phenomenon-in-the-feminine-body/)

[Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/)

> [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/)

[Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/)

> [I've used the Phoenix Centrifuge to replicate what the body's going to go through on the flight up. I've also done some gravity tests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/i-ve-used-the-phoenix-centrifuge-to-replicate-what-the-body-s-going/)

[Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/)

> [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/)

[Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/)

> [If the media is sending girls the message that their value lies in their bodies, this can only leave them feeling disempowered and distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-siebel-newsom/if-the-media-is-sending-girls-the-message-that-their-value-lies-in/)

[Jennifer Siebel Newsom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-siebel-newsom/)

> [Boys and boys' body image and clothes have become just as important an issue for boys as for girls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosalind-wiseman/boys-and-boys-body-image-and-clothes-have-become-just-as-important-an/)

[Rosalind Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosalind-wiseman/)

> [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [Racism is a cancer. You cannot ignore it and it'll go away. If you ignore cancer, it simply metastasizes and consumes the whole body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/racism-is-a-cancer-you-cannot-ignore-it-and-it-ll-go-away-if-you/)

[Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/)

> [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/)

[Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/)

> [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/)

[Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/)

> [If japa is maintained, no useless talk during work will be possible. The mind will always remain peaceful. Modern day diseases are mostly psychosomatic.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mata-amritanandamayi/if-japa-is-maintained-no-useless-talk-during-work-will-be-possible/)

[Mata Amritanandamayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mata-amritanandamayi/)

> [It is the incongruous thing in my entire life, this isolation.. ... My work requires it - but I myself have no need or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsden-hartley/it-is-the-incongruous-thing-in-my-entire-life-this-isolation-my-work/)

[Marsden Hartley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsden-hartley/)

> [My friends, this body - perhaps more than any other gathering in human history - now faces that difficult task.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/my-friends-this-body-perhaps-more-than-any-other-gathering-in-human/)

[Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/)

[Browse all 20,814 Body quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "If I was a stone mason or if I was a painter or building bridges or whatever, there's going to be some wear and tear on your body and your brain. And that's just the way it is.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Joe Thomas"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-thomas/if-i-was-a-stone-mason-or-if-i-was-a-painter-or-building-bridges-or/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Body"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-thomas/if-i-was-a-stone-mason-or-if-i-was-a-painter-or-building-bridges-or/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dc/joe-thomas-10196_body_if-i-was-a-stone-mason-or-if-i-was-a-pai_2395461.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dc/joe-thomas-10196_body_if-i-was-a-stone-mason-or-if-i-was-a-pai_2395461.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dc/joe-thomas-10196_body_if-i-was-a-stone-mason-or-if-i-was-a-pai_2395461.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“If I was a stone mason or if I was a painter or building bridges or whatever, there's going to be some wear…” — Joe Thomas",
                "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": "Joe Thomas",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-thomas/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "If I was a stone mason...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-thomas/if-i-was-a-stone-mason-or-if-i-was-a-painter-or-building-bridges-or/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-thomas/if-i-was-a-stone-mason-or-if-i-was-a-painter-or-building-bridges-or/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
