--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: RIVETING TORPOR It is remarkable how far…" description: "\"“RIVETING TORPOR It is remarkable how far I am prepared to go In order to avoid doing the one thing that might Provide satisfaction, and it is remarkab..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/130/john-tottenham-37084_avoidance_riveting-torpor-it-is-remarkable-how-far_2865090.jpg" --- # RIVETING TORPOR It is remarkable how far I am prepared to… ![“RIVETING TORPOR It is remarkable how far I am prepared to go In order to avoid doing the one thing that might Provide satisfaction, and it is remarkable to consider What I will do instead of it, purely for the pleasure Of being dissatisfied. When it is merely a matter Of sitting down for a few…” quote by John Tottenham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/130/john-tottenham-37084_avoidance_riveting-torpor-it-is-remarkable-how-far_2865090.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/130/john-tottenham-37084_avoidance_riveting-torpor-it-is-remarkable-how-far_2865090.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/130/john-tottenham-37084_avoidance_riveting-torpor-it-is-remarkable-how-far_2865090.jpg) > ““RIVETING TORPOR It is remarkable how far I am prepared to go In order to avoid doing the one thing that might Provide satisfaction, and it is remarkable to consider What I will do instead of it, purely for the pleasure Of being dissatisfied. When it is merely a matter Of sitting down for a few hours and dreaming That something of value might eventually arise From this routine of self-enforced boredom.”” [John Tottenham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tottenham/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Avoiding meaningful work leads to self‑imposed boredom, sacrificing satisfaction for the comfort of dissatisfaction. **In simple terms:** Choosing easy avoidance over meaningful effort causes boredom. Key Takeaway Seek purposeful tasks over comfort. Themes motivation productivity self‑discipline avoidance satisfaction Mood reflective serious motivational Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career planning - creative projects - personal development - study sessions - habit formation Key Concepts procrastination self‑sabotage comfort zone Questions to Reflect On - What meaningful task are you avoiding? - How does boredom affect your creativity? A Different Perspective Comfort can become a trap that hinders growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fear of failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear-of-failure/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Procrastination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/procrastination/) [Self doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-doubt/) [Torpor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/torpor/) ## Related quotes > [If you can't be remarkable, perhaps you should consider doing nothing until you can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/if-you-can-t-be-remarkable-perhaps-you-should-consider-doing-nothing/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [A multitude of causes unknown to former times are now acting with a combined force to blunt the discriminating powers of the mind, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wordsworth/a-multitude-of-causes-unknown-to-former-times-are-now-acting-with-a/) [William Wordsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wordsworth/) > [For hours she had lain in a kind of gentle torpor, not unlike that sweet lassitude which masters one in the hush of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-wharton/for-hours-she-had-lain-in-a-kind-of-gentle-torpor-not-unlike-that/) [Edith Wharton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-wharton/) > [“She felt all right. Her heart was like a drum hanging from piano wire in her chest, slowly, slowly beaten. Her hands and feet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-matheson/she-felt-all-right-her-heart-was-like-a-drum-hanging-from-piano-wire/) [Richard Matheson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-matheson/) > [“Durante tanto tempo adormecido, me acumulando no fundo do rio, neste leito de morte eu desperto do torpor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/filipe-russo/durante-tanto-tempo-adormecido-me-acumulando-no-fundo-do-rio-neste/) [Filipe Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/filipe-russo/) > [“Better, perhaps, to dress like a whore around the clock and thus achieve a fully integrated personality.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kraus/better-perhaps-to-dress-like-a-whore-around-the-clock-and-thus/) [Chris Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kraus/) > [“He lay on the bed and he felt he might never rise from it. He lay in an enormous torpor. The world was too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gay/he-lay-on-the-bed-and-he-felt-he-might-never-rise-from-it-he-lay-in/) [William Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gay/) > [“Se eu não inventar a alegria eu nunca vou sorrir.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/filipe-russo/se-eu-n-o-inventar-a-alegria-eu-nunca-vou-sorrir/) [Filipe Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/filipe-russo/) > [“Eu estive sepultado, mumificado, conservado nas catacumbas da linguagem; a esperar o sopro de graça que me devolvesse à vida.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/filipe-russo/eu-estive-sepultado-mumificado-conservado-nas-catacumbas-da-linguagem/) [Filipe Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/filipe-russo/) > [“How much more than necessary do we spend in sleep, forgetting that the sleeping fox catches no poultry, and that there will be sleeping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/how-much-more-than-necessary-do-we-spend-in-sleep-forgetting-that-the/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [My happiest hours are those in which I think nothing, want nothing, when I do not even dream, but lose myself in some spurious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/my-happiest-hours-are-those-in-which-i-think-nothing-want-nothing/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [“People spend entire lifetimes trying to avoid the things that have already happened.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silvia-hartmann/people-spend-entire-lifetimes-trying-to-avoid-the-things-that-have/) [Silvia Hartmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silvia-hartmann/) > [All work is the avoidance of harder work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-richardson/all-work-is-the-avoidance-of-harder-work/) [James Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-richardson/) > [“Collect yourself: to smother what you feel, recall to order, summon in one place; making, like Orpheus, a system against loss.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-padel/collect-yourself-to-smother-what-you-feel-recall-to-order-summon-in/) [Ruth Padel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-padel/) > [Unmarried couples should get married - that's an excellent tax avoidance measure, if a bit drastic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-whiting/unmarried-couples-should-get-married-that-s-an-excellent-tax/) John Whiting ## More by John Tottenham > [“VIEW FROM A HILL I am not yet quite over it. I am lying down on top of it. Surveying behind me a wasteland…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tottenham/view-from-a-hill-i-am-not-yet-quite-over-it-i-am-lying-down-on-top-of/) [John Tottenham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tottenham/) > [“I always assume that people I admire are single.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tottenham/i-always-assume-that-people-i-admire-are-single/) [John Tottenham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tottenham/) > [“Patronage of Negation I am constantly confronted by other people’s works That I could have created myself. And I am constantly disappointed by them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tottenham/patronage-of-negation-i-am-constantly-confronted-by-other-people-s/) [John Tottenham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tottenham/) > [“Everything's falling apart according to plan.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tottenham/everything-s-falling-apart-according-to-plan/) [John Tottenham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tottenham/) > [“Maybe I shouldn't have wasted my life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tottenham/maybe-i-shouldn-t-have-wasted-my-life/) [John Tottenham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tottenham/) > [“SONG OF DAWN I saw the sun rise by accident. It was a horrible sight. Annoyed by its splendor, I sought refuge in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tottenham/song-of-dawn-i-saw-the-sun-rise-by-accident-it-was-a-horrible-sight/) [John Tottenham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tottenham/) > [“Whenever I’m in a relationship I feel as if I’m being unfaithful to myself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tottenham/whenever-i-m-in-a-relationship-i-feel-as-if-i-m-being-unfaithful-to/) [John Tottenham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tottenham/) > [“My Sadness is Deeper than Yours My sadness is deeper than yours. My interior life is richer than yours. I am more interesting than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tottenham/my-sadness-is-deeper-than-yours-my-sadness-is-deeper-than-yours-my/) [John Tottenham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tottenham/) > [“I had a feeling once. I wonder what happened to it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tottenham/i-had-a-feeling-once-i-wonder-what-happened-to-it/) [John Tottenham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tottenham/) > [“IMPROVIDENCE The other lives I might have led All now might as well be Dead. Survived by no one. Barren, without issue of any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tottenham/improvidence-the-other-lives-i-might-have-led-all-now-might-as-well/) [John Tottenham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tottenham/) > [“Life Without Work To do nothing In this day and age, When so much pointless work Is being produced, Could almost be considered an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tottenham/life-without-work-to-do-nothing-in-this-day-and-age-when-so-much/) [John Tottenham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tottenham/) [Explore all 12 John Tottenham quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tottenham/) ## More Avoidance quotes > [Unmarried couples should get married - that's an excellent tax avoidance measure, if a bit drastic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-whiting/unmarried-couples-should-get-married-that-s-an-excellent-tax/) John Whiting > [“Collect yourself: to smother what you feel, recall to order, summon in one place; making, like Orpheus, a system against loss.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-padel/collect-yourself-to-smother-what-you-feel-recall-to-order-summon-in/) [Ruth Padel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-padel/) > [All work is the avoidance of harder work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-richardson/all-work-is-the-avoidance-of-harder-work/) [James Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-richardson/) > [“People spend entire lifetimes trying to avoid the things that have already happened.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silvia-hartmann/people-spend-entire-lifetimes-trying-to-avoid-the-things-that-have/) [Silvia Hartmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silvia-hartmann/) > [America is not static. America is striving. And sometimes, America requires critique. Jingoism is an avoidance of realism. You can simultaneously love and be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-blow/america-is-not-static-america-is-striving-and-sometimes-america/) [Charles M. Blow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-blow/) > [I am not in favour of the takeover of excellent and strategically important British companies by struggling foreign firms whose actions are fuelled by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sainsbury-baron-sainsbury-of-turville/i-am-not-in-favour-of-the-takeover-of-excellent-and-strategically/) [David Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of Turville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sainsbury-baron-sainsbury-of-turville/) > [Most human behavior is nothing other than the avoidance of pain and the pursuit of pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/most-human-behavior-is-nothing-other-than-the-avoidance-of-pain-and/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [You can gain power by avoidance. You can gain power by doing certain things. You can gain much more power by meditating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/you-can-gain-power-by-avoidance-you-can-gain-power-by-doing-certain/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“If you love stress, practice avoidance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-rowe/if-you-love-stress-practice-avoidance/) Sharon Rowe > [I've been trying to avoid my problems, and I don't know what to do. I get high, but when I come down, my problems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-nathaniel-butler/i-ve-been-trying-to-avoid-my-problems-and-i-don-t-know-what-to-do-i/) [Eugene Nathaniel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-nathaniel-butler/) > [All the textbooks talk about avoidance as a classic hallmark of anxiety disorder. So you need a therapist who is sympathetic and understanding but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/all-the-textbooks-talk-about-avoidance-as-a-classic-hallmark-of/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [I read recently in an article by G.K. Chesterton, that sex without gestation and parturition is like blowing the trumpets and waving the flags…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dora-russell/i-read-recently-in-an-article-by-g-k-chesterton-that-sex-without/) [Dora Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dora-russell/) > [Be truthful... and pay attention. I would also recommend the avoidance of credit cards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mccarthy/be-truthful-and-pay-attention-i-would-also-recommend-the-avoidance-of/) [Mary McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mccarthy/) > [“Most of us will do anything to avoid facing ourselves”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lolly-daskal/most-of-us-will-do-anything-to-avoid-facing-ourselves/) [Lolly Daskal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lolly-daskal/) > [The pleasant life is not produced by continual drinking and dancing, nor sexual intercourse, nor rare dishes of sea food and other delicacies of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epicurus/the-pleasant-life-is-not-produced-by-continual-drinking-and-dancing/) [Epicurus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epicurus/) Browse all 290 Avoidance quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“RIVETING TORPOR It is remarkable how far I am prepared to go In order to avoid doing the one thing that might Provide satisfaction, and it is remarkable to consider What I will do instead of it, purely for the pleasure Of being dissatisfied. 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