--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I hadn't done anything in six years; I…" description: "\"I hadn't done anything in six years; I was just vegetating.\" — Joseph Wambaugh" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c4/joseph-wambaugh-20170_done_i-hadn-t-done-anything-in-six-years-i-wa_2494555.png" --- # I hadn't done anything in six years; I was just vegetating. ![“I hadn't done anything in six years; I was just vegetating.” quote by Joseph Wambaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c4/joseph-wambaugh-20170_done_i-hadn-t-done-anything-in-six-years-i-wa_2494555.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c4/joseph-wambaugh-20170_done_i-hadn-t-done-anything-in-six-years-i-wa_2494555.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c4/joseph-wambaugh-20170_done_i-hadn-t-done-anything-in-six-years-i-wa_2494555.png) > “I hadn't done anything in six years; I was just vegetating.” [Joseph Wambaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-wambaugh/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Feeling stuck and unproductive leads to a state of mental stagnation, described as vegetating. **In simple terms:** Stagnation feels like doing nothing for years. Key Takeaway Break the inertia with purposeful activity. Themes stagnation self‑reflection motivation Mood reflective somber Type personal motivational When to use this quote - career stagnation - creative block - mental health - life transitions Key Concepts psychology personal growth Questions to Reflect On - What small action could reignite your purpose? - How does idle time affect self‑esteem? A Different Perspective Vegetating can mask underlying fears of failure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [“He tried to calm his thoughts, but everything came back to what he'd almost done. 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Eidem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-k-eidem/) ## More by Joseph Wambaugh > [Civil servants take forever to do anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-wambaugh/civil-servants-take-forever-to-do-anything/) [Joseph Wambaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-wambaugh/) > [When I interview people accused of capital offenses, I never even ask if they did it. I would consider that unprofessional.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-wambaugh/when-i-interview-people-accused-of-capital-offenses-i-never-even-ask/) [Joseph Wambaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-wambaugh/) > [I certainly believe it's over for the jury system, but we won't admit it for a while.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-wambaugh/i-certainly-believe-it-s-over-for-the-jury-system-but-we-won-t-admit/) [Joseph Wambaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-wambaugh/) > [What I didn't know was that if I didn't stand with my back to the wall, Hollywood people would unscrew my ass and sell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-wambaugh/what-i-didn-t-know-was-that-if-i-didn-t-stand-with-my-back-to-the/) [Joseph Wambaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-wambaugh/) > [Jury selection is strictly an emotional process. They're looking for people they can manipulate. 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And then I knew it was over, I couldn't be a cop anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-wambaugh/the-onion-field-made-a-real-writer-and-then-i-knew-it-was-over-i/) [Joseph Wambaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-wambaugh/) > [It's corruption never been systemic, because a fish rots from the head](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-wambaugh/it-s-corruption-never-been-systemic-because-a-fish-rots-from-the-head/) [Joseph Wambaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-wambaugh/) > [The time has come for professional jurors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-wambaugh/the-time-has-come-for-professional-jurors/) [Joseph Wambaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-wambaugh/) > [“Hareem was speaking with the”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-wambaugh/hareem-was-speaking-with-the/) [Joseph Wambaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-wambaugh/) > [Today, lawyers are attacking more; they're attacking everything. A good example is the O.J. Simpson case.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-wambaugh/today-lawyers-are-attacking-more-they-re-attacking-everything-a-good/) [Joseph Wambaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-wambaugh/) > [I'm sure I took some licks at the system, and at trials and lawyers in general. I've seen enough of them for so many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-wambaugh/i-m-sure-i-took-some-licks-at-the-system-and-at-trials-and-lawyers-in/) [Joseph Wambaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-wambaugh/) > [“Lawrence of Arabia said old and wise means tired and disappointed. He didn’t live long enough to know how right he was.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-wambaugh/lawrence-of-arabia-said-old-and-wise-means-tired-and-disappointed-he/) [Joseph Wambaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-wambaugh/) > [When I wrote The Onion Field, I realized that my first two novels were just practice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-wambaugh/when-i-wrote-the-onion-field-i-realized-that-my-first-two-novels-were/) [Joseph Wambaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-wambaugh/) > [I enjoy doing the research of nonfiction; that gives me some pleasure, being a detective again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-wambaugh/i-enjoy-doing-the-research-of-nonfiction-that-gives-me-some-pleasure/) [Joseph Wambaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-wambaugh/) [Explore all 31 Joseph Wambaugh quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-wambaugh/) ## More Done quotes > [Entertainment is a sacred pursuit when done well. 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The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Forcing modern speakers of English to not - whoops, not to split an infinitive because it isn't done in Latin makes about as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/forcing-modern-speakers-of-english-to-not-whoops-not-to-split-an/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. 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Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [If the members of parliament no longer consider themselves mandatories of the taxpayers but deputies of those receiving salaries, wages, subsidies, doles, and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/if-the-members-of-parliament-no-longer-consider-themselves/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [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/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. 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