--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We are made weak both by idleness and…" description: "\"We are made weak both by idleness and distrust of ourselves. Unfortunate, indeed, is he who suffers from both. If he is a mere individual he becomes no..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/773/napoleon-bonaparte-206_distrust_we-are-made-weak-both-by-idleness-and-di_729710.jpg" --- # We are made weak both by idleness and distrust of… ![“We are made weak both by idleness and distrust of ourselves. Unfortunate, indeed, is he who suffers from both. If he is a mere individual he becomes nothing; if he is a king he is lost.” quote by Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/773/napoleon-bonaparte-206_distrust_we-are-made-weak-both-by-idleness-and-di_729710.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/773/napoleon-bonaparte-206_distrust_we-are-made-weak-both-by-idleness-and-di_729710.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/773/napoleon-bonaparte-206_distrust_we-are-made-weak-both-by-idleness-and-di_729710.jpg) > “We are made weak both by idleness and distrust of ourselves. Unfortunate, indeed, is he who suffers from both. If he is a mere individual he becomes nothing; if he is a king he is lost.” [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Idleness and self‑distrust erode personal and leadership strength, leading to insignificance or ruin. **In simple terms:** Laziness and lack of self‑trust weaken anyone, even leaders. Key Takeaway Cultivate self‑confidence and purposeful activity. Themes self‑trust leadership personal growth Mood reflective determined Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - career development - political leadership - personal setbacks - team management Key Concepts psychology philosophy motivation Questions to Reflect On - How does self‑trust influence your decisions? - What habits counteract idleness? A Different Perspective Even disciplined effort may not overcome systemic obstacles. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Distrust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distrust/) [Idleness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idleness/) [Idleness Distrust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idleness-distrust-5718947/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Kings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kings/) [Lost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lost/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Mere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mere/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Suffers Mere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffers-mere-5718949/) [Unfortunate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unfortunate/) [Weak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weak/) [Weak Idleness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weak-idleness-5718948/) ## Related 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/) > [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/) > [“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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [Idleness is paralysis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roswell-dwight-hitchcock/idleness-is-paralysis/) [Roswell Dwight Hitchcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roswell-dwight-hitchcock/) > [“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/) > [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/) > [“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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [“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/) > [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/) ## More by Napoleon Bonaparte > [He is almost a statesman. He lies well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/he-is-almost-a-statesman-he-lies-well/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [Men grow old quickly on the battlefield.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/men-grow-old-quickly-on-the-battlefield/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [The only victories which leave no regret are those which are gained over ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/the-only-victories-which-leave-no-regret-are-those-which-are-gained/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [When a government is dependent upon bankers for money, they and not the leaders of the government control the situation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/when-a-government-is-dependent-upon-bankers-for-money-they-and-not/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [In the eyes of empire builders men are not men but instruments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/in-the-eyes-of-empire-builders-men-are-not-men-but-instruments/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [All becomes easy when we follow the current of opinion; it is the ruler of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/all-becomes-easy-when-we-follow-the-current-of-opinion-it-is-the/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [The bullet that will kill me is not yet cast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/the-bullet-that-will-kill-me-is-not-yet-cast/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [Anarchy is the stepping stone to absolute power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/anarchy-is-the-stepping-stone-to-absolute-power/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [A great reputation is a great noise, the more there is of it, and the further does it swell. Land, monuments, Nations, all fall,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/a-great-reputation-is-a-great-noise-the-more-there-is-of-it-and-the/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [Character is victory organized.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/character-is-victory-organized/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [Republican despotism is more fertile in acts of tyranny, because everyone has a hand in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/republican-despotism-is-more-fertile-in-acts-of-tyranny-because/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [My decision to destroy the authority of the blacks in Saint Domingue (Haiti) is not so much based on considerations of commerce and money,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/my-decision-to-destroy-the-authority-of-the-blacks-in-saint-domingue/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [The army is the true nobility of our country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/the-army-is-the-true-nobility-of-our-country/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [There is only one favorable moment in war; talent consists in knowing how to seize it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/there-is-only-one-favorable-moment-in-war-talent-consists-in-knowing/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [A great reserve and severity of manners are necessary for the command of those who are older than ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/a-great-reserve-and-severity-of-manners-are-necessary-for-the-command/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) [Explore all 914 Napoleon Bonaparte quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) ## More Distrust quotes > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Distrust all those who love you extremely upon a very slight acquaintance and without any visible reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/distrust-all-those-who-love-you-extremely-upon-a-very-slight/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [At no time in the past century has public distrust of the government been so broadly distributed across the political spectrum, as it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-zimmermann/at-no-time-in-the-past-century-has-public-distrust-of-the-government/) [Phil Zimmermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-zimmermann/) > [So often do you see collegians enter life with high resolve and lofty purpose and then watch them shrink and shrink to sordid, selfish,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/so-often-do-you-see-collegians-enter-life-with-high-resolve-and-lofty/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [We believe a scientist because he can substantiate his remarks, not because he is eloquent and forcible in his enunciation. In fact, we distrust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i-a-richards/we-believe-a-scientist-because-he-can-substantiate-his-remarks-not/) [I. A. Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/i-a-richards/) > [Our own distrust gives a fair pretence for the knavery of other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/our-own-distrust-gives-a-fair-pretence-for-the-knavery-of-other-people/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Let not the world see fear and sad distrust govern the motion of a kingly eye.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/let-not-the-world-see-fear-and-sad-distrust-govern-the-motion-of-a/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Excessive distrust is not less hurtfJul than its opposite. Most men become useless to him who is unwilling to risk being deceived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/excessive-distrust-is-not-less-hurtfjul-than-its-opposite-most-men/) [Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/) > [Objection, evasion, joyous distrust, and love of irony are signs of health; everything absolute belongs to pathology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/objection-evasion-joyous-distrust-and-love-of-irony-are-signs-of/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [On one thing, at least, men & women both agree: They both distrust women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/on-one-thing-at-least-men-women-both-agree-they-both-distrust-women/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [Our distrust of another justifies his deceit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/our-distrust-of-another-justifies-his-deceit/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [There is one safeguard known generally to the wise, which is an advantage and security to all, but especially to democracies as against despots.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demosthenes/there-is-one-safeguard-known-generally-to-the-wise-which-is-an/) [Demosthenes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demosthenes/) > [When I arrived in America, though I had left the war physically far behind, in my mind, the soldiers were still chasing to kill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loung-ung/when-i-arrived-in-america-though-i-had-left-the-war-physically-far/) [Loung Ung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loung-ung/) > [If you would improve, submit to be considered wihout sense and foolish with respect to externals. Wish to be considered to know nothing; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/if-you-would-improve-submit-to-be-considered-wihout-sense-and-foolish/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [You have to believe in something, and you have to believe in the things that you feel and find value in those things, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-choi/you-have-to-believe-in-something-and-you-have-to-believe-in-the/) [Roy Choi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-choi/) [Browse all 582 Distrust quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distrust/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We are made weak both by idleness and distrust of ourselves. Unfortunate, indeed, is he who suffers from both. If he is a mere individual he becomes nothing; if he is a king he is lost.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Napoleon Bonaparte" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/we-are-made-weak-both-by-idleness-and-distrust-of-ourselves/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Distrust" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/we-are-made-weak-both-by-idleness-and-distrust-of-ourselves/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/773/napoleon-bonaparte-206_distrust_we-are-made-weak-both-by-idleness-and-di_729710.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/773/napoleon-bonaparte-206_distrust_we-are-made-weak-both-by-idleness-and-di_729710.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/773/napoleon-bonaparte-206_distrust_we-are-made-weak-both-by-idleness-and-di_729710.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We are made weak both by idleness and distrust of ourselves. Unfortunate, indeed, is he who suffers from…” — Napoleon Bonaparte", "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": "Napoleon Bonaparte", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We are made weak both by...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/we-are-made-weak-both-by-idleness-and-distrust-of-ourselves/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/we-are-made-weak-both-by-idleness-and-distrust-of-ourselves/#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 } } ] } ```