--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Most humans manage to squander their free…" description: "\"“Most humans manage to squander their free time, as free time makes them dysfunctional, lazy, and unmotivated—the busier they get, the more active they..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/837/nassim-nicholas-taleb-352_free-time_most-humans-manage-to-squander-their-fre_42009.png" --- # Most humans manage to squander their free time, as free… ![“Most humans manage to squander their free time, as free time makes them dysfunctional, lazy, and unmotivated—the busier they get, the more active they are at other tasks.” quote by Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/837/nassim-nicholas-taleb-352_free-time_most-humans-manage-to-squander-their-fre_42009.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/837/nassim-nicholas-taleb-352_free-time_most-humans-manage-to-squander-their-fre_42009.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/837/nassim-nicholas-taleb-352_free-time_most-humans-manage-to-squander-their-fre_42009.png) > ““Most humans manage to squander their free time, as free time makes them dysfunctional, lazy, and unmotivated—the busier they get, the more active they are at other tasks.”” [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Free time often leads to inertia and lack of purpose, prompting people to fill it with busyness to feel productive. **In simple terms:** Idle time breeds laziness; busyness masks dysfunction. Key Takeaway Purposeful engagement prevents unproductive idleness. Themes productivity motivation time management psychology behavioral economics Mood reflective critical thoughtful Type aphorism observation When to use this quote - creative work - exercise - learning - socializing - volunteering Key Concepts free time busyness dysfunction motivation Practical Applications - structured schedules - goal setting Questions to Reflect On - How does busyness affect my sense of achievement? - What activities give my free time meaning? A Different Perspective Some individuals find free time restorative and essential for mental health, contrary to the claim that it is inherently detrimental. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dysfunctional Lazy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dysfunctional-lazy-458944/) [Free time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-time/) [Lazy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lazy/) [Lazy Unmotivated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lazy-unmotivated-458943/) [Unmotivated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unmotivated/) [Unmotivated Busier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unmotivated-busier-458942/) ## Related quotes > [There's nothing I find more lazy than unmotivated camerawork just to make things look interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cary-fukunaga/there-s-nothing-i-find-more-lazy-than-unmotivated-camerawork-just-to/) [Cary Fukunaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cary-fukunaga/) > [“I suspect that when we’re feeling lazy or unmotivated, it’s either because our to-do list is too long or we’re surrounded by so many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fumio-sasaki/i-suspect-that-when-we-re-feeling-lazy-or-unmotivated-it-s-either/) [Fumio Sasaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fumio-sasaki/) > [Generally, I don't want to do things. I feel lazy and unmotivated. It's only when an idea grabs hold of me and I can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/generally-i-don-t-want-to-do-things-i-feel-lazy-and-unmotivated-it-s/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) > [“People work, not me. I look out the window, look out the window, out the window. Outside it's winter, and it's sunny. The doors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romina-paula/people-work-not-me-i-look-out-the-window-look-out-the-window-out-the/) [Romina Paula](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romina-paula/) > [Free... Yes...FREE time Is what retirement brings Leisure, lounging and loafing And other lazy things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-walter-bratton/free-yes-free-time-is-what-retirement-brings-leisure-lounging-and/) [John Walter Bratton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-walter-bratton/) > [“In this day and age, there is a limitless plethora of readily available distractions just waiting to take your mind off what you were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frankton/in-this-day-and-age-there-is-a-limitless-plethora-of-readily/) [James Frankton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frankton/) > [“Don't hang out with people who are: Ungrateful Unhelpful Unruly Unkindly Unloving Unambitious Unmotivated or make you feel... Uncomfortable”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/don-t-hang-out-with-people-who-are-ungrateful-unhelpful-unruly/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [“I'm so bored I could do something, but can't be arsed. I'm unmotivated as well as bored. It's a killer combination.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillibran-brown/i-m-so-bored-i-could-do-something-but-can-t-be-arsed-i-m-unmotivated/) [Gillibran Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillibran-brown/) > [The preceding criticism justifies the following definition of the entire human: human existence as the life of "unmotivated" celebration, celebration in all meaning of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-bataille/the-preceding-criticism-justifies-the-following-definition-of-the/) [Georges Bataille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-bataille/) > [“I knew I should have been looking for a job, but just having lost one, I felt kind of unmotivated. Depressed. Useless. I couldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-r-key/i-knew-i-should-have-been-looking-for-a-job-but-just-having-lost-one/) [Craig R. Key](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-r-key/) > [“Though he felt a little guilt over disappearing, it wasn't even guilt, just sadness over not even wanting to call her.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-lacey/though-he-felt-a-little-guilt-over-disappearing-it-wasn-t-even-guilt/) [Catherine Lacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-lacey/) > [“I concluded that the best thing for me and for those around me was to want nothing, to be enthusiastic about nothing, to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-concluded-that-the-best-thing-for-me-and-for-those-around-me-was-to/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“A Lonely Place Is an Unmotivated Place”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/a-lonely-place-is-an-unmotivated-place/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [I'm much more prone to feeling down a lot. I just feel sluggish and unmotivated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-astin/i-m-much-more-prone-to-feeling-down-a-lot-i-just-feel-sluggish-and/) [Sean Astin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-astin/) > [The professor husband of a friend of mine has likened children to the insane. I often think of it. He says that children live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/the-professor-husband-of-a-friend-of-mine-has-likened-children-to-the/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) ## More by Nassim Nicholas Taleb > [To become a philosopher, start by walking very slowly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/to-become-a-philosopher-start-by-walking-very-slowly/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [Wittgenstein's ruler: Unless you have confidence in the ruler's reliability, if you use a ruler to measure a table you may also be using…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/wittgenstein-s-ruler-unless-you-have-confidence-in-the-ruler-s/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [In politics we face the choice between warmongering, nation-state loving, big-business agents on one hand; and risk-blind, top-down, epistemic arrogant big servants of large…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/in-politics-we-face-the-choice-between-warmongering-nation-state/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [My nightmare scenario is that the government saves Citibank once again, as well as the other banks, and business resumes as usual. Then, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/my-nightmare-scenario-is-that-the-government-saves-citibank-once/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [Using, as an excuse, others' failure of common sense is in itself a failure of common sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/using-as-an-excuse-others-failure-of-common-sense-is-in-itself-a/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [You know, children philosophize more than adults - and they are critical of adults.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/you-know-children-philosophize-more-than-adults-and-they-are-critical/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [“Suckers think that you cure greed with money, addiction with substances, expert problems with experts, banking with bankers, economics with economists, and debt crises…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/suckers-think-that-you-cure-greed-with-money-addiction-with/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [“One needs to go out and buy a lottery ticket in order to win. Does it mean that the work involved in the trip…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/one-needs-to-go-out-and-buy-a-lottery-ticket-in-order-to-win-does-it/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [Individuals should think about the worst-case scenarios and plan for them. The world will be crazier than you think it will be. Put money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/individuals-should-think-about-the-worst-case-scenarios-and-plan-for/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [“If you are looking for your misplaced wallet in your living room, in a trial and error mode, you exercise rationality by not looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/if-you-are-looking-for-your-misplaced-wallet-in-your-living-room-in-a/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [We learn the most from fools ... yet we pay them back with the worst ingratitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/we-learn-the-most-from-fools-yet-we-pay-them-back-with-the-worst/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [We are victims of the post-Enlightenment view that the world functions like a sophisticated machine, to be understood like a textbook engineering problem and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/we-are-victims-of-the-post-enlightenment-view-that-the-world/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [“loss of bone density and degradation of the health of the bones also causes aging, diabetes, and, for males, loss of fertility and sexual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/loss-of-bone-density-and-degradation-of-the-health-of-the-bones-also/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [“It takes a huge investment in introspection to learn that the thirty or more hours spent “studying” the news last month neither had any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/it-takes-a-huge-investment-in-introspection-to-learn-that-the-thirty/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [“Authors, artists, and even philosophers are much better off having a very small number of fanatics behind them than a large number of people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/authors-artists-and-even-philosophers-are-much-better-off-having-a/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) [Explore all 635 Nassim Nicholas Taleb quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) ## More Free time quotes > [“I settled into a contented routine of working, spending my free time with Veronica and, back in my student room, wanking explosively to fantasies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/i-settled-into-a-contented-routine-of-working-spending-my-free-time/) [Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/) > [“Once upon a time in our not-so-distant past, experts predicted that with the rapidly increasing advances in technology, Americans would have a shorter workweek…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-c-wilson/once-upon-a-time-in-our-not-so-distant-past-experts-predicted-that/) [Jared C. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-c-wilson/) > [“Most families have increased the speed of their lives and the number of their activities gradually--even unconsciously--over time. They realize that there are costs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-john-payne/most-families-have-increased-the-speed-of-their-lives-and-the-number/) [Kim John Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-john-payne/) > [Even in those early years of Static-X, there was a pattern emerging where I would spend all my free time writing songs for Static-X…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-static/even-in-those-early-years-of-static-x-there-was-a-pattern-emerging/) [Wayne Static](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-static/) > [“I admire all the great people who have dedicated their free time to helping humanity move forward.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/i-admire-all-the-great-people-who-have-dedicated-their-free-time-to/) [Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/) > [“All right, you caught me. I'm secretly obsessed with you and spend all my free time writing about you in my journal. 'Dear Diary,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-scott/all-right-you-caught-me-i-m-secretly-obsessed-with-you-and-spend-all/) [Elizabeth Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-scott/) > [“What if I turned out to be a great kisser, and suddenly, girls everywhere wanted to kiss me? Did I really want to risk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-l-madden/what-if-i-turned-out-to-be-a-great-kisser-and-suddenly-girls/) [S.L. Madden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-l-madden/) > [“This is possibly the most revolutionary idea Marx ever had: that the reduction of labour to a minimum could produce a kind of human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-mason/this-is-possibly-the-most-revolutionary-idea-marx-ever-had-that-the/) [Paul Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-mason/) > [I'm in school every day. It depends on what it is that you do with all that free time when I'm not on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mc-lyte/i-m-in-school-every-day-it-depends-on-what-it-is-that-you-do-with-all/) [MC Lyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mc-lyte/) > [Missing someone and barely having the control to not text them every second that you have free time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/missing-someone-and-barely-having-the-control-to-not-text-them-every/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [That's why they call it work, because it's not what you'd prefer to do with your free time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-lane/that-s-why-they-call-it-work-because-it-s-not-what-you-d-prefer-to-do/) [Diane Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-lane/) > [“I found my mind wandering at games; loved boxing and was good at it; and in summer, having chosen rowing instead of cricket, lay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-leigh-fermor/i-found-my-mind-wandering-at-games-loved-boxing-and-was-good-at-it/) [Patrick Leigh Fermor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-leigh-fermor/) > [The perfect life would be to have an amazing part every year and to spend all my free time to just write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-laurent/the-perfect-life-would-be-to-have-an-amazing-part-every-year-and-to/) [Melanie Laurent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-laurent/) > [You'd be surprised how much free time I have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-rifkind/you-d-be-surprised-how-much-free-time-i-have/) [Malcolm Rifkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-rifkind/) > [I think I'm able to do so much because writing is what I love to do. So, often when I have free time, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/i-think-i-m-able-to-do-so-much-because-writing-is-what-i-love-to-do/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) [Browse all 473 Free time quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-time/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Most humans manage to squander their free time, as free time makes them dysfunctional, lazy, and unmotivated—the busier they get, the more active they are at other tasks.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nassim Nicholas Taleb" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/most-humans-manage-to-squander-their-free-time-as-free-time-makes/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Free time" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/most-humans-manage-to-squander-their-free-time-as-free-time-makes/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/837/nassim-nicholas-taleb-352_free-time_most-humans-manage-to-squander-their-fre_42009.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/837/nassim-nicholas-taleb-352_free-time_most-humans-manage-to-squander-their-fre_42009.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/837/nassim-nicholas-taleb-352_free-time_most-humans-manage-to-squander-their-fre_42009.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Most humans manage to squander their free time, as free time makes them dysfunctional, lazy, and…” — Nassim Nicholas Taleb", "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": "Nassim Nicholas Taleb", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Most humans manage to squander their...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/most-humans-manage-to-squander-their-free-time-as-free-time-makes/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/most-humans-manage-to-squander-their-free-time-as-free-time-makes/#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 } } ] } ```