--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Gossip, like ennui, is born of idleness." description: "\"Gossip, like ennui, is born of idleness.\" — Ninon de L'Enclos" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80a/ninon-de-l-enclos-11164_born_gossip-like-ennui-is-born-of-idleness-48_482605.png" --- # Gossip, like ennui, is born of idleness. ![“Gossip, like ennui, is born of idleness.” quote by Ninon de L'Enclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80a/ninon-de-l-enclos-11164_born_gossip-like-ennui-is-born-of-idleness-48_482605.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80a/ninon-de-l-enclos-11164_born_gossip-like-ennui-is-born-of-idleness-48_482605.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80a/ninon-de-l-enclos-11164_born_gossip-like-ennui-is-born-of-idleness-48_482605.png) > “Gossip, like ennui, is born of idleness.” [Ninon de L'Enclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninon-de-l-enclos/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Gossip arises from boredom, suggesting idle minds create harmful chatter. **In simple terms:** Idleness breeds gossip. Key Takeaway Engage in purposeful activities to avoid gossip. Themes gossip idleness social behavior morality Mood cautionary reflective Type social ethical When to use this quote - workshops - community projects - educational programs - mindful practices Key Concepts psychology of rumor social dynamics ethical conduct Questions to Reflect On - What activities can fill idle time constructively? - How does gossip affect community trust? A Different Perspective Even busy people can gossip if environments encourage it. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ennui](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ennui/) [Gossip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gossip/) [Idleness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idleness/) [Procrastination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/procrastination/) ## Related quotes > [Love is born of idleness and, once born, by idleness is fostered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/love-is-born-of-idleness-and-once-born-by-idleness-is-fostered/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) > [Idleness begets ennui, ennui the hypochondriac, and that a diseased body. No laborious person was ever yet hysterical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/idleness-begets-ennui-ennui-the-hypochondriac-and-that-a-diseased/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Ennui, the parent of expensive and ruinous vices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninon-de-l-enclos/ennui-the-parent-of-expensive-and-ruinous-vices/) [Ninon de L'Enclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninon-de-l-enclos/) > [“It seemed to Rosa Lublin that the whole peninsula of Florida was weighted down with regret. Everyone had left behind a real life. Here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-ozick/it-seemed-to-rosa-lublin-that-the-whole-peninsula-of-florida-was/) [Cynthia Ozick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-ozick/) > [As the gout seems privileged to attack the bodies of the wealthy, so ennui seems to exert a similar prerogative over their minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/as-the-gout-seems-privileged-to-attack-the-bodies-of-the-wealthy-so/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [“She could, she thinks, have entered a different life. She could have had a life as potent and dangerous as literature itself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cunningham/she-could-she-thinks-have-entered-a-different-life-she-could-have-had/) [Michael Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cunningham/) > [Life creates itself in delirium and is undone in ennui.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-m-cioran/life-creates-itself-in-delirium-and-is-undone-in-ennui/) [Emile M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-m-cioran/) > [Pain, indolence, sterility, endless ennui have also their lesson for you, if you are great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/pain-indolence-sterility-endless-ennui-have-also-their-lesson-for-you/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“From the time I arrived in British East Africa at the indifferent age of four and went through the barefoot stage of early youth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-markham/from-the-time-i-arrived-in-british-east-africa-at-the-indifferent-age/) [Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beryl-markham/) > [You cannot give me an instance of any man who is permitted to lay out his own time contriving not to have tedious hours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/you-cannot-give-me-an-instance-of-any-man-who-is-permitted-to-lay-out/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“Sitting to think of what to write will only set your ass on fire, give you headache, twist your face to look stupid, instead,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/sitting-to-think-of-what-to-write-will-only-set-your-ass-on-fire-give/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [One receives as reward for much ennui, despondency, boredom -such as a solitude without friends, books, duties, passions must bring with it -those quarter-hours…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/one-receives-as-reward-for-much-ennui-despondency-boredom-such-as-a/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [To love to read is to exchange hours of ennui for hours of delight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-love-to-read-is-to-exchange-hours-of-ennui-for-hours-of-delight/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In the aftermath of 9/11, people had not a good time, but a deep, profound, rousing time, woke up from their ennui and isolation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/in-the-aftermath-of-9-11-people-had-not-a-good-time-but-a-deep/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [I am fairly tired--bored beyond endurance--by the world we live in, and its ideals, and am ready to say so, not violently, but kindly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/i-am-fairly-tired-bored-beyond-endurance-by-the-world-we-live-in-and/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) ## More by Ninon de L'Enclos > [A woman is more influenced by what she divines than by what she is told.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninon-de-l-enclos/a-woman-is-more-influenced-by-what-she-divines-than-by-what-she-is/) [Ninon de L'Enclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninon-de-l-enclos/) > [The resistance of a woman is not always a proof of her virtue, but more frequently of her experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninon-de-l-enclos/the-resistance-of-a-woman-is-not-always-a-proof-of-her-virtue-but/) [Ninon de L'Enclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninon-de-l-enclos/) > [One must choose between loving women and knowing them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninon-de-l-enclos/one-must-choose-between-loving-women-and-knowing-them/) [Ninon de L'Enclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninon-de-l-enclos/) > [Equality is the share of every one at their advent upon earth, and equality is also theirs when placed beneath it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninon-de-l-enclos/equality-is-the-share-of-every-one-at-their-advent-upon-earth-and/) [Ninon de L'Enclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninon-de-l-enclos/) > [Novelty is the storehouse of pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninon-de-l-enclos/novelty-is-the-storehouse-of-pleasure/) [Ninon de L'Enclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninon-de-l-enclos/) > [Hatred is nearly always honest--rarely, if ever, assumed. So much cannot be said for love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninon-de-l-enclos/hatred-is-nearly-always-honest-rarely-if-ever-assumed-so-much-cannot/) [Ninon de L'Enclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninon-de-l-enclos/) > [A woman should not take a lover without the consent of her heart, nor a husband without the consent of her reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninon-de-l-enclos/a-woman-should-not-take-a-lover-without-the-consent-of-her-heart-nor/) [Ninon de L'Enclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninon-de-l-enclos/) > [Wit is a dangerous talent in friendship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninon-de-l-enclos/wit-is-a-dangerous-talent-in-friendship/) [Ninon de L'Enclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninon-de-l-enclos/) > [When our desires are fulfilled, we never fail to realize the wealth of imagination and the paucity of reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninon-de-l-enclos/when-our-desires-are-fulfilled-we-never-fail-to-realize-the-wealth-of/) [Ninon de L'Enclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninon-de-l-enclos/) > [A cunning woman is her own mistress because she confides in no one. She who deceives others anticipates deceit, and guards herself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninon-de-l-enclos/a-cunning-woman-is-her-own-mistress-because-she-confides-in-no-one/) [Ninon de L'Enclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninon-de-l-enclos/) > [If a man needs a religion to conduct himself properly in this world, it is a sign that he has either a limited mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninon-de-l-enclos/if-a-man-needs-a-religion-to-conduct-himself-properly-in-this-world/) [Ninon de L'Enclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninon-de-l-enclos/) > [The joy of the mind is the measure of its strength.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninon-de-l-enclos/the-joy-of-the-mind-is-the-measure-of-its-strength/) [Ninon de L'Enclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninon-de-l-enclos/) > [There is a certain time of life, when we value a good stomach more than the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninon-de-l-enclos/there-is-a-certain-time-of-life-when-we-value-a-good-stomach-more/) [Ninon de L'Enclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninon-de-l-enclos/) > [Today a new sun rises for me; everything lives, everything is animated, everything seems to speak to me of my passion, everything invites me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninon-de-l-enclos/today-a-new-sun-rises-for-me-everything-lives-everything-is-animated/) [Ninon de L'Enclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninon-de-l-enclos/) > [Actors ought to be larger than life. You come across quite enough ordinary, nondescript people in daily life and I don't see why you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninon-de-l-enclos/actors-ought-to-be-larger-than-life-you-come-across-quite-enough/) [Ninon de L'Enclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninon-de-l-enclos/) [Explore all 61 Ninon de L'Enclos quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninon-de-l-enclos/) ## More Born quotes > [My mother says I didn't open my eyes for eight days after I was born, but when I did, the first thing I saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-taylor/my-mother-says-i-didn-t-open-my-eyes-for-eight-days-after-i-was-born/) [Elizabeth Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-taylor/) > [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) > [The real world out there isn't nearly as nice as some people prefer it to be, so don't swallow everything your high-born teachers tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-real-world-out-there-isn-t-nearly-as-nice-as-some-people-prefer/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Anybody looking for a quiet life has picked the wrong century to born in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/anybody-looking-for-a-quiet-life-has-picked-the-wrong-century-to-born/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I was born and raised in Orlando, where the economy and culture has been powerfully shaped by tourism, and so I've long been interested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-van-den-berg/i-was-born-and-raised-in-orlando-where-the-economy-and-culture-has/) [Laura van den Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-van-den-berg/) > [I know that in the rap game you've got a lot of people, that come from poverty, was born in poverty and if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-connor/i-know-that-in-the-rap-game-you-ve-got-a-lot-of-people-that-come-from/) [Jon Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-connor/) > [Nothing old is ever reborn but neither does it totally disappear. And that which has once been born, will always reappear in a new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvar-aalto/nothing-old-is-ever-reborn-but-neither-does-it-totally-disappear-and/) [Alvar Aalto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvar-aalto/) > [I have lifted my plane . . . for perhaps a thousand flights and I have never felt her wheels glide from the Earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-markham/i-have-lifted-my-plane-for-perhaps-a-thousand-flights-and-i-have/) [Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beryl-markham/) > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Must I go bound while you go free Must I love a manwho doesn't love me Must I be born with so little art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/must-i-go-bound-while-you-go-free-must-i-love-a-manwho-doesn-t-love/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [I'm not against gay people. I have a relative who is also gay. We can't help it if they were born that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-pacquiao/i-m-not-against-gay-people-i-have-a-relative-who-is-also-gay-we-can-t/) [Manny Pacquiao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-pacquiao/) > [“Every child is born as angel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/every-child-is-born-as-angel/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [For the glory born of Goodness Never dies, And its flag is not half-masted In the skies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-harte/for-the-glory-born-of-goodness-never-dies-and-its-flag-is-not-half/) [Bret Harte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-harte/) > [There are two kinds of beauty; there is a beauty which God gives at birth, and which withers as a flower. 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I was born after Valentine's Day, so they wanted to change it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-romero/if-you-can-believe-it-hollywood-wanted-to-change-my-birthdate-i-was/) [Cesar Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-romero/) Browse all 11,606 Born quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Gossip, like ennui, is born of idleness.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ninon de L'Enclos" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninon-de-l-enclos/gossip-like-ennui-is-born-of-idleness/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Born" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninon-de-l-enclos/gossip-like-ennui-is-born-of-idleness/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80a/ninon-de-l-enclos-11164_born_gossip-like-ennui-is-born-of-idleness-48_482605.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80a/ninon-de-l-enclos-11164_born_gossip-like-ennui-is-born-of-idleness-48_482605.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80a/ninon-de-l-enclos-11164_born_gossip-like-ennui-is-born-of-idleness-48_482605.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Gossip, like ennui, is born of idleness.” — Ninon de L'Enclos", "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": "Ninon de L'Enclos", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninon-de-l-enclos/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Gossip, like ennui, is born of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninon-de-l-enclos/gossip-like-ennui-is-born-of-idleness/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninon-de-l-enclos/gossip-like-ennui-is-born-of-idleness/#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 } } ] } ```