---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is not labor that kills, but the small…"
description: "\"It is not labor that kills, but the small attritions of daily routine that wear us down.\" — Roy Bedichek"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d46/roy-bedichek-86020_attrition_it-is-not-labor-that-kills-but-the-small_867275.jpg"
---

#  It is not labor that kills, but the small attritions of…

![“It is not labor that kills, but the small attritions of daily routine that wear us down.” quote by Roy Bedichek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d46/roy-bedichek-86020_attrition_it-is-not-labor-that-kills-but-the-small_867275.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d46/roy-bedichek-86020_attrition_it-is-not-labor-that-kills-but-the-small_867275.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d46/roy-bedichek-86020_attrition_it-is-not-labor-that-kills-but-the-small_867275.jpg)

> “It is not labor that kills, but the small attritions of daily routine that wear us down.”

Roy Bedichek

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

It isn’t the work itself that exhausts us, but the cumulative, subtle strains of everyday routines that erode our vitality.

**In simple terms:** Small daily stresses wear us down more than big tasks.

Key Takeaway

Mitigate routine stress to preserve energy.

Themes

stress routine wellbeing

Mood

thoughtful practical

Type

analytical inspirational

When to use this quote

- workplace
- home life
- healthcare
- personal development
- time management

Key Concepts

cumulative fatigue habit formation energy management

Questions to Reflect On

- Which daily habits drain you?
- How can you redesign routines for resilience?

A Different Perspective

Not all routine stress is harmful; some structure is needed.

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[Attrition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attrition/) [Daily Routine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/daily-routine/) [Daily routines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/daily-routines/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Labor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labor/) [Routine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/routine/)

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> [Current condition of the BYU football program? I think it's in good shape. We've got some good young players. We've had two or three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lavell-edwards/current-condition-of-the-byu-football-program-i-think-it-s-in-good/)

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> [Well, I think we need to have attrition by enforcement. We need to secure our borders. We need to enforce our laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-west/well-i-think-we-need-to-have-attrition-by-enforcement-we-need-to/)

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> [War is an unpredictable beast. Once unleashed, it runs like a rabid dog, ravening friend or foe alike. It can drag on for years,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-forsyth/war-is-an-unpredictable-beast-once-unleashed-it-runs-like-a-rabid-dog/)

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## More by Roy Bedichek

> [The so-called literature of escape, with its growing popularity, is in part a revolt against the tyranny of clocks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-bedichek/the-so-called-literature-of-escape-with-its-growing-popularity-is-in/)

Roy Bedichek

> [A month of days, a year of months, 20 years of months in the treadmill, is the life that slays everything worthy of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-bedichek/a-month-of-days-a-year-of-months-20-years-of-months-in-the-treadmill/)

Roy Bedichek

Explore all 3 Roy Bedichek quotes

## More Attrition quotes

> [We fought a military war; our opponents fought a political one. We sought physical attrition; our opponents aimed for our psychological exhaustion. In the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-fought-a-military-war-our-opponents-fought-a-political-one-we/)

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> [I think the sheer attrition of American global domination will create circumstances in which the Chinese will be tempted to reach out for more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zbigniew-brzezinski/i-think-the-sheer-attrition-of-american-global-domination-will-create/)

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> [I have yet to met a liberal who can withstand the attrition of prolonged discussion of the unessentials.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-sharpe/i-have-yet-to-met-a-liberal-who-can-withstand-the-attrition-of/)

[Tom Sharpe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-sharpe/)

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> [Well, I think we need to have attrition by enforcement. We need to secure our borders. We need to enforce our laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-west/well-i-think-we-need-to-have-attrition-by-enforcement-we-need-to/)

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[John Gimlette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gimlette/)

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[Doug Dorst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-dorst/)

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[Grayson Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grayson-perry/)

> [After The Bomb we developed a fairly good system for moving food around and have avoided the kind of massive famines that attract the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/after-the-bomb-we-developed-a-fairly-good-system-for-moving-food/)

[Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/)

> [The war of attrition against the Zionist enemy will never cease.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasser-arafat/the-war-of-attrition-against-the-zionist-enemy-will-never-cease/)

[Yasser Arafat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasser-arafat/)

> [War is an unpredictable beast. Once unleashed, it runs like a rabid dog, ravening friend or foe alike. It can drag on for years,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-forsyth/war-is-an-unpredictable-beast-once-unleashed-it-runs-like-a-rabid-dog/)

[Kate Forsyth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-forsyth/)

[Browse all 45 Attrition quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attrition/)

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