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Business Quote by Scott Berkun

“The best lesson from the myths of Newton and Archimedes is to work passionately but to take breaks. Sitting under trees and relaxing in baths lets the mind wander and frees the subconscious to do work on our behalf. Freeman Dyson, a world-class physi- cist and author, agrees: “I think it’s very…” quote by Scott Berkun
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““The best lesson from the myths of Newton and Archimedes is to work passionately but to take breaks. Sitting under trees and relaxing in baths lets the mind wander and frees the subconscious to do work on our behalf. Freeman Dyson, a world-class physi- cist and author, agrees: “I think it’s very important to be idle...people who keep themselves busy all the time are generally not creative. So I am not ashamed of being idle.””

Scott Berkun

About This Quote

Source Book: The Myths of Innovation, 2013

Passionate work combined with intentional idleness sparks creativity; downtime lets the subconscious solve problems.

In simple terms: Take breaks to boost creativity.

Key Takeaway

Schedule regular idle periods.

Themes

creativity balance productivity

Mood

reflective inspired

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

  • research
  • writing
  • design
  • problem solving

Key Concepts

cognitive incubation flow theory

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can you balance work and rest?
  • What idle activity fuels your ideas?
A Different Perspective

Too much idleness can become procrastination.

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