--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But, sadly, our manly struggle to conform…" description: "\"“But, sadly, our manly struggle to conform to the slave-like work rhythms of present-day custom has led to the nap being replaced by that costly and da..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a6/tom-hodgkinson-2852_civil-war_but-sadly-our-manly-struggle-to-conform_2147166.jpg" --- # But, sadly, our manly struggle to conform to the… ![“But, sadly, our manly struggle to conform to the slave-like work rhythms of present-day custom has led to the nap being replaced by that costly and damaging drink, coffee. As paracetamol is to the cold, so coffee is to the nap: a way of riding it out, a sort of competition with one’s own body, a…” quote by Tom Hodgkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a6/tom-hodgkinson-2852_civil-war_but-sadly-our-manly-struggle-to-conform_2147166.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a6/tom-hodgkinson-2852_civil-war_but-sadly-our-manly-struggle-to-conform_2147166.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a6/tom-hodgkinson-2852_civil-war_but-sadly-our-manly-struggle-to-conform_2147166.jpg) > ““But, sadly, our manly struggle to conform to the slave-like work rhythms of present-day custom has led to the nap being replaced by that costly and damaging drink, coffee. As paracetamol is to the cold, so coffee is to the nap: a way of riding it out, a sort of competition with one’s own body, a civil war. When we feel tired after lunch, the socially acceptable solution is to dose up on coffee and ride out the tiredness, rather than simply take a nap. The coffee may produce a temporary perking of the senses, but irritability will follow, not to mention a sleep debt later in the day. You cannot win the battle against sleep. Don’t fight, surrender!”” [Tom Hodgkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hodgkinson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Modern work culture forces people to replace natural rest with coffee, creating a harmful cycle of temporary alertness followed by irritability and sleep debt. **In simple terms:** People trade naps for coffee, hurting health. Key Takeaway Choose rest over caffeine. Themes work culture health rest productivity Mood frustrated reflective Type advice observational When to use this quote - office afternoons - post‑lunch fatigue - remote work - high‑stress jobs Key Concepts sleep debt caffeine dependence social norms Questions to Reflect On - How could you restructure your day to include a short rest? - What are the long‑term effects of relying on caffeine? A Different Perspective Coffee only masks fatigue; it doesn’t solve underlying exhaustion. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Civil war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-war/) [Coffee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coffee/) [Drink coffee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drink-coffee/) [Sleep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sleep/) ## Related quotes > [“Then everyone would retreat for a nap, after which we would have coffee and cake, sometimes an argument.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandar-hemon/then-everyone-would-retreat-for-a-nap-after-which-we-would-have/) [Aleksandar Hemon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandar-hemon/) > [“coffee-then-nap combination known as the “nappuccino.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-h-pink/coffee-then-nap-combination-known-as-the-nappuccino/) [Daniel H. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-h-pink/) > [If beer, coffee, or a nap can't cure it, you've got a serious problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-beer-coffee-or-a-nap-can-t-cure-it-you-ve-got-a-serious-problem/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm not a guy who needs to drink coffee or anything to get myself going in the morning. I wake up, and I'm full…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-horschel/i-m-not-a-guy-who-needs-to-drink-coffee-or-anything-to-get-myself/) [Billy Horschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-horschel/) > [“I never drink coffee after 3.48 p.m. It interferes with sleep. Caffeine has a half-life of three to four hours, so it’s irresponsible serving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graeme-simsion/i-never-drink-coffee-after-3-48-p-m-it-interferes-with-sleep-caffeine/) [Graeme Simsion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graeme-simsion/) > [Never trust anyone who doesn't drink coffee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aj-lee/never-trust-anyone-who-doesn-t-drink-coffee/) [AJ Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aj-lee/) > [I don't drink coffee. Weird, I know. But I try to stay away from caffeine. That said, we are investors in Blue Bottle, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-sacca/i-don-t-drink-coffee-weird-i-know-but-i-try-to-stay-away-from/) [Chris Sacca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-sacca/) > [In my normal time, I like bacon sarnies, I smoke and I drink coffee. I do look after myself, but sometimes I allow myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-weston-jones/in-my-normal-time-i-like-bacon-sarnies-i-smoke-and-i-drink-coffee-i/) [Tom Weston-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-weston-jones/) > [I drink coffee with my right hand, and I smoke with my left. But I talk with both hands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/i-drink-coffee-with-my-right-hand-and-i-smoke-with-my-left-but-i-talk/) [George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) > [To do good work one must eat well, be well housed, have one's fling from time to time, smoke one's pipe, and drink one's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/to-do-good-work-one-must-eat-well-be-well-housed-have-one-s-fling/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [I’ll read my books and I’ll drink coffee and I’ll listen to music, and I’ll bolt the door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-ll-read-my-books-and-i-ll-drink-coffee-and-i-ll-listen-to-music-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Black coffee must be strong and very hot; if strong coffee does not agree with you, do not drink black coffee. And if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-simon/black-coffee-must-be-strong-and-very-hot-if-strong-coffee-does-not/) [Andre Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-simon/) > [Drink your coffee -- people in Africa are sleeping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lanyon/drink-your-coffee-people-in-africa-are-sleeping/) [Josh Lanyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lanyon/) > [The best Maxim I know in this life is, to drink your Coffee when you can, and when you cannot, to be easy without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/the-best-maxim-i-know-in-this-life-is-to-drink-your-coffee-when-you/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [I don't typically drink coffee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-cavallari/i-don-t-typically-drink-coffee/) [Kristin Cavallari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-cavallari/) ## More by Tom Hodgkinson > [By taking out a loan, I am committing myself to years of interest repayments, and therefore to years of wage slavery. And the UK…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hodgkinson/by-taking-out-a-loan-i-am-committing-myself-to-years-of-interest/) [Tom Hodgkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hodgkinson/) > [Writing a book is a brilliant thing because once you've finished it, you've done it, and there's the potential for it to go on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hodgkinson/writing-a-book-is-a-brilliant-thing-because-once-you-ve-finished-it/) [Tom Hodgkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hodgkinson/) > [Truly, the bench is a boon to idlers. Whoever first came up with the idea is a genius: free public resting places where you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hodgkinson/truly-the-bench-is-a-boon-to-idlers-whoever-first-came-up-with-the/) [Tom Hodgkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hodgkinson/) > [Beauty, pleasure, freedom and plenty of sleep: these are the hallmarks of a successful idler's break. Travel should not be hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hodgkinson/beauty-pleasure-freedom-and-plenty-of-sleep-these-are-the-hallmarks/) [Tom Hodgkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hodgkinson/) > [These days we seem more bound to our bosses than ever before. We even identify our own selves with the jobs we do: 'What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hodgkinson/these-days-we-seem-more-bound-to-our-bosses-than-ever-before-we-even/) [Tom Hodgkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hodgkinson/) > [The way to stop feeling guilty is to read stuff - I'm not saying my book, but works by Bertrand Russell or Oscar Wilde,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hodgkinson/the-way-to-stop-feeling-guilty-is-to-read-stuff-i-m-not-saying-my/) [Tom Hodgkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hodgkinson/) > [The phrase 'work/life balance' encapsulates a depressing outlook.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hodgkinson/the-phrase-work-life-balance-encapsulates-a-depressing-outlook/) [Tom Hodgkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hodgkinson/) > [The idea of a government is to create an ordered, willing work force where there's no trouble. I think idlers are generally seen as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hodgkinson/the-idea-of-a-government-is-to-create-an-ordered-willing-work-force/) [Tom Hodgkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hodgkinson/) > [When stuck years ago in a job I hated, my only friend was the public bench. As the tedious mornings dragged on, how I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hodgkinson/when-stuck-years-ago-in-a-job-i-hated-my-only-friend-was-the-public/) [Tom Hodgkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hodgkinson/) > [All poets are idlers, even if all idlers are not poets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hodgkinson/all-poets-are-idlers-even-if-all-idlers-are-not-poets/) [Tom Hodgkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hodgkinson/) > [Pain will never leave us. Instead of putting energy into destroying pain, we need to put energy into creating pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hodgkinson/pain-will-never-leave-us-instead-of-putting-energy-into-destroying/) [Tom Hodgkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hodgkinson/) > [Sensible people advise against drinking on an empty stomach, but to my mind it is the best sort of drinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hodgkinson/sensible-people-advise-against-drinking-on-an-empty-stomach-but-to-my/) [Tom Hodgkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hodgkinson/) > [Paradoxically, to be truly idle, you also have to be efficient.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hodgkinson/paradoxically-to-be-truly-idle-you-also-have-to-be-efficient/) [Tom Hodgkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hodgkinson/) > [Am I the only person in the world who is shocked and amazed at the ongoing flattery of uebergeek Mark Zuckerberg?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hodgkinson/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-is-shocked-and-amazed-at-the/) [Tom Hodgkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hodgkinson/) > [I would like to propose slow cycling. Commute by bike. At a stroke, you remove the need for and absurd cost of public transport.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hodgkinson/i-would-like-to-propose-slow-cycling-commute-by-bike-at-a-stroke-you/) [Tom Hodgkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hodgkinson/) [Explore all 144 Tom Hodgkinson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hodgkinson/) ## More Civil war quotes > [“Time overlaps itself. A breath breathed from a passing breeze is not the whole wind, neither is it just the last of what has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/time-overlaps-itself-a-breath-breathed-from-a-passing-breeze-is-not/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [“Whatever happened in those more than one hundred years, from the time my great-great-great grandfather studied law to the time when my own father…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwenn-wright/whatever-happened-in-those-more-than-one-hundred-years-from-the-time/) [Gwenn Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwenn-wright/) > [“AUSTRALIA, LIKE THE UNITED STATES, experienced a different path to inclusive institutions than the one taken by England. The same revolutions that shook England…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daron-acemo-lu/australia-like-the-united-states-experienced-a-different-path-to/) [Daron Acemoğlu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daron-acemo-lu/) > [“These are all good things, I said. But no one knows where your country is or who you are. You don't have a familiar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/these-are-all-good-things-i-said-but-no-one-knows-where-your-country/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) > [“Thinking about the weather was one way of shutting out of his mind the appalling bloody human mess sprawled out over the bed of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ellis/thinking-about-the-weather-was-one-way-of-shutting-out-of-his-mind/) [Mark Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ellis/) > [It cost about 75 cents to kill a man in Ceasar's time. The price rose to about $3,000 per man during the Napoleonic wars;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer-bone/it-cost-about-75-cents-to-kill-a-man-in-ceasar-s-time-the-price-rose/) Homer Bone > [Alabama soldiers, all I ask of you is to keep up with the Texans!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/alabama-soldiers-all-i-ask-of-you-is-to-keep-up-with-the-texans/) [Robert E. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/) > [“ “In the South, football is confused with religion, chivalry, the Civil War, and women.” -Diane Roberts, The Quotable South ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ford/in-the-south-football-is-confused-with-religion-chivalry-the-civil/) [Deborah Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ford/) > [“By the following morning, September 15, Jackson had positioned nearly fifty guns on Maryland Heights and at the base of Loudoun Heights.  Then he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/by-the-following-morning-september-15-jackson-had-positioned-nearly/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [Strange, (is it not?) that battles, martyrs, blood, even assassination should so condense - perhaps only really lastingly condense - a Nationality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/strange-is-it-not-that-battles-martyrs-blood-even-assassination/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [You must study to be frank with the world: frankness is the child of honesty and courage. Say just what you mean to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/you-must-study-to-be-frank-with-the-world-frankness-is-the-child-of/) [Robert E. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/) > [“Civil wars...are the best wars for the writer...because they have a way of continuing long afterwl wars between nations are resolved; because, with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-ellison/civil-wars-are-the-best-wars-for-the-writer-because-they-have-a-way/) [Ralph Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-ellison/) > [I am out of money,we are all out of money,but we dont need money down here- Dont need anything but Men , Muskets, Ammunition,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-connolly/i-am-out-of-money-we-are-all-out-of-money-but-we-dont-need-money-down/) James A. Connolly > [Affirmative action was designed to recognize the uniquely difficult journey of African-Americans. This policy was justifiable and understandable, even to those who came from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-webb/affirmative-action-was-designed-to-recognize-the-uniquely-difficult/) [Jim Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-webb/) > [“Only twenty - nine years in the entire human history had been without warfare, and now here he was too, travelling between the episodes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadeem-aslam/only-twenty-nine-years-in-the-entire-human-history-had-been-without/) [Nadeem Aslam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadeem-aslam/) [Browse all 1,714 Civil war quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-war/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“But, sadly, our manly struggle to conform to the slave-like work rhythms of present-day custom has led to the nap being replaced by that costly and damaging drink, coffee. As paracetamol is to the cold, so coffee is to the nap: a way of riding it out, a sort of competition with one’s own body, a civil war. When we feel tired after lunch, the socially acceptable solution is to dose up on coffee and ride out the tiredness, rather than simply take a nap. The coffee may produce a temporary perking of the senses, but irritability will follow, not to mention a sleep debt later in the day. You cannot win the battle against sleep. Don’t fight, surrender!”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tom Hodgkinson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hodgkinson/but-sadly-our-manly-struggle-to-conform-to-the-slave-like-work/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Civil war" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hodgkinson/but-sadly-our-manly-struggle-to-conform-to-the-slave-like-work/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a6/tom-hodgkinson-2852_civil-war_but-sadly-our-manly-struggle-to-conform_2147166.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a6/tom-hodgkinson-2852_civil-war_but-sadly-our-manly-struggle-to-conform_2147166.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a6/tom-hodgkinson-2852_civil-war_but-sadly-our-manly-struggle-to-conform_2147166.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“But, sadly, our manly struggle to conform to the slave-like work rhythms of present-day custom has led to…” — Tom Hodgkinson", "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": "Tom Hodgkinson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hodgkinson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“But, sadly, our manly struggle to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hodgkinson/but-sadly-our-manly-struggle-to-conform-to-the-slave-like-work/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hodgkinson/but-sadly-our-manly-struggle-to-conform-to-the-slave-like-work/#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 } } ] } ```