Brushing Quote by Tom Robbins
““Ritual he liked, but compulsory routine he hated. Thus, he resented every minute that he now had to surrender to showering, shampooing, shaving, and flossing and brushing his teeth. If mere men could devise self-defrosting refrigerators and self-cleaning ovens, why couldn't nature, in all its complex, inventive magnificence, have managed to come up with self-cleaning teeth? "There's birth," he grumbled, "there's death, and in between there's maintenance.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: “Skinny Legs and All” by Tom Robbins, 1990
People resent mundane chores despite technological advances, seeing them as unnecessary burdens in a world of invention.
In simple terms: We dislike routine tasks even when technology makes life easier.
Key Takeaway
Find ways to make routine tasks meaningful.
Themes
routine
technology
discontent
Mood
ironic
critical
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- daily hygiene
- workplace tasks
- home maintenance
Key Concepts
existentialism
modern life
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do we resist routine even when it benefits us?
- How can we reframe chores as acts of self‑care?
A Different Perspective
Even with tech, some tasks remain essential and unavoidable.
![“He [A. J. Balfour] was eminently one of the Cole Porter school of famous men, who only fell to rise again. Picking himself up and brushing himself down became a minor art form, ruefully admired by his contemporaries.” quote by Arthur Balfour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d36/arthur-balfour-15770_art_he-a-j-balfour-was-eminently-one-of-the_43746.jpg)
