--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A voluntary act to fill empty hours had…" description: "\"“A voluntary act to fill empty hours had become intensive labor streaked with the bad feelings that ride the skin like pollen when too much about one's..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ba/toni-morrison-271_bad-feelings_a-voluntary-act-to-fill-empty-hours-had_1438565.jpg" --- # A voluntary act to fill empty hours had become intensive… ![“A voluntary act to fill empty hours had become intensive labor streaked with the bad feelings that ride the skin like pollen when too much about one's neighbors is known.” quote by Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ba/toni-morrison-271_bad-feelings_a-voluntary-act-to-fill-empty-hours-had_1438565.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ba/toni-morrison-271_bad-feelings_a-voluntary-act-to-fill-empty-hours-had_1438565.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ba/toni-morrison-271_bad-feelings_a-voluntary-act-to-fill-empty-hours-had_1438565.jpg) > ““A voluntary act to fill empty hours had become intensive labor streaked with the bad feelings that ride the skin like pollen when too much about one's neighbors is known.”” [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Filling idle time with forced activity can become burdensome, especially when it involves intrusive knowledge about others. **In simple terms:** Compulsory tasks feel heavy when they expose too much about people. Key Takeaway Set boundaries on how much you engage with others' lives. Themes privacy boundaries social interaction Mood thoughtful cautious Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - workplace - social media - personal relationships Key Concepts emotional labor intrusion Questions to Reflect On - Do you protect your mental space? - How much is too much? A Different Perspective Overinvolvement can cause resentment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-feelings/) [Intensive Labor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intensive-labor-5142294/) [Labor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labor/) [Labor Streaked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labor-streaked-5142295/) [Like Pollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-pollen-5098419/) ## Related quotes > [Like pollen on a honeybee, flattery clings to the things you tell yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willis-regier/like-pollen-on-a-honeybee-flattery-clings-to-the-things-you-tell/) [Willis Regier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willis-regier/) > [“People floating like pollen in search of more fertile soil.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-crofts/people-floating-like-pollen-in-search-of-more-fertile-soil/) [Andrew Crofts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-crofts/) > [Never will I ever have any bad feelings toward Orlando; it will always be positive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikola-vucevic/never-will-i-ever-have-any-bad-feelings-toward-orlando-it-will-always/) [Nikola Vucevic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikola-vucevic/) > [I never sensed really bad blood between Microsoft and Apple. A lot of Macintosh users feel badly about PCs and do have some bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-wozniak/i-never-sensed-really-bad-blood-between-microsoft-and-apple-a-lot-of/) [Steve Wozniak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-wozniak/) > [“This is the way it ought to be, he thought to himself, to be able to dance with a girl you like and really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-okada/this-is-the-way-it-ought-to-be-he-thought-to-himself-to-be-able-to/) [John Okada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-okada/) > [“There is no need returning anger to those who made your past horrible, do not think of making them feel bitter, maybe a help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/there-is-no-need-returning-anger-to-those-who-made-your-past-horrible/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [The recipe for creating anything is really quite simple. Take good or bad feelings (meaning positive or negative vibrations), bake with varying degrees of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-grabhorn/the-recipe-for-creating-anything-is-really-quite-simple-take-good-or/) [Lynn Grabhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-grabhorn/) > [Even in my personal life, I can't bear to have bad feelings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshaye-khanna/even-in-my-personal-life-i-can-t-bear-to-have-bad-feelings/) [Akshaye Khanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshaye-khanna/) > [I don't like bad feelings gnawing away at me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-mclachlan/i-don-t-like-bad-feelings-gnawing-away-at-me/) [Sarah McLachlan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-mclachlan/) > [The worst feeling in the world hands down is hopelessness, although it is not the only bad feeling. Other bad feelings include death of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-frisch/the-worst-feeling-in-the-world-hands-down-is-hopelessness-although-it/) [Matt Frisch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-frisch/) > [“We got into the car. It was my first time. The car was spotless and I liked its smell, the smell of old leather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-aciman/we-got-into-the-car-it-was-my-first-time-the-car-was-spotless-and-i/) [André Aciman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-aciman/) > [“Pretend that you’re the paddle and the rubber ball is your feelings. When something bad happens to us, our natural instinct is to try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-dobrenski/pretend-that-you-re-the-paddle-and-the-rubber-ball-is-your-feelings/) [Rob Dobrenski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-dobrenski/) > [“I felt I should repeat it for the other slipper, in case there should be any bad feelings between the two. One should never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-caine/i-felt-i-should-repeat-it-for-the-other-slipper-in-case-there-should/) [Rachel Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-caine/) > [Life is too short to waste time harboring bad feelings about anyone. Forgive, forget, then move on!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-austin/life-is-too-short-to-waste-time-harboring-bad-feelings-about-anyone/) [Denise Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-austin/) > [We don't need to complicate all the "reasons" behind our emotions. It's much simpler than that. Two categories .. good feelings, bad feelings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-byrne/we-don-t-need-to-complicate-all-the-reasons-behind-our-emotions-it-s/) [Rhonda Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhonda-byrne/) ## More by Toni Morrison > [Perhaps that's what all human relationships boiled down to: Would you save my life? or would you take it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/perhaps-that-s-what-all-human-relationships-boiled-down-to-would-you/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [There, in the center of that silence was not eternity but the death of time and a loneliness so profound the word itself had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/there-in-the-center-of-that-silence-was-not-eternity-but-the-death-of/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [In times of dread, artists must never choose to remain silent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/in-times-of-dread-artists-must-never-choose-to-remain-silent/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“Not know it was hard;knowing it was harder”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/not-know-it-was-hard-knowing-it-was-harder/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“Didn’t everything on God’s earth have or acquire defense?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/didn-t-everything-on-god-s-earth-have-or-acquire-defense/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [If you can't count, they can cheat you. If you can't read, they can beat you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/if-you-can-t-count-they-can-cheat-you-if-you-can-t-read-they-can-beat/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“You looked at them and wondered why the were so ugly; you looked closely and could not find the source. Then you realized that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/you-looked-at-them-and-wondered-why-the-were-so-ugly-you-looked/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [All she saw, down in the cellar well beneath the stoop, was a light yellow feather with a tip of green. And she had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/all-she-saw-down-in-the-cellar-well-beneath-the-stoop-was-a-light/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [For me, Art is the restoration of order. It may discuss all sort of terrible things, but there must be satisfaction at the end.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/for-me-art-is-the-restoration-of-order-it-may-discuss-all-sort-of/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“To Sethe, the future was a matter of keeping the past at bay”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/to-sethe-the-future-was-a-matter-of-keeping-the-past-at-bay/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“Hate does that. Burns off everything but itself, so whatever your grievance is, your face looks just like your enemy's.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/hate-does-that-burns-off-everything-but-itself-so-whatever-your/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“You know how a star is supposed to twinkle? We say twinkle because that is how it looks, but when a star feels itself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/you-know-how-a-star-is-supposed-to-twinkle-we-say-twinkle-because/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“There is no bad luck in the world but whitefolks”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/there-is-no-bad-luck-in-the-world-but-whitefolks/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [My father saw two black men lynched on his street in Cartersville, as a child. And I think seeing two black businessmen - not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/my-father-saw-two-black-men-lynched-on-his-street-in-cartersville-as/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“She was fierce in the presence of death, heroic even, as she was at no other time. Its threat gave her direction, clarity, audacity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/she-was-fierce-in-the-presence-of-death-heroic-even-as-she-was-at-no/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) [Explore all 774 Toni Morrison quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) ## More Bad feelings quotes > [We don't need to complicate all the "reasons" behind our emotions. It's much simpler than that. Two categories .. good feelings, bad feelings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-byrne/we-don-t-need-to-complicate-all-the-reasons-behind-our-emotions-it-s/) [Rhonda Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhonda-byrne/) > [Life is too short to waste time harboring bad feelings about anyone. Forgive, forget, then move on!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-austin/life-is-too-short-to-waste-time-harboring-bad-feelings-about-anyone/) [Denise Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-austin/) > [“I felt I should repeat it for the other slipper, in case there should be any bad feelings between the two. One should never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-caine/i-felt-i-should-repeat-it-for-the-other-slipper-in-case-there-should/) [Rachel Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-caine/) > [“Pretend that you’re the paddle and the rubber ball is your feelings. When something bad happens to us, our natural instinct is to try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-dobrenski/pretend-that-you-re-the-paddle-and-the-rubber-ball-is-your-feelings/) [Rob Dobrenski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-dobrenski/) > [“We got into the car. It was my first time. The car was spotless and I liked its smell, the smell of old leather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-aciman/we-got-into-the-car-it-was-my-first-time-the-car-was-spotless-and-i/) [André Aciman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-aciman/) > [The worst feeling in the world hands down is hopelessness, although it is not the only bad feeling. Other bad feelings include death of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-frisch/the-worst-feeling-in-the-world-hands-down-is-hopelessness-although-it/) [Matt Frisch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-frisch/) > [I don't like bad feelings gnawing away at me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-mclachlan/i-don-t-like-bad-feelings-gnawing-away-at-me/) [Sarah McLachlan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-mclachlan/) > [Even in my personal life, I can't bear to have bad feelings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshaye-khanna/even-in-my-personal-life-i-can-t-bear-to-have-bad-feelings/) [Akshaye Khanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshaye-khanna/) > [The recipe for creating anything is really quite simple. Take good or bad feelings (meaning positive or negative vibrations), bake with varying degrees of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-grabhorn/the-recipe-for-creating-anything-is-really-quite-simple-take-good-or/) [Lynn Grabhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-grabhorn/) > [“There is no need returning anger to those who made your past horrible, do not think of making them feel bitter, maybe a help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/there-is-no-need-returning-anger-to-those-who-made-your-past-horrible/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [“This is the way it ought to be, he thought to himself, to be able to dance with a girl you like and really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-okada/this-is-the-way-it-ought-to-be-he-thought-to-himself-to-be-able-to/) [John Okada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-okada/) > [I never sensed really bad blood between Microsoft and Apple. A lot of Macintosh users feel badly about PCs and do have some bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-wozniak/i-never-sensed-really-bad-blood-between-microsoft-and-apple-a-lot-of/) [Steve Wozniak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-wozniak/) > [Never will I ever have any bad feelings toward Orlando; it will always be positive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikola-vucevic/never-will-i-ever-have-any-bad-feelings-toward-orlando-it-will-always/) [Nikola Vucevic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikola-vucevic/) > [Catering to bad feelings feeds and empowers them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/catering-to-bad-feelings-feeds-and-empowers-them/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [If I don't feel good in myself, I pray, and I can throw off those bad feelings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-sneijder/if-i-don-t-feel-good-in-myself-i-pray-and-i-can-throw-off-those-bad/) [Wesley Sneijder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-sneijder/) [Browse all 78 Bad feelings quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-feelings/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“A voluntary act to fill empty hours had become intensive labor streaked with the bad feelings that ride the skin like pollen when too much about one's neighbors is known.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Toni Morrison" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/a-voluntary-act-to-fill-empty-hours-had-become-intensive-labor/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bad feelings" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/a-voluntary-act-to-fill-empty-hours-had-become-intensive-labor/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ba/toni-morrison-271_bad-feelings_a-voluntary-act-to-fill-empty-hours-had_1438565.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ba/toni-morrison-271_bad-feelings_a-voluntary-act-to-fill-empty-hours-had_1438565.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ba/toni-morrison-271_bad-feelings_a-voluntary-act-to-fill-empty-hours-had_1438565.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A voluntary act to fill empty hours had become intensive labor streaked with the bad feelings that ride the…” — Toni Morrison", "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": "Toni Morrison", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“A voluntary act to fill empty...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/a-voluntary-act-to-fill-empty-hours-had-become-intensive-labor/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/a-voluntary-act-to-fill-empty-hours-had-become-intensive-labor/#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 } } ] } ```