Be kind Quote by William Faulkner
“I notice how it takes a lazy man, a man that hates moving, to get set on moving once he does get started off, the same as when he was set on staying still, like it aint the moving he hates so much as the starting and the stopping. And like he would be kind of proud of whatever come up to make the moving or the setting still look hard. He set there on the wagon hunched up, blinking, listening to us tell about how quick the bridge went and how high the water was, and I be durn if he didn't act like he was proud of it, like he had made the river rise himself.”
About This Quote
A lazy man resists movement but paradoxically feels pride in both staying still and starting, seeing his own inertia as an achievement.
In simple terms: He prides himself on both staying still and moving.
Key Takeaway
Self‑justification masks inertia.
Themes
laziness
pride
paradox
motivation
Mood
irony
self‑critique
Type
reflective
literary
When to use this quote
- procrastination
- workplace performance reviews
- personal fitness goals
Key Concepts
self‑perception
cognitive dissonance
Practical Applications
- reframe inertia as a barrier to address
- use small wins to shift mindset
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do we sometimes celebrate our own stagnation?
- How can we turn pride in effort into actual progress?
A Different Perspective
Pride in in may reinforce avoidance rather than encourage change.
