Fitness Quote by William H. Bates
““The fact is that when the mind is at rest nothing can tire the eyes, and when the mind is under a strain nothing can rest them. Anything that rests the mind will benefit the eyes. Almost everyone has observed that the eyes tire less quickly when reading an interesting book than when perusing something tiresome or difficult to comprehend. A schoolboy can sit up all night reading a novel without even thinking of his eyes, but if he tried to sit up all night studying his lessons he would soon find them getting very tired. A child whose vision was ordinarily so acute that she could see the moons of Jupiter with the naked eye became myopic when asked to do a sum in mental arithmetic, mathematics being a subject which was extremely distasteful to her.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The World of the Eye by William H. Bates, 1904
Resting the mind reduces eye strain; mental effort fatigues the eyes, while relaxed reading is easier on them.
In simple terms: Relaxed mind, less eye fatigue.
Key Takeaway
Give eyes mental breaks.
Themes
health
psychology
vision
learning
fatigue
Mood
practical
informative
concise
Type
educational
advice
When to use this quote
- studying
- reading
- eye health
- academic work
Key Concepts
cognitive load
visual ergonomics
reading habits
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you balance mental effort and eye health?
- What breaks help maintain focus?
A Different Perspective
The claim may oversimplify complex visual fatigue factors.
