---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But make not more business necessary than…"
description: "\"But make not more business necessary than is so; and rather lessen than augment work for thyself.\" — William Penn"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53d/william-penn-1104_business_but-make-not-more-business-necessary-tha_3000358.png"
---

#  But make not more business necessary than is so; and…

![“But make not more business necessary than is so; and rather lessen than augment work for thyself.” quote by William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53d/william-penn-1104_business_but-make-not-more-business-necessary-tha_3000358.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53d/william-penn-1104_business_but-make-not-more-business-necessary-tha_3000358.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53d/william-penn-1104_business_but-make-not-more-business-necessary-tha_3000358.png)

> “But make not more business necessary than is so; and rather lessen than augment work for thyself.”

[William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

One should avoid unnecessary business and instead simplify work, focusing on essential tasks rather than expanding workload.

**In simple terms:** Simplify work, avoid unnecessary tasks.

Key Takeaway

Prioritize essential work, reduce excess.

Themes

simplicity productivity work ethic minimalism

Mood

pragmatic thoughtful

Type

philosophical advice

When to use this quote

- daily work planning
- entrepreneurship
- time management

Key Concepts

efficiency self‑management economic philosophy

Questions to Reflect On

- What tasks truly add value?
- How can I streamline my workflow?

A Different Perspective

May overlook beneficial opportunities.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/)

## Related quotes

> [To succeed in business it is necessary to make others see things as you see them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle-onassis/to-succeed-in-business-it-is-necessary-to-make-others-see-things-as/)

[Aristotle Onassis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle-onassis/)

> [Only trust thyself, and another shall not betray thee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/only-trust-thyself-and-another-shall-not-betray-thee/)

[William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/)

> [Content not thyself that thou art virtuous in the general; for one link being wanting, the chain is defective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/content-not-thyself-that-thou-art-virtuous-in-the-general-for-one/)

[William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/)

> [You cannot make a business case that you should be who you are not](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/you-cannot-make-a-business-case-that-you-should-be-who-you-are-not/)

[Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/)

> [Me trying to make a business around Linux would have been a total disaster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linus-torvalds/me-trying-to-make-a-business-around-linux-would-have-been-a-total/)

[Linus Torvalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linus-torvalds/)

> [A friend of mine once asked how to make it in show business and I said "Be so good that they can't ignore you."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/a-friend-of-mine-once-asked-how-to-make-it-in-show-business-and-i/)

[Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/)

> [Life is too short to make an over-serious business out of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lin-yutang/life-is-too-short-to-make-an-over-serious-business-out-of-it/)

[Lin Yutang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lin-yutang/)

> [I'd go for parts that didn't pay a dime, and there would be 300 to 400 actors there. It could be very discouraging. To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-imperioli/i-d-go-for-parts-that-didn-t-pay-a-dime-and-there-would-be-300-to-400/)

[Michael Imperioli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-imperioli/)

> [“My first inclination is to make my business all about me, but my second instinct is to make my business all about everyone else,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/my-first-inclination-is-to-make-my-business-all-about-me-but-my/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [...it is prodigious the quantity of good that may be done by one man if he will make a business of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/it-is-prodigious-the-quantity-of-good-that-may-be-done-by-one-man-if/)

[Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/)

> [Consider this 're-make' business that is taking away opportunities for new ideas and new films to happen. If the movie was made right the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-brillstein/consider-this-re-make-business-that-is-taking-away-opportunities-for/)

[Bernie Brillstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-brillstein/)

> [In life, you either watch TV or you do TV. I told my daughters that the only way you're going to make it in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hasselhoff/in-life-you-either-watch-tv-or-you-do-tv-i-told-my-daughters-that-the/)

[David Hasselhoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hasselhoff/)

> [I make it my business to see or do something cultural in every place I go to. If you don't, you'll get into a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-reynor/i-make-it-my-business-to-see-or-do-something-cultural-in-every-place/)

[Jack Reynor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-reynor/)

> [If you make your business about helping others, you'll always have plenty of work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-guillebeau/if-you-make-your-business-about-helping-others-you-ll-always-have/)

[Chris Guillebeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-guillebeau/)

> [“When we love someone, we make it our business to protect them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-goddard/when-we-love-someone-we-make-it-our-business-to-protect-them/)

[Donna Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-goddard/)

## More by William Penn

> [Love grows. Lust wastes by Enjoyment, and the Reason is, that one springs from an Union of Souls, and the other from an Union…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/love-grows-lust-wastes-by-enjoyment-and-the-reason-is-that-one/)

[William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/)

> [Once you've accumulated sufficient knowledge to get by, you're too old to remember it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/once-you-ve-accumulated-sufficient-knowledge-to-get-by-you-re-too-old/)

[William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/)

> [If thou wouldn't conquer thy weakness thou must not gratify it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/if-thou-wouldn-t-conquer-thy-weakness-thou-must-not-gratify-it/)

[William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/)

> [Religion is the fear of God, and its demonstration good works; and faith is the root of both: For without faith we cannot please…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/religion-is-the-fear-of-god-and-its-demonstration-good-works-and/)

[William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/)

> [All excess is ill; but drunkenness is of the worst sort. It spoils health, dismounts the mind, and unmans men. It reveals secrets, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/all-excess-is-ill-but-drunkenness-is-of-the-worst-sort-it-spoils/)

[William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/)

> [“Let us then try what love can do to mend a broken world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/let-us-then-try-what-love-can-do-to-mend-a-broken-world/)

[William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/)

> ['Tis no sin to be tempted, but to be overcome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/tis-no-sin-to-be-tempted-but-to-be-overcome/)

[William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/)

> [Perfect love casteth out fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/perfect-love-casteth-out-fear/)

[William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/)

> [By liberty of conscience, we understand not only a mere liberty of the mind, in believing or disbelieving this or that principle or doctrine;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/by-liberty-of-conscience-we-understand-not-only-a-mere-liberty-of-the/)

[William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/)

> [Content not thyself that thou art virtuous in the general; for one link being wanting, the chain is defective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/content-not-thyself-that-thou-art-virtuous-in-the-general-for-one/)

[William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/)

> [We are apt to be very pert at censuring others, where we will not endure advice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/we-are-apt-to-be-very-pert-at-censuring-others-where-we-will-not/)

[William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/)

> [It is admirable to consider how many millions of people come into, and go out of the world, ignorant of themselves and of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/it-is-admirable-to-consider-how-many-millions-of-people-come-into-and/)

[William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/)

> [If thou wouldst rule well, thou must rule for God, and to do that, thou must be ruled by him... Those who will not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/if-thou-wouldst-rule-well-thou-must-rule-for-god-and-to-do-that-thou/)

[William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/)

> [In the rush and noise of life, as you have intervals, step home within yourselves and be still. Wait upon God, and feel His…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/in-the-rush-and-noise-of-life-as-you-have-intervals-step-home-within/)

[William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/)

> [Be sure that religion cannot be right that a man is the worse for having.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/be-sure-that-religion-cannot-be-right-that-a-man-is-the-worse-for/)

[William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/)

[Explore all 291 William Penn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/)

## More Business quotes

> [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. A company that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-mcmillon/companies-with-cultures-that-celebrate-diverse-opinions-and-encourage/)

[Doug McMillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-mcmillon/)

> [You can laugh at me, but I understand show business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ksenia-sobchak/you-can-laugh-at-me-but-i-understand-show-business/)

[Ksenia Sobchak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ksenia-sobchak/)

> [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/)

[Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/)

> [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/)

[Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/)

> [Many early-stage entrepreneurs make one simple mistake: Describing this 'big picture' in vague concepts and words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-nagaraj/many-early-stage-entrepreneurs-make-one-simple-mistake-describing/)

[Sunil Nagaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-nagaraj/)

> [Nobody has a crystal ball, and part of evolving a business plan is to say, 'I might have said we're going left, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-kavanaugh/nobody-has-a-crystal-ball-and-part-of-evolving-a-business-plan-is-to/)

[Ryan Kavanaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-kavanaugh/)

> [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/)

[G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/)

> [ “\[S\]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-the-possible-irrelevance-of/)

[Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/)

> [If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-have-a-different-mindset-you-will-have-a-different-outcome-if/)

[Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/)

> [“Some say the Earth is angry Because he wants no company; I say the Earth is angry Because he lives alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/some-say-the-earth-is-angry-because-he-wants-no-company-i-say-the/)

[N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/)

> [ If the State does not acquire supremacy over \[vast private\] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy-over-vast-private-enterprises/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [It's not just that families can't buy a home or start a business without some savings tucked away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cooper/it-s-not-just-that-families-can-t-buy-a-home-or-start-a-business/)

[Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/)

> [I'm not into business at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-mercury/i-m-not-into-business-at-all/)

[Freddie Mercury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-mercury/)

> [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

[Browse all 39,016 Business quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "But make not more business necessary than is so; and rather lessen than augment work for thyself.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "William Penn"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/but-make-not-more-business-necessary-than-is-so-and-rather-lessen/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Business"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/but-make-not-more-business-necessary-than-is-so-and-rather-lessen/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53d/william-penn-1104_business_but-make-not-more-business-necessary-tha_3000358.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53d/william-penn-1104_business_but-make-not-more-business-necessary-tha_3000358.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53d/william-penn-1104_business_but-make-not-more-business-necessary-tha_3000358.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“But make not more business necessary than is so; and rather lessen than augment work for thyself.” — William Penn",
                "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": "William Penn",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "But make not more business necessary...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/but-make-not-more-business-necessary-than-is-so-and-rather-lessen/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/but-make-not-more-business-necessary-than-is-so-and-rather-lessen/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
