--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No man has a right to be idle. Where is…" description: "\"No man has a right to be idle. Where is it that in such a world as this, that health, and leisure, and affluence may not find some ignorance to instruc..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f8/william-wilberforce-8564_affluence_no-man-has-a-right-to-be-idle-where-is-i_3113808.jpg" --- # No man has a right to be idle. Where is it that in such a… ![“No man has a right to be idle. Where is it that in such a world as this, that health, and leisure, and affluence may not find some ignorance to instruct, some wrong to redress, some want to supply, some misery to alleviate?” quote by William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f8/william-wilberforce-8564_affluence_no-man-has-a-right-to-be-idle-where-is-i_3113808.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f8/william-wilberforce-8564_affluence_no-man-has-a-right-to-be-idle-where-is-i_3113808.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f8/william-wilberforce-8564_affluence_no-man-has-a-right-to-be-idle-where-is-i_3113808.jpg) > “No man has a right to be idle. Where is it that in such a world as this, that health, and leisure, and affluence may not find some ignorance to instruct, some wrong to redress, some want to supply, some misery to alleviate?” [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advocates that idleness is unjust; society must address ignorance, injustice, need, and suffering through active effort. **In simple terms:** Idle people should help solve problems. Key Takeaway Take action to help others. Themes social responsibility justice activism economics Mood concerned determined Type ethical activist When to use this quote - community service - education programs - charitable work - policy reform Key Concepts humanitarianism social contract public duty Questions to Reflect On - What problems can you address today? - How does idleness affect community health? A Different Perspective May overlook individual autonomy or capacity to contribute. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Affluence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affluence/) [Health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health/) [Ignorance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignorance/) [Leisure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leisure/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Misery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misery/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [ “No man has a right to be idle. . . . \[W\]here is it that in such a world as this, health, and leisure,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-perman/no-man-has-a-right-to-be-idle-w-here-is-it-that-in-such-a-world-as/) [Matt Perman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-perman/) > [To live our lives and miss that great purpose we were designed to accomplish is truly a sin. It is inconceivable that we could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/to-live-our-lives-and-miss-that-great-purpose-we-were-designed-to/) [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) > [The whole Renaissance tradition is antipethic to me. The hard-and-fast rules of perspective which it succeeded in imposing on art were a ghastly mistake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-braque/the-whole-renaissance-tradition-is-antipethic-to-me-the-hard-and-fast/) [Georges Braque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-braque/) > [The stopping of the Judicial courts, had been blended, in the minds of some people, with the redress of grievances considered only as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-stopping-of-the-judicial-courts-had-been-blended-in-the-minds-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Perspective is a ghastly mistake which it has taken four centuries to redress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-braque/perspective-is-a-ghastly-mistake-which-it-has-taken-four-centuries-to/) [Georges Braque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-braque/) > [“One way or other, God will give redress to the injured, who in a humble silence commit their cause to him;”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-henry/one-way-or-other-god-will-give-redress-to-the-injured-who-in-a-humble/) [Matthew Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-henry/) > [America overflows with specious "victims" demanding redress for spurious grievances. However, one genuinely oppressed minority is getting overdue relief. Beginning with spring training in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-will/america-overflows-with-specious-victims-demanding-redress-for/) [George Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-will/) > [Culture is the suggestion, from certain best thoughts, that a man has a range of affinities through which he can modulate the violence of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/culture-is-the-suggestion-from-certain-best-thoughts-that-a-man-has-a/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Inspiration is not garnered from the litanies of what may befall us; it resides in humanity's willingness to restore, redress, reform, rebuild, recover, reimagine,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-hawken/inspiration-is-not-garnered-from-the-litanies-of-what-may-befall-us/) [Paul Hawken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-hawken/) > [I called the New World into existence, to redress the balance of the Old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-canning/i-called-the-new-world-into-existence-to-redress-the-balance-of-the/) [George Canning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-canning/) > [As long as we are human, we are destined to make mistakes. We all fall prey to flawed beliefs and views. What separates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisaku-ikeda/as-long-as-we-are-human-we-are-destined-to-make-mistakes-we-all-fall/) [Daisaku Ikeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisaku-ikeda/) > [Tereza's mother never stopped reminding her that being a mother meant sacrificing everything. Her words had the ring of truth, backed as they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/tereza-s-mother-never-stopped-reminding-her-that-being-a-mother-meant/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [The same Constitution that allows her the right, if she wants to, to sit there and say nothing, allows these groups the right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trey-gowdy/the-same-constitution-that-allows-her-the-right-if-she-wants-to-to/) [Trey Gowdy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trey-gowdy/) > [Any time you find the government involved in a conspiracy to violate the citizenship or the civil rights of a people, then you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/any-time-you-find-the-government-involved-in-a-conspiracy-to-violate/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [And, lastly, to vindicate these rights, when actually violated and attacked, the subjects of England are entitled, in the first place, to the regular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blackstone/and-lastly-to-vindicate-these-rights-when-actually-violated-and/) [William Blackstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blackstone/) ## More by William Wilberforce > [Selfishness is one of the principal fruits of the corruption of human nature; and it is obvious that selfishness disposes us to over-rate our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/selfishness-is-one-of-the-principal-fruits-of-the-corruption-of-human/) [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) > [Let everyone regulate his conduct... by the golden rule of doing to others as in similar circumstances we would have them do to us,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/let-everyone-regulate-his-conduct-by-the-golden-rule-of-doing-to/) [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) > [Surely the principles of Christianity lead to action as well as meditation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/surely-the-principles-of-christianity-lead-to-action-as-well-as/) [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) > [Some bolder spirits, indeed, might be expected to despise the cautious moderation of these timid reasoners, and to pronounce decisively, that the Bible was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/some-bolder-spirits-indeed-might-be-expected-to-despise-the-cautious/) [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) > [“God Almighty has set before me two Great Objects: the supression of the Slave Trade and the Reformation of Manners.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/god-almighty-has-set-before-me-two-great-objects-the-supression-of/) [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) > [The title of Christian is a reproach to us, if we estrange ourselves from Him after whom we are denominated. The name of Jesus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/the-title-of-christian-is-a-reproach-to-us-if-we-estrange-ourselves/) [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) > [God Almighty has set before me two great objects, the suppression of the slave trade and the reformation of manners (morality).](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/god-almighty-has-set-before-me-two-great-objects-the-suppression-of/) [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) > [Life as we know it, with all its ups and downs, will soon be over. We all will give an accounting to God of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/life-as-we-know-it-with-all-its-ups-and-downs-will-soon-be-over-we/) [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) > [If there is no passionate love for Christ at the center of everything, we will only jingle and jangle our way across the world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/if-there-is-no-passionate-love-for-christ-at-the-center-of-everything/) [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) > [Its guilt therefore in these cases, is not to be measure by its effects on the happiness of mankind; nor is it to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/its-guilt-therefore-in-these-cases-is-not-to-be-measure-by-its/) [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) > [It is the true duty of every man to promote the happiness of his fellow creatures to the utmost of his power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/it-is-the-true-duty-of-every-man-to-promote-the-happiness-of-his/) [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) > [When blessed with wealth, let them withdraw from the competition of vanity and be modest, retiring from ostentation, and not be the slaves of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/when-blessed-with-wealth-let-them-withdraw-from-the-competition-of/) [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) > [“Let him then, who would be indeed a Christian, watch over his ways and over his heart with unceasing circumspection. Let him endeavour to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/let-him-then-who-would-be-indeed-a-christian-watch-over-his-ways-and/) [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) > [Africa, your sufferings have been the theme that has arrested & engaged my heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/africa-your-sufferings-have-been-the-theme-that-has-arrested-engaged/) [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) > [It must be conceded by those who admit the authority of Scripture (such only he is addressing) that from the decision of the word…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/it-must-be-conceded-by-those-who-admit-the-authority-of-scripture/) [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) [Explore all 80 William Wilberforce quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) ## More Affluence quotes > [In our own time the whole of Greece has been subject to a low birth rate and a general decrease of the population, owing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/polybius/in-our-own-time-the-whole-of-greece-has-been-subject-to-a-low-birth/) [Polybius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/polybius/) > [The secret of achieving prosperity lies in so vividly keeping yourself centered in the inner focus of affluence that you literally exude the consciousness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-butterworth/the-secret-of-achieving-prosperity-lies-in-so-vividly-keeping/) [Eric Butterworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-butterworth/) > [Affluence = abundant flow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-butterworth/affluence-abundant-flow/) [Eric Butterworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-butterworth/) > [“If I am to choose between integrity and wealth, I will go for integrity because I believe that lack of integrity is the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/if-i-am-to-choose-between-integrity-and-wealth-i-will-go-for/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > ['Playboy' made the good life a reality for me and made it the subject matter of my paintings - not affluence and luxury as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leroy-neiman/playboy-made-the-good-life-a-reality-for-me-and-made-it-the-subject/) [LeRoy Neiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leroy-neiman/) > [Affluence creates poverty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-mcluhan/affluence-creates-poverty/) [Marshall McLuhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-mcluhan/) > [The primary cause of disorder and lawlessness today, as throughout history, is the poverty of the many in contrast to the affluence of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-o-kelso/the-primary-cause-of-disorder-and-lawlessness-today-as-throughout/) [Louis O. Kelso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-o-kelso/) > [To generate any appreciable degree of long-term affluence requires scrupulous honesty and the willingness to honor long-term agreements with employers, suppliers, partners, and especially…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sheaffer/to-generate-any-appreciable-degree-of-long-term-affluence-requires/) [Robert Sheaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sheaffer/) > [“Imam Hussein Ibn Ali al-Shaheed was once asked: what is affluence? He said : Decreasing your wishes , and being satisfied with what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/imam-hussein-ibn-ali-al-shaheed-was-once-asked-what-is-affluence-he/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I don't want to be around people who accept me as is, in my unrefined state of becoming. I consistently want people around me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandi-l-bates/i-don-t-want-to-be-around-people-who-accept-me-as-is-in-my-unrefined/) [Brandi L. Bates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandi-l-bates/) > [Large department stores, with their luxuriant abundance of canned goods, foods, and clothing, are like the primary landscape and the geometrical locus of affluence.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baudrillard/large-department-stores-with-their-luxuriant-abundance-of-canned/) [Jean Baudrillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baudrillard/) > [Owning a home is a keystone of wealth - both financial affluence and emotional security.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/owning-a-home-is-a-keystone-of-wealth-both-financial-affluence-and/) [Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/) > [“Don’t let affluence make you impoverished of God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-bloom/don-t-let-affluence-make-you-impoverished-of-god/) [Jon Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-bloom/) > [“Drama does not just walk into our lives. Either we create it, invite it, or associate with it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandi-l-bates/drama-does-not-just-walk-into-our-lives-either-we-create-it-invite-it/) [Brandi L. Bates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandi-l-bates/) > [There is wealth but no wellbeing. What are you going to do with this wealth?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaggi-vasudev/there-is-wealth-but-no-wellbeing-what-are-you-going-to-do-with-this/) [Jaggi Vasudev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaggi-vasudev/) [Browse all 181 Affluence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affluence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "No man has a right to be idle. Where is it that in such a world as this, that health, and leisure, and affluence may not find some ignorance to instruct, some wrong to redress, some want to supply, some misery to alleviate?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Wilberforce" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/no-man-has-a-right-to-be-idle-where-is-it-that-in-such-a-world-as/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Affluence" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/no-man-has-a-right-to-be-idle-where-is-it-that-in-such-a-world-as/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f8/william-wilberforce-8564_affluence_no-man-has-a-right-to-be-idle-where-is-i_3113808.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f8/william-wilberforce-8564_affluence_no-man-has-a-right-to-be-idle-where-is-i_3113808.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f8/william-wilberforce-8564_affluence_no-man-has-a-right-to-be-idle-where-is-i_3113808.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“No man has a right to be idle. Where is it that in such a world as this, that health, and leisure, and…” — William Wilberforce", "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 Wilberforce", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "No man has a right to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/no-man-has-a-right-to-be-idle-where-is-it-that-in-such-a-world-as/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/no-man-has-a-right-to-be-idle-where-is-it-that-in-such-a-world-as/#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 } } ] } ```