“In the West, we have become addicted to work. Americans now work the longest hours in the world. And the result is not health, wealth and wisdom, but rather a lot of anxiety, a lot of ill health and a lot of debt.” WorldHoursWealthResultsAnxietyWestIllDebtIll HealthHealth Wealth Book:How to Be Idle: A Loafer's Manifesto Source: How to Be Idle: A Loafer's Manifesto
“I've found that there isn't any correlation whatsoever between the hours put in and the quality of what comes out. Most of the Beatles' songs probably originated in about five minutes.” SongFoundHoursQualityFiveMinutesFive MinutesCorrelation Author:Tom Hodgkinson
“Part of this individualism is you feel this pressure that you alone have to conquer the world, and if you don't work all the hours God gives then you start feeling really guilty. If you can stop feeling guilty, then I think it's easier to start doing what you want to do.” IfsThinkingWorldWantGivingFeelsFeelingsHoursEasierPressureWhat You WantGuiltyConquerIndividualismConquer The WorldFeeling GuiltyDoing What You Want Author:Tom Hodgkinson
“There are a lot of little tricks you can do to inject a bit more time into the day. Most important is limiting yourself to a 40 hour week, not working 50 hours or 60 or 70. It's just crazy. It's actually irresponsible to you and irresponsible to your family and friends. Why should your employer's profits be more important than your own family? You're not even going to get any of the profits - all you get is not losing your job. It's a very negative system.” ShouldLittlesImportantJobsBitsCan DoHoursWeekCrazyLosingNegativeProfitTricksOur FamilyMore TimeFamily And FriendsEmployersIrresponsibleLimiting Yourself Author:Tom Hodgkinson
“What is required as we travel towards full unemployment is not new legislation but a gradual change of mental attitude, a shift in values. As our taste for idling grows, we will refuse to work for old-fashioned bosses who demand a five-day, 40-hour, nine-to-five type week, or worse.” ValuesGrowsHoursAttitudeFiveWeekTypeTasteDemandRefuseNineBossLegislationUnemploymentOld FashionedMental AttitudeGradual Change Author:Tom Hodgkinson
“Surely, anyway, a working day of eight or nine hours which is not split by a nap is simply too much for a human being to take, day in, day out, and particularly so in hot weather.” HumansHoursHuman BeingsToo MuchHotEightNineWeatherSplitsNapsHot Weather Author:Tom Hodgkinson
“Faffing is completely harmless, whereas its opposite - dynamic, purposeful activity - is often very harmful. Faffers do not tend to kill people or make them work 12-hour days or sell them shoddy merchandise or lend them vast sums of money that they cannot pay back.” PeopleHoursPayActivityOppositesSellsMerchandise Author:Tom Hodgkinson
“It takes a while to master the art of hammock-lounging. At first I could only manage five minutes or so before I thought I ought to get out and go and help a child learn how to swim or something. But after observing the Mexicans' capability for staring into space for hours on end, I decided to put in some proper practice.” FirstsChildrenArtEndsHelpingHoursSpacePracticeFiveMinutesMastersOughtDecidedManageStaringSwimCapabilityFive MinutesObservingHammocksLoungingStaring Into Space Author:Tom Hodgkinson
“When stuck years ago in a job I hated, my only friend was the public bench. As the tedious mornings dragged on, how I would long for the lunch hour, when I would be able to escape the torture of the office and stroll over to the churchyard and into the comforting wooden embrace of one of its benches.” YearsLongWould BeAbleJobsHoursMorningOfficeYears AgoEmbraceStuckHatedTortureLunchComfortingBenchesTedious Author:Tom Hodgkinson
