Leisure quotes
210 quotes on this topic — from poets, philosophers, and thinkers across history.
"We labour at our daily work more ardently and thoughtlessly than is necessary to sustain our life because it is even more necessary not to have leisure to stop and think. Haste is universal because everyone is in flight from himself."
"What being at leisure means is more easily felt than defined."
"Man works when he is partially involved. When he is totally involved he is at play or leisure."
"Do not say, 'When I have leisure, I will study,' because you may never have leisure."
"God has infinite attention, infinite leisure to spare for each one of us. He doesn't have to take us in the line. You're as much alone with Him as if you were the only thing He'd ever created."
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Browse quotes that often appear alongside leisure — connected by shared ideas and recurring themes.
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"Leisure is the time for doing something useful."
"The true contemplative is one who has discovered the art of finding leisure even in the midst of his work, by working with such a spirit of detachment and recollection that even his work is a prayer"
"Some day no one will have to work more than two days a week... The human being can consume so much and no more. When we reach the point when the world produces all the goods that it needs in two days, as it inevitably will, we must curtail our production of goods and turn our attention to the great problem of what to do with our new leisure."
"We mistook violence for passion, indolence for leisure, and thought recklessness was freedom."
"He that will make good use of any part of his life must allow a large part of it to recreation."
"It is dainty to be sick if you have leisure and convenience for it."
"Loafing" is easy, but "leisure" is difficult."
"I must confess that I am interested in leisure in the same way that a poor man is interested in money."
"Everybody was saying we must have more leisure. Now they are complaining they are unemployed."
"Employ thy time well, if thou meanest to gain leisure."
"What will be the good of the conquest of leisure and health, if no one remembers how to use them?"
"The first principle of all action is leisure."
"The average are addicted to leisure. The exceptional are obsessed with learning."
"Take away leisure and Cupid's bow is broken"
"Money and time are the heaviest burdens of life, and... the unhappiest of all mortals are those who have more of either than they know how to use."
"Whoever is to acquire a competent knowledge of medicine, ought to be possessed of the following advantages: a natural disposition; instructionl a favorable place for the study; early tuition, love of labor; leisure."
"Come then, and let us pass a leisure hour in storytelling, and our story shall be the education of our heroes."
"Turn your churches into halls of science, and devote your leisure day to the study of your own bodies, the analysis of your own minds, and the examination of the fair material world which extends around you!"
"Leisure is pain; take off our chariot wheels; how heavily we drag the load of life!"
"Nothing excellent can be done without leisure."
