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Our disrespect for thinking: someone sitting in a chair, gazing out of a window blankly, always described as 'doing nothing'.
Alain De Botton
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote suggests that society undervalues contemplation and reflection, viewing them as inactivity.

Alain De Botton's quote critiques the common perception that simply sitting and thinking is unproductive or useless. He points out that this 'doing nothing' is often a necessary cognitive process that can foster creativity, insight, and deeper understanding, thereby revealing the importance of mental space and reflection in our busy lives.

Themes

ThinkingContemplationReflectionDoing NothingPhilosophy

In practice

Example use cases

In a seminar on the importance of mindfulness, this quote can highlight the value of taking time to think.

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Good books put a finger on emotions that are deeply our own - but that we could never have described on our own.
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It is the most ambitious and driven among us who are the most sorely in need of having our reckless hopes dampened through immersive dousings in the darkness which religions have explored. This is a particular priority for secular Americans, perhaps the most anxious and disappointed people on earth, for their nation infuses them with the most extreme hopes about what they may be able to achieve in their working lives and relationships.
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Quote by Alain De Botton | QuoteProject