The chief product of an automated society is a widespread and deepening sense of boredom.
C. Northcote ParkinsonRead
The man whose life is devoted to paperwork has lost the initiative. He is dealing with things that are brought to his notice, having ceased to notice anything for himself.
Interpretation
Focusing too much on mundane tasks can lead to a loss of initiative and awareness.
This quote by C. Northcote Parkinson suggests that a person who becomes overly absorbed in administrative or bureaucratic tasks may inadvertently lose their ability to think independently and creatively. By immersing themselves in paperwork, they might only react to matters that come their way rather than actively seek out new opportunities and insights.
In practice
In a team meeting to discuss increasing productivity, one might say this quote to emphasize the importance of initiative over everyday tasks.
The chief product of an automated society is a widespread and deepening sense of boredom.
The man who is denied the opportunity of taking decisions of importance begins to regard as important the decisions he is allowed to take.
Delay is the deadliest form of denial.
Parkinson's First Law: Work expands to fill the time available.
If you have the ball, you must make the field as big as possible, and if you don't have the ball, you must make it as small as possible.
One of them is knowing the difference between Morality and Wisdom. Morality is temporary, Wisdom is permanent… Ho ho. Take that one to bed with you tonight.
Let us live simply in the freshness of the present moment, in the clarity of pure awakened mind.
One must always hope when one is desperate, and doubt when one hopes.
Go where he will, the wise man is at home, His hearth the earth, his hall the azure dome.
Youth is happy because it has the ability to see beauty. Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old.
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