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Perpetual devotion to what a man calls his business is only to be sustained by perpetual neglect of many other things.
Robert Louis Stevenson
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Focusing solely on one's work can lead to the neglect of important aspects of life.

Robert Louis Stevenson's quote highlights the idea that an intense commitment to one's job or business often comes at the cost of neglecting other vital areas of life, such as relationships, health, and personal growth. It serves as a reminder to strive for balance, as an obsession with work can overshadow the importance of holistic well-being.

Themes

BusinessDevotionNeglectBalanceWork-Life

In practice

Example use cases

During a keynote speech about work-life balance in the corporate world.

More from Robert Louis Stevenson

Our business in life is not to succeed, but to continue to fail in good spirits.
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Like a bird singing in the rain, let grateful memories survive in time of sorrow.
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That man is a success who has lived well, laughed often and loved much.
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His past was fairly blameless; few men could read the rolls of their life with less apprehension; yet he was humbled to the dust by the many ill things he had done, and raised up again into sober and fearful gratitude by the many he had come so near to doing, yet avoided.
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The habit of being happy enables one to be freed, or largely freed, from the domination of outward conditions.
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It is the history of our kindnesses that alone make this world tolerable. If it were not for that, for the effect of kind words, kind looks, kind letters . . . I should be inclined to think our life a practical jest in the worst possible spirit.
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