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If man is to be liberated to enjoy more leisure, he must also be prepared to enjoy this leisure fully and creatively. For people to have more time to read, to take part in their civic obligations, to know more about how their government functions and who their officials are might mean in a democracy a great improvement in the democratic processes. Let's begin, then, to think how we can prepare old and young for these new opportunities. Let's not wait until they come upon us suddenly and we have a crisis that we will be ill prepared to meet. (5 November 1958)

Eleanor Roosevelt#47

EducationSocietyDemocracyCivic dutyLeisurePreparation

About this quote

What does it mean?
Liberation requires preparation to use free time wisely for personal and civic growth.
In plain terms
If people get more free time, they need to learn how to use it well.
What can you take from it?
Prepare people for leisure before it arrives to avoid crisis.

Where it applies

  • policy making
  • community education
  • democratic reform

Putting it to work

  • create adult education programs
  • promote civic literacy
  • plan for work reduction

Questions to consider

  • How do you spend your free time?
  • What skills help you enjoy leisure?

Another view

Assuming people will automatically use leisure constructively may be optimistic.

More from Eleanor Roosevelt

  1. The arts in every field - music, drama, sculpture, painting - we can learn to appreciate and enjoy. We need not be artists, but we should be able to appreciate…

    Permalink to quote #46
  2. In times past, the question usually asked by women was 'How can we best help to defend our nation?' I cannot remember a time when the question on so many peopl…

    Permalink to quote #48
  3. If the use of leisure time is confined to looking at TV for a few extra hours every day, we will deteriorate as a people. (5 November 1958)

    Permalink to quote #45

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