Modern man thinks he loses something - time - when he does not do things quickly; yet he does not know what to do with the time he gains - except kill it.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Modern man thinks doing things quickly saves time but lacks purpose for the time gained. He ends up wasting it.
- In plain terms
- Efficiency gives us time we don't know how to use.
- What can you take from it?
- Find purpose beyond efficiency.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What would you do with extra time?
- Why rush?
Another view
Efficiency is sometimes necessary for survival.
More from Erich Fromm
Modern man lives under the illusion that he knows what he wants, while he actually wants what he is supposed to want.
Permalink to quote #85 Most people die before they are fully born. Creativeness means to be born before one dies.
Permalink to quote #87 Men are born equal but they are also born different.
Permalink to quote #84
Related quotes
'Time lost is time when we have not lived a full human life, time unenriched by experience, creative endeavor, enjoyment, and suffering.'
Dietrich BonhoefferDietrich Bonhoeffer quote #1 Service: 'No time is better spent than that spent in the service of your fellow man.'
Bryant McGillBryant McGill quote #1 But what about speed?
Danny DevitoDanny Devito quote #1