Poetry, being supremely useless, by its very existence represents a protest against the so-called 'real world' of busy-ness and moneymaking, so we must embrace, salute and support our poets. Tom Hodgkinson busycallembrace Change image and share on social
Indolence, of course, is an absolutely crucial part of the creative process: you do not find poets sitting in rows in cavernous word factories, staring at screens. They are rather to be found lolling on the sofa or strolling through the groves, nursing their melancholic temperaments and losing themselves in extended reveries. Tom Hodgkinson absolutelycavernouscreative share on social
In this age of getting what you want and getting it now, the simple pleasure of browsing is often forgotten. Tom Hodgkinson agebrowseforget Change image and share on social
Bosses should sanction the nap rather than expect workers to power on all day without repose. They might even find that workers' happiness - or what management types refer to as 'employee satisfaction results' - might improve. Tom Hodgkinson bossdayemployee share on social
Both on an individual and a national scale, debt imprisons. Tom Hodgkinson debtimprisonindividual Change image and share on social
The reason laziness is rarely pushed as a lifestyle option is down to one simple reason: money. There are fortunes to be made out of active lifestyles. Gyms charge fees. But no one is going to make money out of sleep. It is free. Tom Hodgkinson activechargefee share on social
I originally welcomed the mobile phone, as it seemed to me that it would enable you to work from anywhere. On the mobile, who was to know if you were sitting on the branch of a tree or sitting in an office? But it instead had the opposite effect: instead of freeing us from the office, it allowed the office to take away our freedom. Tom Hodgkinson allowbrancheffect share on social
We no longer sing and dance. We don't know how to. Instead, we watch other people sing and dance on the television screen. Christmas, which was once a festival of active enjoyment, has turned into a binge of purely passive pleasures. Tom Hodgkinson activebingechristmas share on social
Faffing is completely harmless, whereas its opposite - dynamic, purposeful activity - is often very harmful. Faffers do not tend to kill people or make them work 12-hour days or sell them shoddy merchandise or lend them vast sums of money that they cannot pay back. Tom Hodgkinson activitybackcompletely share on social
If you can find a way to make a living doing something you enjoy, or a range of things that you enjoy, then it can scarcely be called work. Tom Hodgkinson callenjoyfind Change image and share on social