Tom Hodgkinson
Tom Hodgkinson
Tom Hodgkinsonis a British writer, and the editor of The Idler, which he established in 1993 with his friend Gavin Pretor-Pinney. His philosophy, in his published books and articles, is of a relaxed approach to life, enjoying it as it comes rather than toiling for an imagined better future. The Idler was originally a series of essays written by Dr Johnson from 1758 to 1760...
NationalityBritish
ProfessionWriter
business depressing gets marketing mission none rampant sides statements word
Of all the depressing abuses of language in business, there is none that gets me so incensed as the rampant overuse of the word 'passionate' in company slogans, marketing blurbs, mission statements and on the sides of vans.
creating time whether
Whether you live in the city or in the country, creating time for a leisurely ramble is an easy thing to do.
depressing phrase
The phrase 'work/life balance' encapsulates a depressing outlook.
night drunk people
Guilt is also a way for us to express to others that we are a person of good conscience. 'I feel really guilty about getting drunk last night,' we say, when in actual fact we feel no guilt whatsoever or, at least, we could choose to feel no guilt. When people say to me, 'I drank too much last night,' I always reply, 'I drank exactly the right amount.
sleep hard-work successful
Beauty, pleasure, freedom and plenty of sleep: these are the hallmarks of a successful idler's break. Travel should not be hard work.
sleep naps paradise
I count it as a certainty that in paradise, everyone naps.
happy-life technology unnecessary
All of our technology is completely unnecessary to a happy life.
naps boss might
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.
idle efficient
Paradoxically, to be truly idle, you also have to be efficient.
numbers lines obsessed
We have become so obsessed by numbers and by bottom lines that beauty and truth has been knocked aside.
sleep naps tough-times
When the going gets tough, the tough take a nap.
nice writing mean
I like the idea of becoming [fairly] good at lots of things rather than very good at just one thing. So it would be nice to be okay at the guitar or at the piano, a reasonable cook, perhaps able to fix your car or do some basic carpentry, and be able to write the odd article. Rather than being super good at one tiny thing, to be kind of average at lots of things. It might mean that you have a more kind of enjoyable, complete life.
enjoy making-a-living
Doing something you enjoy at times of your own choosing and making a living from it: now tell me, is that work?
idlers poet ifs
All poets are idlers, even if all idlers are not poets.