Nature never appeals to intelligence until habit and instinct are useless. There is no intelligence where there is no need of change.
H. G. WellsRead
You cannot imagine the craving for rest that I feel-a hunger and thirst. For six long days, since my work was done, my mind has been a whirlpool, swift, unprogressive and incessant, a torrent of thoughts leading nowhere, spinning round swift and steady.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses the deep yearning for rest and the overwhelming nature of constant, unproductive thoughts.
H. G. Wells articulates a powerful sentiment of mental exhaustion and the desire for peace that comes after a period of intense work. The image of a 'whirlpool' represents the chaotic and relentless flow of thoughts that, despite their volume, lead to no significant outcome. This highlights the importance of recognizing one's limits and the need for rest in order to regain clarity and focus.
Themes
RestThoughtsExhaustionPeaceMind
In practice
Example use cases
This quote is perfect to use during a wellness seminar to encourage the importance of rest.
More from H. G. Wells
All quotes →He spares no resource in telling of his dead inventions... Bare verbs he rarely tolerates. He splits infinitives and fills them up with adverbial stuffing. He presses the passing colloquialism into his service. His vast paragraphis sweat and struggle; the
H. G. WellsRead
It [a new world order] needs only that the governments of Britain, the United States, France, Germany, and Russia should get together in order to set up an effective control of currency, credit, production, and distribution – that is to say, an effective ‘dictatorship of prosperity,’ for the whole world. The other sixty odd States would have to join in or accommodate themselves to the over-ruling decisions of these major Powers.
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Things that would have made fame of a less clever man seemed tricks in his hands. It is a mistake to do things too easily.
H. G. WellsRead
But I was too restless to watch long; I'm too Occidental for a long vigil. I could work at a problem for years, but to wait inactive for twenty-four hours - that's another matter.
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The greatest task of democracy, its ritual and feast - is choice.
H. G. WellsRead
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