“Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.” It is one of the most shared lines about time on the internet, and the time you enjoy wasting quote arrives with a remarkable number of authors attached. Depending on where you look it belongs to John Lennon, Bertrand Russell, T. S. Eliot, Søren Kierkegaard or the writer Laurence J. Peter. The real answer is someone far less famous, and a good deal more interesting.
The real source: a 1912 novel
The earliest known appearance is in Phrynette Married, a 1912 novel by Marthe Troly-Curtin, a French-born writer working in London. It was the sequel to Phrynette (1911), a light, witty book about a young Frenchwoman in London society that was briefly the talk of the town. Quotation researchers who have traced the line back have found nothing earlier.
In the novel it is not a motto at all but a line of dialogue. One character suggests that another’s father, an artist, might have produced three times as much work had he not spent so much of his life on pleasant distractions. The reply: he liked it, and time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time. The first speaker is not convinced, and says so. The phrase was born in the middle of an argument, and the argument has never really been settled.
Why Lennon and Russell get the credit
Great lines drift towards famous names. Bertrand Russell is an understandable guess: in 1932 he published an essay called “In Praise of Idleness”, arguing that the modern world overvalues work and undervalues leisure. The sentiment is close, but the sentence is not his. John Lennon, who spent his last years happily stepping back from the music business to be at home, is an equally tempting fit. Neither is the source. If you are writing it in a card, a caption or a speech, the accurate credit is Marthe Troly-Curtin, or simply “anonymous” if you would rather play safe.
Is it true?
It depends on what you mean by “wasted”. Benjamin Franklin would have raised an eyebrow: he was the man who wrote that lost time is never found again (we looked at his sayings in Benjamin Franklin quotes about time and money). Yet even Franklin built evenings of music and conversation into his daily timetable.
Perhaps the two ideas are not enemies. Time is lost when it slips away unnoticed, spent on things we neither chose nor enjoyed. An afternoon in the garden, a long lunch with an old friend, a morning with a novel and a pot of tea: those hours are chosen, and they are remembered. That is not waste. It is rather the point.
Prints for people who value a slow afternoon
These four prints share the same generous view of time. Each is set on parchment beneath our antique clock face with no hands, and each is available as a printed poster or an instant download.
They belong in a home office. A study. A kitchen. Anywhere you need a quiet, grounded reminder that the gap between intention and action is always smaller than it feels.
Why No Hands Art
✦ A reminder that doesn’t need willpower: the wall remembers for you, every time you glance up.
✦ The words are checked: quotes are correctly attributed, never pinned on the wrong famous name.
✦ Your choice: printed to order, or an instant download to print at home in A4 or US Letter.
Time You Enjoy Wasting Is Not Wasted Time
Our print leaves the author line off, which, given the muddle over who said it, may be the most honest choice. It suits a reading corner, a newly retired friend, or anyone who needs permission to put their feet up.
See the printed poster on Etsy · or get the instant download
Did You Have Fun Today?
Four questions for the end of any day, and a kinder measure of time well spent than a finished to-do list. Lovely in a family kitchen or a child’s bedroom.
See the printed poster on Etsy · or get the instant download
Spend Money on Silly Adventures
The same thought, pointed at the bigger picture. A favourite retirement gift, and a gentle nudge for anyone who has not booked a holiday in years.
See the printed poster on Etsy · or get the instant download
It’s Time for Friends
Most of the time we remember enjoying “wasting” was spent with other people. A warm gift for a best friend or a new home.
See the printed poster on Etsy · or get the instant download
Permission to pause
The clock on every No Hands Art poster has no hands for a reason: the hours are not there to chase us, they are ours to spend. You can read more about that idea, and why we started making these prints, on our About page.