They have been to school and college， but all the time they had their eye on the medal； they have gone about in the world and mixed with clever people， but all the time they were thinking of their own affairs. As if a man’s soul were not too small to begin with， they have dwarfed and narrowed theirs by a life of all work and no play； until here they are at forty， with a listless attention， a mind vacant of all material of amusement， and not one thought to rub against another， while they wait for the train. Before he was breeched， he might have clambered on the boxes， when he was twenty， he would have stared at the girls； but now the pipe is smoked out， the snuff-box empty， and my gentleman sits bolt upright upon a bench， with lamentable eyes. This does not appeal to me as being Success in Life.
无论在中学还是在大学，在教会还是在市场，忙忙碌碌都是欠缺生命力的一个标志。闲散的本领意味着广泛的兴趣与对个性的强烈意识。这些无精打采、陈腐之人，除了一些常规的工作外，几乎没有生存的意识。如果把他们带到乡村，或是让他们乘船到国外去，你们就会看到他们是多么渴望办公桌和书房了；他们全无好奇心，也不会任由自己宣泄怒气；他们不会在展现自己本领的活动上开心或是独自陶醉；除非紧急情况，例如用棒子打他，他们才会前行。
与这些朋友根本无法交谈：他们不会放松，天生不懂豪放；他们只会昏沉地度过那些时间，他们不会倾注全力在碾金厂里。当他们不想工作时，当他们不感到饥饿、不打算饮酒时，这个生机勃勃的世界对他们来说就是空白的。如果他们必须要等一个小时的火车，他们就会睁着眼睛陷入恍惚之中。看到他们，你就会猜到没有什么可看的，也没有人可以交流；你能够想象得到他们已经麻痹或是与世隔绝了。然而，他们很可能以自己的方式成为勤奋的工作者，而且眼光锐利，可以看出一张契约上的瑕疵或是市场行情的变化。