The quote “Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time” is often attributed to Marthe Troly-Curtin, a British novelist from the early 20th century. This simple yet profound statement challenges our modern obsession with productivity and efficiency by suggesting that value exists beyond measurable output. The sentiment invites us to reconsider how we perceive time spent on activities that bring joy but may not yield tangible results.
In our achievement-oriented society, there’s an implicit pressure to maximize every moment toward productive ends. Activities labeled as “time-wasters”—daydreaming, leisurely walks, or simply sitting in contemplation—are frequently discouraged or viewed with suspicion. Productivity gurus and time management experts often categorize our activities into “productive” versus “unproductive,” with the latter carrying a negative connotation.
Troly-Curtin’s perspective offers a refreshing counterpoint to this dichotomy. It suggests that enjoyment itself is a legitimate outcome, and time that brings genuine pleasure or contentment serves an essential purpose in human experience. This concept resonates with various philosophical traditions, from Epicureanism to certain strands of Eastern thought, which emphasize the importance of pleasure, mindfulness, and being present.
The quote doesn’t advocate for hedonism or shirking responsibilities. Rather, it encourages a more balanced assessment of how we spend our time, recognizing that rest, play, and enjoyment are not merely indulgences but necessary components of a well-lived life. In this interpretation, “wasting time” pleasurably becomes an investment in mental health, creativity, and overall well-being.
The Creative Pause: J.K. Rowling’s Train Delay
In the early 1990s, a young woman named Joanne Rowling found herself on a delayed train journey from Manchester to London. For four hours, the train remained motionless on the tracks due to mechanical failures. To many passengers, this delay represented the epitome of wasted time—a frustrating interruption to their scheduled activities and appointments.
Rowling, however, found her mind wandering to an idea that had been percolating for some time: a story about a boy wizard who attends a magical school. With no pen at hand, she was unable to write down her thoughts, so she simply sat and developed the characters, plot, and magical world in her imagination. What might have been considered “wasted time” by conventional standards became the birthplace of Harry Potter, one of the most successful literary franchises in history.
In later interviews, Rowling often recounted this train delay as a pivotal moment in her creative journey. The enforced idleness provided space for her imagination to flourish without the pressure of immediate production. Had she been equipped with her usual tools or distractions, the story might have taken a different form or perhaps never materialized at all.
Rowling’s experience illustrates Troly-Curtin’s wisdom perfectly. The delay, which appeared to be unproductive time, became valuable precisely because Rowling enjoyed the process of creative daydreaming. The “wasted” hours on that train ultimately led to seven novels, eight blockbuster films, theme parks, merchandise, and a cultural phenomenon that has brought joy to millions. It stands as a powerful reminder that moments of apparent idleness can be the fertile ground from which our greatest achievements grow.
The Eureka Moment: Archimedes and the Leisurely Bath
In ancient Syracuse, around 250 BCE, the mathematician and inventor Archimedes faced a challenging problem posed by King Hiero II. The king suspected that a goldsmith had defrauded him by substituting silver for some of the gold in a crown, but there was no way to prove this without destroying the crown. Archimedes was tasked with solving this dilemma.
Despite his considerable mathematical prowess, Archimedes couldn’t immediately find a solution. After days of concentrated effort, he decided to take a break and visit the public baths—a leisure activity that might have seemed like “wasting time” when an urgent royal commission awaited completion.
As Archimedes lowered himself into the bath, he noticed that water spilled over the sides, and the water level rose in proportion to the volume of his body that was submerged. In this moment of relaxation, the solution suddenly became clear: by measuring the volume of water displaced by the crown and comparing it to the volume displaced by an equal weight of pure gold, he could determine whether other metals had been added to the crown.
According to legend, Archimedes was so excited by this realization that he leapt from the bath and ran through the streets naked, shouting “Eureka!” (“I have found it!”). This moment of insight led to Archimedes’ principle of buoyancy, a fundamental concept in physics that explains how objects float in fluids.
The story of Archimedes illustrates how time spent in apparent leisure—a relaxing bath—can lead to breakthrough solutions that concentrated effort failed to produce. The bath wasn’t wasted time; it was precisely the mental break needed for Archimedes’ subconscious to make connections his conscious mind had missed. Today, cognitive scientists recognize this phenomenon as the “incubation effect,” where stepping away from a problem often leads to its solution.
Archimedes’ bath reminds us that periods of relaxation and pleasure aren’t merely indulgences—they’re often essential to the creative and problem-solving process. In enjoying what seemed like wasted time, Archimedes discovered a principle that would influence science for millennia to come, embodying Troly-Curtin’s insight that time enjoyed is never truly wasted.