An Idle Mind is the Devil’s Workshop Means

An idle mind is devil's workshop meaning

If there is one thing that every person loves, it is to stay idle. Sitting at home playing video games, eating hot Cheetos, and sleeping, whenever one wants sounds like the perfect life. But is it? How can the most comfortable and relaxing lifestyle be leading you to dumps? This article comprehensively explains, “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.” The brain is the most powerful muscle in our body; when it does not get to do any work, it starts to fade away and wander into unhealthy and detrimental thoughts. When you stay active, or the mind stays occupied, it has no time to dwell on things, but when it remains idle, it starts strolling into the ways of the devil, namely cheating, deceit, theft, etc. 

Be it toddlers, adolescents, adults, or geriatrics, anyone’s mind will turn into a mush staying inactive for a longer duration. Something wrong can happen does not mean one should stop enjoying life because we can majorly prevent many unfortunate situations with slight tweaks. Read on to understand the concept profoundly and its possible preventions.

The extended meaning of the concept “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.”

The most basic idea of the concept is that a mind with nothing to do is much more probable to do evil and sinful things than active, productive, and just overall busy. The concept has been around for centuries. From the most prominent politician to the most paid sportsperson to the man working in the factory to earn minimum wages, everyone believes in it. Throughout history and in our day-to-day life, we see multiple examples of how someone ended up in ruins who could have been in the clouds. 

And for example, let us take prison cells, a detention center created by people from all walks of the universe to pay for their crimes and misdoings. The concept behind putting people under detention is to make them feel guilty about their deeds, to make them regret their decisions, and hopefully have a better life in the years to come. But they are not put there to sit and do nothing, they are given daily tasks and duties to fulfill, books to read, and occasional movies; all based on the same concept that if they stay idle, their chances are improvement are way lesser than the chances of their minds getting infiltrated by the devil.   

Another example is the children who become drug addicts and ruin their lives before they can even begin. They did not use the most important time of their life. Instead, They spent it staying idle and unproductive led them into a cyclone of events that one after the other ruined everything that could have been and left behind a pile of muddles and broken houses and fallen trees. If only they had someone, who told them what not to do or maybe had help their hand and helped them utilize the time they had, the reality could have been very different. 

So, is the concept real? Is it just the imagination of a philosopher sitting idle with nothing to do? From all the real-life examples we discussed and the ones we couldn’t, it would not be wrong to say that the concept is entirely true, and it is also a great light bearer in our path moving forward towards the life to come.   

How can you prevent yourself from this calamity?

The fact that humans were made to work and not sit idle is a solution to the problem. In the earlier days, humans as a community had a lot of work to do, ranging from hunting, farming to the struggle for survival. Still, with the progress in time and technology and ever-increasing comfort, we have moved away from our instincts of hustlers to laid back, “no care in the world.” individuals. Here are some fundamental ways of steering away from the devil’s life and staying on the path. 

  1. Learn a new skill – When you have nothing to do, or if you are struggling in life or are unemployed at the moment, instead of sitting at home crying over your losses and luck, it’s better to learn a new skill. It will keep your mind occupied and help you achieve success in the life to come. As we all know, the more gifts you can present on your profile, the better are your chances of getting a job. Also, anything learned never goes to waste; it always helps in the longer run, one way or another.

  2. Get a hobby – You may have heard a million times that having a hobby apart from your profession keeps you more happy, satisfied, and sane. But what is the reason behind it? Why does everyone recommend having a hobby? A hobby is not something that you do for the sake of doing it, and it is an activity that you enjoy. When you want what you are doing, your brain releases happy hormones, which keep your soul fulfilled and mind occupied and improve your productivity.

  3. Cook a tasty meal – The days when we are sad or upset about something are the days when we are most likely to stay inactive and idle, doing nothing but wasting our time and driving our minds insane. It is always good to eat something tasty, something we adore, a meal that gives us comfort and satisfaction. Cooking works as a therapy for most of us and can work wonders for a troubled mind.

  4. Sports – As unfortunate as it may be, kids are most prone to fall into the trap of idleness. The parents have a massive role in making sure their children do not get stuck in a loop where they do not do anything and their mental health declines. One of the most effective ways of tacking safeguarding your children is to put them into sports. Sports not only keep them physically fit but also mentally.

  5. Paying heed to the consequences – One thing that most of us often forget to take into consideration is the outcome of our decisions and deeds. Whenever deciding, you must take a second to think about it and imagine how good or bad it will be for your mind’s health. Rushing into decisions has always led to death and disparity and never to prosperity. 

Conclusion

Resting and staying idle every once in a while is a human need, but an uncontrolled expansion of that basic need is a self-deprecating emergency. Your mind is a beautiful thing with the superpowers of creating the most beautiful things humanely possible. It can either make you a king or a beggar, so it is indispensable that it is well taken care of; and taking care of your mind means keeping it working and active and thus, not letting it be the devil’s workshop.

Frequently Asked Question(s)

Q1) Who said, “An idle mind is a devil’s workshop.”? A vast number of people have used this saying in their terms throughout history. The first instance of it being used dates at least as far back as Chaucer in the twelfth century, who called idle hands the devil’s tools. 

Also read How to Become an Executive Project Manager?

An Idle Mind is the Devil’s Workshop Means

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