Who said “Total physical and mental inertia are highly agreeable, much more so than we allow…”?

Verified

John Kenneth Galbraith. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceForeword to The Beach Book by Gloria Steinem (1963); reprinted in Galbraith's A View from the Stands (1986)

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“Total physical and mental inertia are highly agreeable, much more so than we allow ourselves to imagine. A beach not only permits such inertia but enforces it, thus neatly eliminating all problems of guilt. It is now the only place in our overly active world that does.”
VerifiedForeword to The Beach Book by Gloria Steinem (1963); reprinted in Galbraith's A View from the Stands (1986) · evidenceVacation

Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: Foreword to The Beach Book by Gloria Steinem (1963); reprinted in Galbraith's A View from the Stands (1986).

APA

Galbraith, J. K. (n.d.). Total physical and mental inertia are highly agreeable, much more so than we allow ourselves to imagine. A beach not only permits such inertia but enforces it, thus neatly eliminating all problems of guilt. It is now the only place in our overly active world that does. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/41141-total-physical-and-mental-inertia-are-highly-agreeable/

MLA

Galbraith, John Kenneth. “Total physical and mental inertia are highly agreeable, much more so than we allow ourselves to imagine. A beach not only permits such inertia but enforces it, thus neatly eliminating all problems of guilt. It is now the only place in our overly active world that does.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/41141-total-physical-and-mental-inertia-are-highly-agreeable/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Galbraith, John Kenneth. “Total physical and mental inertia are highly agreeable, much more so than we allow ourselves to imagine. A beach not only permits such inertia but enforces it, thus neatly eliminating all problems of guilt. It is now the only place in our overly active world that does.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/41141-total-physical-and-mental-inertia-are-highly-agreeable/.