The greatest weariness comes from work not done.

Hoffer’s line points to a paradox of effort: exhaustion is not always produced by labor, but by avoidance, unfinished obligations, and the mental load of what remains undone. “Work not done” suggests deferred tasks, neglected duties, or unrealized purposes that continue to press on the mind, generating anxiety and self-reproach. The quote also implies that meaningful exertion can be energizing or clarifying, whereas procrastination and incompletion drain attention and morale. In a broader Hofferian key—concerned with character, discipline, and the psychology of action—it reads as an admonition to act decisively, because uncompleted work lingers as a persistent, wearying burden.