The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.

Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) English mathematician and philosopher

(Misattributed)

Misattributed to many modern authors besides Russell, including John Lennon, T. S. Elliot, and Soren Kierkegaard.

The frequent misattribution to Russell is from the phrase being used by Lawrence J. Peter in Peter's Quotations (1977) about a different Russell quote ("The thing that I should wish to obtain from money would be leisure with security"). In turn, the words were not original with Peter: the earliest citation for this quote is Marthe Troly-Curtin, Phyrnette Married, ch. 29 (1912).

More information on the history of this quotation: Time You Enjoy Wasting Is Not Wasted Time – Quote Investigator®.