go through the motions

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go through the motions

1. (idiomatic) To do something in a mechanical, unreflective manner, especially as a matter of routine and without commitment or enthusiasm; to perform a task perfunctorily.
   • 1905, Mark Twain, chapter 3, in The $30,000 Bequest:

     Aleck was a Christian from the cradle, and duty and the force of habit required her to go through the motions.

   • 1919, Lucy Maud Montgomery, chapter 15, in Rainbow Valley:

     They went through the motions of living, but they didn't live.

   • 2003 July 8, Jason Zweig and Benjamin Graham, "Get Rich Slowly: How to Pick a Financial Adviser," Time:

     In screening an adviser, these should be your goals:

     —To determine whether he or she cares about helping clients or just goes through the motions . . .