--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It didn't work. It didn't work because I…" description: "\"“It didn't work. It didn't work because I knew not to give the best of myself to the worst of people.”\" — A.S. King" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02a/a-s-king-2293_worst_it-didn-t-work-it-didn-t-work-because-i_492747.png" --- # It didn't work. It didn't work because I knew not to give… ![“It didn't work. It didn't work because I knew not to give the best of myself to the worst of people.” quote by A.S. King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02a/a-s-king-2293_worst_it-didn-t-work-it-didn-t-work-because-i_492747.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02a/a-s-king-2293_worst_it-didn-t-work-it-didn-t-work-because-i_492747.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02a/a-s-king-2293_worst_it-didn-t-work-it-didn-t-work-because-i_492747.png) > ““It didn't work. It didn't work because I knew not to give the best of myself to the worst of people.”” [A.S. King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-s-king/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker reflects that failure stemmed from giving their best to unworthy people, implying self‑preservation is essential. **In simple terms:** Giving your best to the wrong people leads to failure. Key Takeaway Guard your efforts and choose worthy partners. Themes self‑care boundaries disappointment Mood reflective cautionary Type thoughtful serious When to use this quote - workplace - relationships - creative projects Key Concepts personal growth selective investment resilience Questions to Reflect On - Who truly deserves your best? - How can you set healthier boundaries? A Different Perspective Not all failures are solely due to others; self‑reflection needed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Best Worst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-worst/) [Didn Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/didn-work/) [Work Didn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-didn/) [Worst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worst/) [Worst People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worst-people/) ## Related quotes > [When something you make doesn't work, it didn't work, not you. You, you work. You keep trying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-klein/when-something-you-make-doesn-t-work-it-didn-t-work-not-you-you-you/) [Zach Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-klein/) > [Because if it didn't work out, I didn't want to blow the whole day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-hornung/because-if-it-didn-t-work-out-i-didn-t-want-to-blow-the-whole-day/) [Paul Hornung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-hornung/) > [Being myself didn't work. Being someone else didn't work. Maybe I just wasn't meant to have friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yeardley-smith/being-myself-didn-t-work-being-someone-else-didn-t-work-maybe-i-just/) [Yeardley Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yeardley-smith/) > [Football can bring out the best and worst in people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demba-ba/football-can-bring-out-the-best-and-worst-in-people/) [Demba Ba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demba-ba/) > [I knew not to give the best of myself to the worst of people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-knew-not-to-give-the-best-of-myself-to-the-worst-of-people/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Average” is the top of the bottom, the best of the worst, the bottom of the top, the worst of the best. Which of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/average-is-the-top-of-the-bottom-the-best-of-the-worst-the-bottom-of/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [If you're going to condemn a people based on the actions of the worst of its ranks; take a good look at the worst…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-r-audette/if-you-re-going-to-condemn-a-people-based-on-the-actions-of-the-worst/) [Derek R. Audette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-r-audette/) > [Competition brings out the best in products and the worst in people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sarnoff/competition-brings-out-the-best-in-products-and-the-worst-in-people/) [David Sarnoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sarnoff/) > [The nature of football can bring out the best in people, but it can also bring out the worst in people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hughton/the-nature-of-football-can-bring-out-the-best-in-people-but-it-can/) [Chris Hughton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hughton/) > [boredom has a tendency to bring out the worst in people's faces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rona-jaffe/boredom-has-a-tendency-to-bring-out-the-worst-in-people-s-faces/) [Rona Jaffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rona-jaffe/) > [I turned down a lot of work. I didn't want to ever feel defined by my ethnicity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-henwick/i-turned-down-a-lot-of-work-i-didn-t-want-to-ever-feel-defined-by-my/) [Jessica Henwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-henwick/) > [Basically he never went to work and didn't have a job. Of course I thought he did. I thought he was on the phone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christie-brinkley/basically-he-never-went-to-work-and-didn-t-have-a-job-of-course-i/) [Christie Brinkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christie-brinkley/) > [Back in the old days, you had to work. If you didn't work, you didn't get paid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-undertaker/back-in-the-old-days-you-had-to-work-if-you-didn-t-work-you-didn-t/) [The Undertaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-undertaker/) > [My work more than didn't fit in. It crossed willy-nilly the boundaries that people had spent their lives building up. It hits some 30…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-margulis/my-work-more-than-didn-t-fit-in-it-crossed-willy-nilly-the-boundaries/) [Lynn Margulis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-margulis/) > [In the past, I have said no to work that I didn't believe in, even though it may have meant not having anything in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohit-saraf/in-the-past-i-have-said-no-to-work-that-i-didn-t-believe-in-even/) [Rohit Saraf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohit-saraf/) ## More by A.S. King > [“I only hope that for right now, you remember that there is no place for hate in a happy life. I don’t care who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-s-king/i-only-hope-that-for-right-now-you-remember-that-there-is-no-place/) [A.s. King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-s-king/) > [“I don't even use the stupid shampoo.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-s-king/i-don-t-even-use-the-stupid-shampoo/) [A.S. King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-s-king/) > [“Maybe if I hadn’t been so hell-bent on not becoming my parents, I could have saved Charlie. Maybe I would have been his girlfriend.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-s-king/maybe-if-i-hadn-t-been-so-hell-bent-on-not-becoming-my-parents-i/) [A.S. King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-s-king/) > [But that's a side effect of alcohol, isn't it? Stopping to think about other people is not on the bar menu.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-s-king/but-that-s-a-side-effect-of-alcohol-isn-t-it-stopping-to-think-about/) [A.S. King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-s-king/) > [“Most people don't think past themselves. I know that. But I want Vera to see other people. To respect other people. To realize that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-s-king/most-people-don-t-think-past-themselves-i-know-that-but-i-want-vera/) [A.S. King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-s-king/) > ["You two would make a cute couple," she says as she passes by with a full dough tray in her arms. I don't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-s-king/you-two-would-make-a-cute-couple-she-says-as-she-passes-by-with-a/) [A.S. King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-s-king/) > [“You'll never lose me, Vera. I'm the Great Hunter now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-s-king/you-ll-never-lose-me-vera-i-m-the-great-hunter-now/) [A.S. King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-s-king/) > [“I love vocab. It's like spelunking in a cave you've been in your whole life and discovering a thousand new tunnels.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-s-king/i-love-vocab-it-s-like-spelunking-in-a-cave-you-ve-been-in-your-whole/) [A.S. King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-s-king/) > [“But they keep saving me because they know I stand for something. They're just not sure what yet. -The Pagoda”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-s-king/but-they-keep-saving-me-because-they-know-i-stand-for-something-they/) [A.S. King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-s-king/) > [I was also built from delusional optimism and folly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-s-king/i-was-also-built-from-delusional-optimism-and-folly/) [A.S. King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-s-king/) > [How can we say nobody's perfect if there is no perfect to compare to? Perfection implies that there really is a right and wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-s-king/how-can-we-say-nobody-s-perfect-if-there-is-no-perfect-to-compare-to/) [A.S. King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-s-king/) > [“My toaster could have a soul,and the walnut grove to the east of my house could be just a bunch of trees or could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-s-king/my-toaster-could-have-a-soul-and-the-walnut-grove-to-the-east-of-my/) [A.S. King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-s-king/) > [“I bring my hand to my face and pull away tiny pieces of the jagged scab. My face reflects in the rounded airplane window,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-s-king/i-bring-my-hand-to-my-face-and-pull-away-tiny-pieces-of-the-jagged/) [A.S. King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-s-king/) > [“I didn't have the time to slice a hundred shallow cuts into his lips and make him suck limes. I was too busy to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-s-king/i-didn-t-have-the-time-to-slice-a-hundred-shallow-cuts-into-his-lips/) [A.S. King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-s-king/) > [“As I drive home, I picture other signs- one for everyone who has a secret. Bill Corso's would say, I CAN'T READ, BUT I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-s-king/as-i-drive-home-i-picture-other-signs-one-for-everyone-who-has-a/) [A.S. King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-s-king/) [Explore all 173 A.S. King quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-s-king/) ## More Worst quotes > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [One of the worst things to come out of the Consumer Protection Board's misleading claims is the impression that government resources are to hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lesko/one-of-the-worst-things-to-come-out-of-the-consumer-protection-board/) [Matthew Lesko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lesko/) > [A real Christian in an odd number anyway. He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen, talks familiarly every day to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-real-christian-in-an-odd-number-anyway-he-feels-supreme-love-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you expect the worst from a person you can never be disappointed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-burgess/if-you-expect-the-worst-from-a-person-you-can-never-be-disappointed/) [Anthony Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-burgess/) > [The worst advice? 'Don't listen to the critics.' I think that you really ought to listen to the critics, because sometimes they're telling you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-worst-advice-don-t-listen-to-the-critics-i-think-that-you-really/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Be careful. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to the worst Spanish student in the history of the language.” I laughed. “No problemo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiersten-white/be-careful-i-wouldn-t-want-anything-to-happen-to-the-worst-spanish/) [Kiersten White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiersten-white/) > [“The universe contains any amount of horrible ways to be woken up, such as the noise of the mob breaking down the front door,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-universe-contains-any-amount-of-horrible-ways-to-be-woken-up-such/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [You want to remain hungry and stay in a good place as a competitor; at the same time, you want to be confident but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamar-odom/you-want-to-remain-hungry-and-stay-in-a-good-place-as-a-competitor-at/) [Lamar Odom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamar-odom/) > [A lie always needs a truth for a handle to it. The worst lies are those whose blade is false, but whose handle is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/a-lie-always-needs-a-truth-for-a-handle-to-it-the-worst-lies-are/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > ['Downton Abbey' is my worst nightmare. I just hate that whole 'Upstairs Downstairs' thing, I think it's really lazy and it doesn't represent England,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-payne/downton-abbey-is-my-worst-nightmare-i-just-hate-that-whole-upstairs/) [Tom Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-payne/) > [My best personality trait that I think I'm very approachable. And my worst is that I can be moody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enrique-iglesias/my-best-personality-trait-that-i-think-i-m-very-approachable-and-my/) [Enrique Iglesias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enrique-iglesias/) > [I am glad The Worst Journey is coming out in Penguins: after all it is largely about penguins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apsley-cherry-garrard/i-am-glad-the-worst-journey-is-coming-out-in-penguins-after-all-it-is/) [Apsley Cherry-Garrard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apsley-cherry-garrard/) > [The miracle drugs (neuroleptics) cause the worst plague of brain damage in medical history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-breggin/the-miracle-drugs-neuroleptics-cause-the-worst-plague-of-brain-damage/) [Peter Breggin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-breggin/) > [My best business decision was to be independent as a musician and artist. My worst was compromising on certain aspects of a deal for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ziggy-marley/my-best-business-decision-was-to-be-independent-as-a-musician-and/) [Ziggy Marley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ziggy-marley/) > [The worst feeling is not being lonely, sometimes it is being forgotten by someone you cant forget.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-worst-feeling-is-not-being-lonely-sometimes-it-is-being-forgotten/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 6,817 Worst quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worst/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It didn't work. It didn't work because I knew not to give the best of myself to the worst of people.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "A.S. King" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-s-king/it-didn-t-work-it-didn-t-work-because-i-knew-not-to-give-the-best-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Worst" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-s-king/it-didn-t-work-it-didn-t-work-because-i-knew-not-to-give-the-best-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02a/a-s-king-2293_worst_it-didn-t-work-it-didn-t-work-because-i_492747.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02a/a-s-king-2293_worst_it-didn-t-work-it-didn-t-work-because-i_492747.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02a/a-s-king-2293_worst_it-didn-t-work-it-didn-t-work-because-i_492747.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It didn't work. It didn't work because I knew not to give the best of myself to the worst of people.” — A.S. King", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "A.S. King", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-s-king/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“It didn't work. It didn't work...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-s-king/it-didn-t-work-it-didn-t-work-because-i-knew-not-to-give-the-best-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-s-king/it-didn-t-work-it-didn-t-work-because-i-knew-not-to-give-the-best-of/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```