---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It’s not about degrees, or bank account…"
description: "\"“It’s not about degrees, or bank account sizes, or what some might call success. It’s about kindness and happiness, a willingness to see others for wha..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63b/a-wilding-wells-71997_bank-account_it-s-not-about-degrees-or-bank-account-s_2877183.jpg"
---

#  It’s not about degrees, or bank account sizes, or what…

![“It’s not about degrees, or bank account sizes, or what some might call success. It’s about kindness and happiness, a willingness to see others for what makes them happy. It’s about saying what you mean and meaning what you say.” quote by A. Wilding Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63b/a-wilding-wells-71997_bank-account_it-s-not-about-degrees-or-bank-account-s_2877183.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63b/a-wilding-wells-71997_bank-account_it-s-not-about-degrees-or-bank-account-s_2877183.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63b/a-wilding-wells-71997_bank-account_it-s-not-about-degrees-or-bank-account-s_2877183.jpg)

> ““It’s not about degrees, or bank account sizes, or what some might call success. It’s about kindness and happiness, a willingness to see others for what makes them happy. It’s about saying what you mean and meaning what you say.””

[A. Wilding Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-wilding-wells/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Success is measured by kindness, happiness, and authenticity, not material metrics.

**In simple terms:** Kindness and authenticity define success.

Key Takeaway

Prioritize compassion and truth over status.

Themes

kindness authenticity happiness

Mood

inspirational warm

Type

personal philosophical

When to use this quote

- personal development
- leadership coaching
- community building

Key Concepts

success metrics values

Questions to Reflect On

- What defines your success?
- How to practice authenticity daily?

A Different Perspective

May clash with societal expectations.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Bank account](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bank-account/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Happy Saying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happy-saying-597807/) [Kindness Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kindness-happiness-3002344/) [Saying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saying/) [Saying Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saying-mean-1033024/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Success Kindness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success-kindness-3967026/)

## Related quotes

> [“A simple act of kindness is happiness gained.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-kushemererwa/a-simple-act-of-kindness-is-happiness-gained/)

[Julia Kushemererwa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-kushemererwa/)

> [“The complaint was the answer. To have heard myself making it was to be answered. Lightly men talk of saying what they mean. Often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/the-complaint-was-the-answer-to-have-heard-myself-making-it-was-to-be/)

[C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/)

> [“Take care! I don't care. Don't you worry about me! I am as happy now as I have ever been, and that is saying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien/take-care-i-don-t-care-don-t-you-worry-about-me-i-am-as-happy-now-as/)

[J.R.R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien/)

> [This, I thought, was true love. Someone who made you happy without saying a word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-l-holm/this-i-thought-was-true-love-someone-who-made-you-happy-without/)

[Jennifer L. Holm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-l-holm/)

> [I am pretty happy with myself. I am not saying I am flawless, but I am content with the way I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barun-sobti/i-am-pretty-happy-with-myself-i-am-not-saying-i-am-flawless-but-i-am/)

[Barun Sobti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barun-sobti/)

> [Good communication is less about saying what you mean, and more about defining what you say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/good-communication-is-less-about-saying-what-you-mean-and-more-about/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Lightly men talk of saying what they mean. Often when he was teaching me to write in Greek the Fox would say, “Child, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/lightly-men-talk-of-saying-what-they-mean-often-when-he-was-teaching/)

[C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/)

> [You Said You Would All Ways Be There for Me. But When You put Me In trouble and walk away, are u really saying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foreverness/you-said-you-would-all-ways-be-there-for-me-but-when-you-put-me-in/)

[ForEverNess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foreverness/)

> [The danger is you never know if people are actually saying what they mean. I've learned you never know how someone will react.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fallon-fox/the-danger-is-you-never-know-if-people-are-actually-saying-what-they/)

[Fallon Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fallon-fox/)

> [You come out into the world after a season of TV and you're just swearing and saying mean things to people and they're looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-semple/you-come-out-into-the-world-after-a-season-of-tv-and-you-re-just/)

[Maria Semple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-semple/)

> [I actually love Twitter and Instagram. I do think it's so strange to think that 20 years ago, people would never have known personal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorde/i-actually-love-twitter-and-instagram-i-do-think-it-s-so-strange-to/)

[Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorde/)

> [“Romantic literature often presents the individual as somebody caught in a struggle against the state and the market. Nothing could be further from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/romantic-literature-often-presents-the-individual-as-somebody-caught/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“What constitutes an American? Not color nor race nor religion. Not the pedigree of his family nor the place of his birth. Not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ickes/what-constitutes-an-american-not-color-nor-race-nor-religion-not-the/)

[Harold Ickes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ickes/)

> [You've got to exercise. Your health account, your bank account, they're the same thing. The more you put in, the more you can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-lalanne/you-ve-got-to-exercise-your-health-account-your-bank-account-they-re/)

[Jack LaLanne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-lalanne/)

> [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/)

[Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/)

## More by A. Wilding Wells

> [“I knew all along that, if the two of us ever got to this point, we’d be a cyclone. A full immersion of passion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-wilding-wells/i-knew-all-along-that-if-the-two-of-us-ever-got-to-this-point-we-d-be/)

[A. Wilding Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-wilding-wells/)

> [“Some vibes don’t need words.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-wilding-wells/some-vibes-don-t-need-words/)

[A. Wilding Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-wilding-wells/)

> [“Forgiveness is a wonderful thing, regardless of how you discover it or when.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-wilding-wells/forgiveness-is-a-wonderful-thing-regardless-of-how-you-discover-it-or/)

[A. Wilding Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-wilding-wells/)

[Explore all 4 A. Wilding Wells quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-wilding-wells/)

## More Bank account quotes

> [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/)

[Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/)

> [You've got to exercise. Your health account, your bank account, they're the same thing. The more you put in, the more you can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-lalanne/you-ve-got-to-exercise-your-health-account-your-bank-account-they-re/)

[Jack LaLanne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-lalanne/)

> [“What constitutes an American? Not color nor race nor religion. Not the pedigree of his family nor the place of his birth. Not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ickes/what-constitutes-an-american-not-color-nor-race-nor-religion-not-the/)

[Harold Ickes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ickes/)

> [“Romantic literature often presents the individual as somebody caught in a struggle against the state and the market. Nothing could be further from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/romantic-literature-often-presents-the-individual-as-somebody-caught/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“War is always more complex. Economics, history, religion all have a role, but not for the ones dodging the bullets. They just get blown…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-carter/war-is-always-more-complex-economics-history-religion-all-have-a-role/)

[Bill Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-carter/)

> [Man: I want to share everything with you. woman: okay let's start with your bank account](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-nkandi/man-i-want-to-share-everything-with-you-woman-okay-let-s-start-with/)

[Julia Nkandi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-nkandi/)

> [I actually love Twitter and Instagram. I do think it's so strange to think that 20 years ago, people would never have known personal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorde/i-actually-love-twitter-and-instagram-i-do-think-it-s-so-strange-to/)

[Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorde/)

> [As a joke, I would love to stand in line at ATM machines, and when people put in their PIN, I yell Got it!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hussein-nishah/as-a-joke-i-would-love-to-stand-in-line-at-atm-machines-and-when/)

[Hussein Nishah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hussein-nishah/)

> [ARISTOCRACY, n. Government by the best men. (In this sense the word is obsolete; so is that kind of government.) Fellows that wear downy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/aristocracy-n-government-by-the-best-men-in-this-sense-the-word-is/)

[Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/)

> [I had no idea of the size of my bank account as a teen, and I didn't care to know. That was my mom's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-chlumsky/i-had-no-idea-of-the-size-of-my-bank-account-as-a-teen-and-i-didn-t/)

[Anna Chlumsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-chlumsky/)

> [Prayer is not a check request asking for things to God. It is a deposit slip-a way to depositing God's character into our bankrupt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/prayer-is-not-a-check-request-asking-for-things-to-god-it-is-a/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“He’s changed?” “Yes. He’s started hanging out with a different crowd, a richer crowd. The men are all so arrogant. They don’t doubt themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-cooperman/he-s-changed-yes-he-s-started-hanging-out-with-a-different-crowd-a/)

[Kathy Cooperman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-cooperman/)

> [If a person lies to you about what's in their bank account, they'll lie to you about other things as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christie-brinkley/if-a-person-lies-to-you-about-what-s-in-their-bank-account-they-ll/)

[Christie Brinkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christie-brinkley/)

> [Secret bank accounts are for laundering dirty money. Heads of state at the UN should put an end them. That would be the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evo-morales/secret-bank-accounts-are-for-laundering-dirty-money-heads-of-state-at/)

[Evo Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evo-morales/)

> [The battle for the airwaves cannot be limited to only those who have the bank accounts to pay for the battle and win it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/the-battle-for-the-airwaves-cannot-be-limited-to-only-those-who-have/)

[Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/)

[Browse all 470 Bank account quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bank-account/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“It’s not about degrees, or bank account sizes, or what some might call success. It’s about kindness and happiness, a willingness to see others for what makes them happy. It’s about saying what you mean and meaning what you say.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "A. Wilding Wells"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-wilding-wells/it-s-not-about-degrees-or-bank-account-sizes-or-what-some-might-call/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Bank account"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-wilding-wells/it-s-not-about-degrees-or-bank-account-sizes-or-what-some-might-call/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63b/a-wilding-wells-71997_bank-account_it-s-not-about-degrees-or-bank-account-s_2877183.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63b/a-wilding-wells-71997_bank-account_it-s-not-about-degrees-or-bank-account-s_2877183.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63b/a-wilding-wells-71997_bank-account_it-s-not-about-degrees-or-bank-account-s_2877183.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It’s not about degrees, or bank account sizes, or what some might call success. It’s about kindness and…” — A. Wilding Wells",
                "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. Wilding Wells",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-wilding-wells/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“It’s not about degrees, or bank...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-wilding-wells/it-s-not-about-degrees-or-bank-account-sizes-or-what-some-might-call/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-wilding-wells/it-s-not-about-degrees-or-bank-account-sizes-or-what-some-might-call/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
