--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: She knew that for many people this was…" description: "\"“She knew that for many people this was their greatest ambition: to have a partner and a child, to live the domestic life, but she had never thought it..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9c/alexander-mccall-smith-372_ambition_she-knew-that-for-many-people-this-was-t_222997.png" --- # She knew that for many people this was their greatest… ![“She knew that for many people this was their greatest ambition: to have a partner and a child, to live the domestic life, but she had never thought it would be enough for her. Yet it was.” quote by Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9c/alexander-mccall-smith-372_ambition_she-knew-that-for-many-people-this-was-t_222997.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9c/alexander-mccall-smith-372_ambition_she-knew-that-for-many-people-this-was-t_222997.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9c/alexander-mccall-smith-372_ambition_she-knew-that-for-many-people-this-was-t_222997.png) > ““She knew that for many people this was their greatest ambition: to have a partner and a child, to live the domestic life, but she had never thought it would be enough for her. Yet it was.”” [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She realized that traditional domestic goals were insufficient for her personal fulfillment, prompting a search for deeper purpose. **In simple terms:** Domestic life wasn't enough for her. Key Takeaway Seek purpose beyond societal expectations. Themes identity fulfillment societal expectations Mood reflective contemplative Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career planning - personal growth - relationship choices Key Concepts existentialism self‑actualization Questions to Reflect On - What deeper purpose drives you beyond traditional roles? - How can you balance personal fulfillment with societal expectations? A Different Perspective May overlook practical responsibilities while pursuing meaning. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ambition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambition/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Domestic life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/domestic-life/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ## Related quotes > [“My mom thought having a child was going to be like having a partner, but every child is born the center of its own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-noah/my-mom-thought-having-a-child-was-going-to-be-like-having-a-partner/) [Trevor Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-noah/) > [I'm very lucky that my husband is a true partner in child-rearing. If I get home late, he gets home early or vice-versa. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-hammer/i-m-very-lucky-that-my-husband-is-a-true-partner-in-child-rearing-if/) [Bonnie Hammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-hammer/) > [It is my fervent wish and my greatest ambition to leave a work with a few useful instructions for the pianists after me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-liszt/it-is-my-fervent-wish-and-my-greatest-ambition-to-leave-a-work-with-a/) [Franz Liszt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-liszt/) > [“I think that it is daily life which is the great event, the true “reality”.… My greatest ambition is to do something new and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gohlke/i-think-that-it-is-daily-life-which-is-the-great-event-the-true/) [Frank Gohlke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gohlke/) > [I think my greatest ambition in life is to pass on to others what I know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sinatra/i-think-my-greatest-ambition-in-life-is-to-pass-on-to-others-what-i/) [Frank Sinatra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sinatra/) > [My greatest ambition is to have a career without becoming a career woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-hepburn/my-greatest-ambition-is-to-have-a-career-without-becoming-a-career/) [Audrey Hepburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-hepburn/) > [Loving him was my greatest ambition, his my LIFE I so love him :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karlin/loving-him-was-my-greatest-ambition-his-my-life-i-so-love-him/) Karlin > [For a successful man, your greatest ambition is to fight for your mission.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jumbo-obiesia-ukot/for-a-successful-man-your-greatest-ambition-is-to-fight-for-your/) [Jumbo Obiesia Ukot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jumbo-obiesia-ukot/) > [Hell is NOT a place you go if you're not a Christian, It's the FAILURE, of your Life's Greatest Ambition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immortal-technique/hell-is-not-a-place-you-go-if-you-re-not-a-christian-it-s-the-failure/) [Immortal Technique](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immortal-technique/) > [“his greatest ambition for England is this: the prince and his commonwealth should be in accord. He doesn’t want the kingdom to be run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mantel/his-greatest-ambition-for-england-is-this-the-prince-and-his/) [Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mantel/) > [Hell is not a place you go, if you not a christian it's the failure of your lifes greatest ambition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immortal-technique/hell-is-not-a-place-you-go-if-you-not-a-christian-it-s-the-failure-of/) [Immortal Technique](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immortal-technique/) > [What is your greatest ambition in life?' 'To become immortal... and then die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-luc-godard/what-is-your-greatest-ambition-in-life-to-become-immortal-and-then-die/) [Jean-Luc Godard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-luc-godard/) > [“It’s only with the hottest fires and the greatest ambition that the best weapon can be forged.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chatfield/it-s-only-with-the-hottest-fires-and-the-greatest-ambition-that-the/) [Michael Chatfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chatfield/) > [“I never trusted the women i was involved with to tell the truth,because the truth never changes,but as i knew so well,people did.I knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-gayle/i-never-trusted-the-women-i-was-involved-with-to-tell-the-truth/) [Mike Gayle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-gayle/) > [Meanwhile after failing the bar twice, I knew some people in New York and moved here in August '71.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-quine/meanwhile-after-failing-the-bar-twice-i-knew-some-people-in-new-york/) [Robert Quine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-quine/) ## More by Alexander McCall Smith > [“old-fashioned, gentle Scottish physician, unmoved by the considerations of profit and personal gain that could so disfigure medicine. That doctors should consider themselves businessmen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/old-fashioned-gentle-scottish-physician-unmoved-by-the-considerations/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“She had not made a lot of money, but she had not made a loss, and she had been happy and entertained. That counted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/she-had-not-made-a-lot-of-money-but-she-had-not-made-a-loss-and-she/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [And that, in a way, was the burden of being a philosopher: one knew what one had to do, but it was so often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-that-in-a-way-was-the-burden-of-being-a-philosopher-one-knew-what/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“To use strong language, she thought, was a sign of bad temper and lack of concern for others. Such people were not clever or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/to-use-strong-language-she-thought-was-a-sign-of-bad-temper-and-lack/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Men are very sensitive, Mma Makutsi. You would not always think it to look at them, but they are. They do not like you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/men-are-very-sensitive-mma-makutsi-you-would-not-always-think-it-to/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“He is a good man, but even a good man can fall for a glamorous woman. That is well known.” “That is very well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/he-is-a-good-man-but-even-a-good-man-can-fall-for-a-glamorous-woman/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“And then the second thing you have to do is go and see your son. That is a duty of love, Andrew. It's as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-then-the-second-thing-you-have-to-do-is-go-and-see-your-son-that/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Because laughs never die away entirely,” said Jamie. “At least, if you believe in Marconi.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/because-laughs-never-die-away-entirely-said-jamie-at-least-if-you/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“The trouble with having a conscience, she said to herself, is that it never sleeps.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/the-trouble-with-having-a-conscience-she-said-to-herself-is-that-it/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“And if there's bad behaviour," Mma Potokwane went on. "If there's bad behaviour, the quickest way of stopping it is to give more love.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-if-there-s-bad-behaviour-mma-potokwane-went-on-if-there-s-bad/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“We never realise how transparent we are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/we-never-realise-how-transparent-we-are/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Has he not got a wife back wherever he comes from? Is there no wife to say, ‘You must not go off and visit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/has-he-not-got-a-wife-back-wherever-he-comes-from-is-there-no-wife-to/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“He looked at her in the darkness, at this woman who was everything to him-mother, Africa, wisdom, understanding, good things to eat, pumpkins, chicken,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/he-looked-at-her-in-the-darkness-at-this-woman-who-was-everything-to/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“It is because you are generous in spirit; and may I be like that; may I become like you—which unrealistic wish, to become the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/it-is-because-you-are-generous-in-spirit-and-may-i-be-like-that-may-i/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni,” she asked, “do you think that our souls grow as we get older?” He did not answer immediately, but when he did,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/mr-j-l-b-matekoni-she-asked-do-you-think-that-our-souls-grow-as-we/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) [Explore all 628 Alexander McCall Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) ## More Ambition quotes > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [One needs more than ambition and talent to make a success of anything, really. There must be love and a vocation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessye-norman/one-needs-more-than-ambition-and-talent-to-make-a-success-of-anything/) [Jessye Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessye-norman/) > [I just think my own ambition would not allow me to sit on the gifts that my creator had given me. And so that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/i-just-think-my-own-ambition-would-not-allow-me-to-sit-on-the-gifts/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [A man's worth is no greater than the worth of his ambitions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-man-s-worth-is-no-greater-than-the-worth-of-his-ambitions/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm hungry and ambitious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julen-lopetegui/i-m-hungry-and-ambitious/) [Julen Lopetegui](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julen-lopetegui/) > [“I was ambitious and desperate to direct my first film, so I capitulated and blew it. Never again. Never fucking again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-ferguson/i-was-ambitious-and-desperate-to-direct-my-first-film-so-i/) [Craig Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-ferguson/) > [I was always attracted most to joining City, and I am pleased to be at such a good club with such a big ambition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edin-dzeko/i-was-always-attracted-most-to-joining-city-and-i-am-pleased-to-be-at/) [Edin Dzeko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edin-dzeko/) > [Work towards your goal and dont watch the post size,its either they hate,or like you.there is no room for both sides.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-buabeng/work-towards-your-goal-and-dont-watch-the-post-size-its-either-they/) [Isaac Buabeng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-buabeng/) > [“But young men have not only this frivolous ambition of being thought masters of execution, inciting them on the one hand, but also their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-young-men-have-not-only-this-frivolous-ambition-of-being-thought/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I almost never have a plan for myself... I'm not ambitious in that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-plimpton/i-almost-never-have-a-plan-for-myself-i-m-not-ambitious-in-that-way/) [Martha Plimpton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-plimpton/) > [I play for high stakes and given an audience - there is no act too daring or too noble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/i-play-for-high-stakes-and-given-an-audience-there-is-no-act-too/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [There's nothing worse than a leader who lacks ambition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-s-nothing-worse-than-a-leader-who-lacks-ambition/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If i can't even protect my captain's dream, then whatever ambition i have is nothing but talk..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoro/if-i-can-t-even-protect-my-captain-s-dream-then-whatever-ambition-i/) [Zoro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoro/) > [It may seem unattainable but if you put actions, your heart and your mind into it, you will prevail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/london-mond/it-may-seem-unattainable-but-if-you-put-actions-your-heart-and-your/) [London Mond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/london-mond/) > [Obligation is what's leading us to toward successful, and what keeps us moving towards the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wazim-shaw/obligation-is-what-s-leading-us-to-toward-successful-and-what-keeps/) [Wazim Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wazim-shaw/) [Browse all 4,601 Ambition quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambition/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“She knew that for many people this was their greatest ambition: to have a partner and a child, to live the domestic life, but she had never thought it would be enough for her. 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