--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Do not look for approval except for the…" description: "\"Do not look for approval except for the consciousness of doing your best.\" — Andrew Carnegie" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/624/andrew-carnegie-2115_approval_do-not-look-for-approval-except-for-the_470328.jpg" --- # Do not look for approval except for the consciousness of… ![“Do not look for approval except for the consciousness of doing your best.” quote by Andrew Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/624/andrew-carnegie-2115_approval_do-not-look-for-approval-except-for-the_470328.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/624/andrew-carnegie-2115_approval_do-not-look-for-approval-except-for-the_470328.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/624/andrew-carnegie-2115_approval_do-not-look-for-approval-except-for-the_470328.jpg) > “Do not look for approval except for the consciousness of doing your best.” [Andrew Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-carnegie/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Seek validation only from personal integrity and effort, not external approval. **In simple terms:** Approval should come from doing your best. Key Takeaway Focus on self‑satisfaction over others’ opinions. Themes self‑improvement integrity approval effort Mood determined calm Type motivational self‑help When to use this quote - career advancement - creative projects - personal goals - leadership Key Concepts personal development ethics Questions to Reflect On - How can you measure success without external feedback? - What practices reinforce internal validation? A Different Perspective External validation can still affect confidence despite internal standards. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Approval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approval/) [Consciousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consciousness/) [Doing your best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-your-best/) [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) ## Related quotes > [Don't look to the approval of others for your mental stability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-lagerfeld/don-t-look-to-the-approval-of-others-for-your-mental-stability/) [Karl Lagerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-lagerfeld/) > [He that does good to another does good also to himself, not only in the consequence but in the very act. For the consciousness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/he-that-does-good-to-another-does-good-also-to-himself-not-only-in/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [“This is how it works. You bust your ass. Not everything goes your way, and then, after a while, you get to that point.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-lacour/this-is-how-it-works-you-bust-your-ass-not-everything-goes-your-way/) [Nina LaCour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-lacour/) > [The real transformation of the world comes not from what we are doing but from the consciousness from which we are doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-real-transformation-of-the-world-comes-not-from-what-we-are-doing/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [“Just do your best — in any circumstance in your life. It doesn’t matter if you are sick or tired, if you always do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-ruiz/just-do-your-best-in-any-circumstance-in-your-life-it-doesn-t-matter/) [Miguel Ruiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-ruiz/) > [Doing your very best is the most rewarding game of achievement, your best is always going to make differences in any event of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kemmy-nola/doing-your-very-best-is-the-most-rewarding-game-of-achievement-your/) [Kemmy Nola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kemmy-nola/) > [If you are the best you can be, you are doing your best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-whitmore/if-you-are-the-best-you-can-be-you-are-doing-your-best/) [Laura Whitmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-whitmore/) > [I think that's quite a good message, it's not about being the best, it's about doing your best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-vine/i-think-that-s-quite-a-good-message-it-s-not-about-being-the-best-it/) [Jeremy Vine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-vine/) > [Excellence is a choice, and you must make that choice over and over again until "doing your best" is all you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-anderson/excellence-is-a-choice-and-you-must-make-that-choice-over-and-over/) Randy Anderson > [You want to be doing your best work whatever field of the arts you're in because your life's going to be over all too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-elling/you-want-to-be-doing-your-best-work-whatever-field-of-the-arts-you-re/) [Kurt Elling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-elling/) > [Sometimes doing your best is not good enough. Sometimes you must do what is required.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-doing-your-best-is-not-good-enough-sometimes-you-must-do/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If your doing your best, You wont have the time to worry about Failures and Losses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-your-doing-your-best-you-wont-have-the-time-to-worry-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You'll never prove you're too good for a job by not doing your best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethel-merman/you-ll-never-prove-you-re-too-good-for-a-job-by-not-doing-your-best/) [Ethel Merman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethel-merman/) > [Never confuse looking your best with doing your best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mardy-grothe/never-confuse-looking-your-best-with-doing-your-best/) [Mardy Grothe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mardy-grothe/) > [Success lies not in the result but in the effort. BEING the Best is not at all important. DOING the Best is all that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prabin-shrestha/success-lies-not-in-the-result-but-in-the-effort-being-the-best-is/) [Prabin Shrestha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prabin-shrestha/) ## More by Andrew Carnegie > [Immense power is acquired by assuring yourself in your secret reveries that you were born to control affairs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-carnegie/immense-power-is-acquired-by-assuring-yourself-in-your-secret/) [Andrew Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-carnegie/) > [Strong men don't compromise, it is said, and principles should never be compromised.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-carnegie/strong-men-don-t-compromise-it-is-said-and-principles-should-never-be/) [Andrew Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-carnegie/) > [The battle of life is already half won by the young man who is brought in contact with high officials; and the great aim…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-carnegie/the-battle-of-life-is-already-half-won-by-the-young-man-who-is/) [Andrew Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-carnegie/) > [Be king in your dreams. Make your vow that you will reach that position, with untarnished reputation, and make no other vow to distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-carnegie/be-king-in-your-dreams-make-your-vow-that-you-will-reach-that/) [Andrew Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-carnegie/) > [“ You cannot push anyone up a ladder unless he is willing to climb a little. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-carnegie/you-cannot-push-anyone-up-a-ladder-unless-he-is-willing-to-climb-a/) [Andrew Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-carnegie/) > [“A man who acquires the ability to take full possession of his own mind may take possession of anything else to which he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-carnegie/a-man-who-acquires-the-ability-to-take-full-possession-of-his-own/) [Andrew Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-carnegie/) > [The secret of happiness is renunciation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-carnegie/the-secret-of-happiness-is-renunciation/) [Andrew Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-carnegie/) > [Give me the life of the boy whose mother is nurse, seamstress, washerwoman, cook, teacher, angel, and saint, all in one, and whose father…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-carnegie/give-me-the-life-of-the-boy-whose-mother-is-nurse-seamstress/) [Andrew Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-carnegie/) > [Wealth is not to feed our egos but to feed the hungry and to help people help themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-carnegie/wealth-is-not-to-feed-our-egos-but-to-feed-the-hungry-and-to-help/) [Andrew Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-carnegie/) > [You cannot push anyone up the ladder unless he is willing to climb.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-carnegie/you-cannot-push-anyone-up-the-ladder-unless-he-is-willing-to-climb/) [Andrew Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-carnegie/) > [The more difficult a problem becomes, the more interesting it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-carnegie/the-more-difficult-a-problem-becomes-the-more-interesting-it-is/) [Andrew Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-carnegie/) > [Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-carnegie/teamwork-is-the-ability-to-work-together-toward-a-common-vision-the/) [Andrew Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-carnegie/) > [The Republic may not give wealth or happiness, she has not promised these. It is the freedom to pursue these, not their realization, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-carnegie/the-republic-may-not-give-wealth-or-happiness-she-has-not-promised/) [Andrew Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-carnegie/) > [The price which society pays for the law of competition, like the price it pays for cheap comforts and luxuries, is great; but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-carnegie/the-price-which-society-pays-for-the-law-of-competition-like-the/) [Andrew Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-carnegie/) > [The problem of our age is the proper administration of wealth, so that the ties of brotherhood may still bind together the rich and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-carnegie/the-problem-of-our-age-is-the-proper-administration-of-wealth-so-that/) [Andrew Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-carnegie/) [Explore all 184 Andrew Carnegie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-carnegie/) ## More Approval quotes > [Anyone who's read my 'Terror in the Skies' series knows that I have not been writing with an eye toward approval from any government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-jacobsen/anyone-who-s-read-my-terror-in-the-skies-series-knows-that-i-have-not/) [Annie Jacobsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-jacobsen/) > [we need not avoid our active lives, but simply bring to them a new vision and shift of gravity. for in the center we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-monk-kidd/we-need-not-avoid-our-active-lives-but-simply-bring-to-them-a-new/) [Sue Monk Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-monk-kidd/) > [Lean too much on the approval of people, and it becomes a bed of thorns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tehyi-hsieh/lean-too-much-on-the-approval-of-people-and-it-becomes-a-bed-of-thorns/) [Tehyi Hsieh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tehyi-hsieh/) > [But I always reassure them that as far as my contractual rights can go, I will protect them and make sure that they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-roach/but-i-always-reassure-them-that-as-far-as-my-contractual-rights-can/) [Jay Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-roach/) > [Growing up in that fashion is a breeding ground for insecurity and doubt; it also leaves you questioning motives. It took me a long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damon-runyon/growing-up-in-that-fashion-is-a-breeding-ground-for-insecurity-and/) [Damon Runyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damon-runyon/) > [A year ago, my approval rating was in the 30s, my nominee for the supreme court had just withdrawn, and my vice president had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/a-year-ago-my-approval-rating-was-in-the-30s-my-nominee-for-the/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [Approval is a greater motivator than disapproval, but we have to disapprove on occasion when we correct. It’s necessary. I make corrections only after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/approval-is-a-greater-motivator-than-disapproval-but-we-have-to/) [John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/) > [These days people are mean to people just because they don't like the way they look. No-one should be hated because of their flaws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/these-days-people-are-mean-to-people-just-because-they-don-t-like-the/) [Sonya Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [I got this emptiness inside that got me fighting for approval because I missed out on my daddy saying, Way to Go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lecrae/i-got-this-emptiness-inside-that-got-me-fighting-for-approval-because/) [Lecrae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lecrae/) > [My dad taught me swears when I was a toddler, and I saw, at a really early age, that if I shocked people, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roseanne-barr/my-dad-taught-me-swears-when-i-was-a-toddler-and-i-saw-at-a-really/) [Roseanne Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roseanne-barr/) > [If torture is going to be administered as a last resort in the ticking-bomb case, to save enormous numbers of lives, it ought to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/if-torture-is-going-to-be-administered-as-a-last-resort-in-the/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) > [Comedy is a very approval-oriented field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-chappelle/comedy-is-a-very-approval-oriented-field/) [Dave Chappelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-chappelle/) > [Whenever you are too worried about someone else's approval, that person loses respect for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-argov/whenever-you-are-too-worried-about-someone-else-s-approval-that/) [Sherry Argov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-argov/) > [Pleasure is Nature's test, her sign of approval.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/pleasure-is-nature-s-test-her-sign-of-approval/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Do you really mean the only reason you try to be good is to gain God's approval and reward? That's not morality, that's just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/do-you-really-mean-the-only-reason-you-try-to-be-good-is-to-gain-god/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) [Browse all 904 Approval quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approval/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Do not look for approval except for the consciousness of doing your best.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Andrew Carnegie" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-carnegie/do-not-look-for-approval-except-for-the-consciousness-of-doing-your/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Approval" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-carnegie/do-not-look-for-approval-except-for-the-consciousness-of-doing-your/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/624/andrew-carnegie-2115_approval_do-not-look-for-approval-except-for-the_470328.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/624/andrew-carnegie-2115_approval_do-not-look-for-approval-except-for-the_470328.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/624/andrew-carnegie-2115_approval_do-not-look-for-approval-except-for-the_470328.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Do not look for approval except for the consciousness of doing your best.” — Andrew Carnegie", "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": "Andrew Carnegie", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-carnegie/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Do not look for approval except...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-carnegie/do-not-look-for-approval-except-for-the-consciousness-of-doing-your/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-carnegie/do-not-look-for-approval-except-for-the-consciousness-of-doing-your/#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 } } ] } ```