--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If our life has a meaning, an aim, it has…" description: "\"If our life has a meaning, an aim, it has nothing to do with our personal happiness, but something wiser and greater.\" — Anton Chekhov" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb1/anton-chekhov-298_aim_if-our-life-has-a-meaning-an-aim-it-has_2307626.jpg" --- # If our life has a meaning, an aim, it has nothing to do… ![“If our life has a meaning, an aim, it has nothing to do with our personal happiness, but something wiser and greater.” quote by Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb1/anton-chekhov-298_aim_if-our-life-has-a-meaning-an-aim-it-has_2307626.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb1/anton-chekhov-298_aim_if-our-life-has-a-meaning-an-aim-it-has_2307626.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb1/anton-chekhov-298_aim_if-our-life-has-a-meaning-an-aim-it-has_2307626.jpg) > “If our life has a meaning, an aim, it has nothing to do with our personal happiness, but something wiser and greater.” [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life’s purpose transcends personal joy, aiming toward higher, wiser goals beyond individual happiness. **In simple terms:** Purpose is higher than personal happiness. Key Takeaway Seek goals beyond self‑interest. Themes purpose meaning self‑transcendence Mood reflective serious Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career planning - volunteering - long‑term projects - spiritual practice Key Concepts existentialism ethical philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What higher purpose guides you? - Can personal joy coexist with greater aims? A Different Perspective Personal happiness can still be essential for motivation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aim/) [Greater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greater/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Happiness Wiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness-wiser-5469395/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life meaning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-meaning/) [Our lives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our-lives/) [Personal happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal-happiness/) [Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose/) [Wiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wiser/) [Wiser Greater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wiser-greater-5469396/) ## Related quotes > [“For a crippled man like me, personal happiness was possible only in dreams.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/for-a-crippled-man-like-me-personal-happiness-was-possible-only-in/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [The desire to serve the common good must without fail be a requisite of the soul, a necessity for personal happiness; if it issuesnot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/the-desire-to-serve-the-common-good-must-without-fail-be-a-requisite/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“If life has any meaning or purpose, you won't find it in happiness, but in something more rational, in something greater.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/if-life-has-any-meaning-or-purpose-you-won-t-find-it-in-happiness-but/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [We are accustomed to live in hopes of good weather, a good harvest, a nice love-affair, hopes of becoming rich or getting the office…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/we-are-accustomed-to-live-in-hopes-of-good-weather-a-good-harvest-a/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [At first he who invented any art that went beyond the common perceptions of man was naturally admired by men, not only because there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/at-first-he-who-invented-any-art-that-went-beyond-the-common/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [The thing is, when I had my first success it did coincide with the end of my first marriage, and because I went on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-brydon/the-thing-is-when-i-had-my-first-success-it-did-coincide-with-the-end/) [Rob Brydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-brydon/) > [“Personal happiness is always a very serious matter.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/personal-happiness-is-always-a-very-serious-matter/) [Sheena Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/) > [I am still determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-washington/i-am-still-determined-to-be-cheerful-and-happy-in-whatever-situation/) [Martha Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-washington/) > [Personal happiness lies in knowing that life is not a checklist of acquisition. 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I have been blessed to experience some of these over the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-osborne/is-success-just-about-winning-acclaim-trophies-wealth-our-personal/) [Tom Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-osborne/) > [The object of life is not happiness, but to serve God or the Grail. All of the Grail quests are to serve God. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-johnson/the-object-of-life-is-not-happiness-but-to-serve-god-or-the-grail-all/) [Robert A. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-johnson/) > [Personal happiness seems mysteriously and frustratingly elusive. Even when people achieve it, they can't hold onto it. 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Let them ride on the backs of doctors and medical assistants, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/using-vile-means-to-attain-worthy-ends-makes-the-ends-themselves-vile/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [If ever my life can be of any use to you, come and claim it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/if-ever-my-life-can-be-of-any-use-to-you-come-and-claim-it/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [There are still many more days of failure ahead, whole seasons of failure, things will go terribly wrong, you will have huge disappointments ,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/there-are-still-many-more-days-of-failure-ahead-whole-seasons-of/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“But here was all the timorousness and angularity of inexperienced youth, a feeling of awkwardness, and an impression of bewilderment, as if someone had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/but-here-was-all-the-timorousness-and-angularity-of-inexperienced/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“At the water's edge, barrels of pitch blazed like huge bonfires. 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They just want to wipe out the Krauts, finish, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/lebedev-france-has-a-clear-and-defined-policy-the-french-know-what/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“My holy of holies are the human body, health, intelligence, talent, inspiration, love, and the most absolute freedom - freedom from force and falsity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/my-holy-of-holies-are-the-human-body-health-intelligence-talent/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“What we have, we do not treasure,” and what’s more we do not even love it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/what-we-have-we-do-not-treasure-and-what-s-more-we-do-not-even-love-it/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [No matter how corrupt and unjust a convict may be, he loves fairness more than anything else. If the people placed over him are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/no-matter-how-corrupt-and-unjust-a-convict-may-be-he-loves-fairness/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“It is my opinion that every woman can be a writer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/it-is-my-opinion-that-every-woman-can-be-a-writer/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“His reading suggested a man swimming in the sea among the wreckage of his ship, and trying to save his life by greedily clutching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/his-reading-suggested-a-man-swimming-in-the-sea-among-the-wreckage-of/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“Experience often repeated, truly bitter experience, had taught him long ago that with decent people, especially Moscow people -- always slow to move and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/experience-often-repeated-truly-bitter-experience-had-taught-him-long/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“Why do you always wear black?” "I am mourning for my life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/why-do-you-always-wear-black-i-am-mourning-for-my-life/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) [Explore all 679 Anton Chekhov quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) ## More Aim quotes > [If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/if-you-aim-at-nothing-you-will-hit-it-every-time/) [Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/) > [A good aim surveys the present state of experience of pupils, and forming a tentative plan of treatment, keeps the plan constantly in view…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/a-good-aim-surveys-the-present-state-of-experience-of-pupils-and/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [The Christian man must aim at that complete obedience to God in which life finds its highest happiness, its greatest good, its perfect consummation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-barclay/the-christian-man-must-aim-at-that-complete-obedience-to-god-in-which/) [William Barclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-barclay/) > [ He \[an earnest young reporter\] seemed to share the view of many intelligent, well-educated, well-meaning people that, while adult literature may aim to be… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-paterson/he-an-earnest-young-reporter-seemed-to-share-the-view-of-many/) [Katherine Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-paterson/) > [In Bosnia, little children shot in the head by a guy who thinks it's okay to aim his gun at a child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiane-amanpour/in-bosnia-little-children-shot-in-the-head-by-a-guy-who-thinks-it-s/) [Christiane Amanpour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiane-amanpour/) > [Design certainly has a cosmetic, aesthetic aim. It always aims at making things beautiful. But relevance is just as important. I often say, 'If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yves-behar/design-certainly-has-a-cosmetic-aesthetic-aim-it-always-aims-at/) [Yves Behar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yves-behar/) > [My aim was to make money for the bank. You lose track of the amounts involved when you are engaged in this kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-kerviel/my-aim-was-to-make-money-for-the-bank-you-lose-track-of-the-amounts/) [Jerome Kerviel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-kerviel/) > [My only aim is to clock a time that everyone remembers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hima-das/my-only-aim-is-to-clock-a-time-that-everyone-remembers/) [Hima Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hima-das/) > [My main aim has always been to do good quality films with roles that have some substance. With Power and Beauty there were loads…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-henstridge/my-main-aim-has-always-been-to-do-good-quality-films-with-roles-that/) [Natasha Henstridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-henstridge/) > [ I really enjoyed it - being involved in watching rushes and playback \[in "The Invisible Woman"\]. Ralph \[Fiennes\] was very open to my input,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/i-really-enjoyed-it-being-involved-in-watching-rushes-and-playback-in/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) > [My aim is to be counted among the top players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babar-azam/my-aim-is-to-be-counted-among-the-top-players/) [Babar Azam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babar-azam/) > [The single aim of my life is that every child is: free to be a child, free to grow and develop, free to eat,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kailash-satyarthi/the-single-aim-of-my-life-is-that-every-child-is-free-to-be-a-child/) [Kailash Satyarthi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kailash-satyarthi/) > [The aim of good prose words is to mean what they say. The aim of good poetical words is to mean what they do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/the-aim-of-good-prose-words-is-to-mean-what-they-say-the-aim-of-good/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Prescribing hard work for the soft, or easy work for the hardy, is generally nonsense. 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