--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've about decided that's the main thing…" description: "\"I've about decided that's the main thing that separates happy people from the other people: the feeling that you're a practical item, with a use, like ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/634/barbara-kingsolver-200_feelings_i-ve-about-decided-that-s-the-main-thing_1918272.png" --- # I've about decided that's the main thing that separates… ![“I've about decided that's the main thing that separates happy people from the other people: the feeling that you're a practical item, with a use, like a sweater or a socket wrench.” quote by Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/634/barbara-kingsolver-200_feelings_i-ve-about-decided-that-s-the-main-thing_1918272.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/634/barbara-kingsolver-200_feelings_i-ve-about-decided-that-s-the-main-thing_1918272.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/634/barbara-kingsolver-200_feelings_i-ve-about-decided-that-s-the-main-thing_1918272.png) > “I've about decided that's the main thing that separates happy people from the other people: the feeling that you're a practical item, with a use, like a sweater or a socket wrench.” [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Happiness stems from feeling useful, like a tool that serves a clear function, giving life meaning. **In simple terms:** Feeling useful brings joy. Key Takeaway Find ways to be useful daily. Themes purpose happiness self‑worth Mood thoughtful inspirational Type psychological philosophical When to use this quote - volunteering - career choice - daily chores - creative projects - teamwork Key Concepts instrumentality existential meaning Questions to Reflect On - What tasks make you feel most useful? - Can purpose exist without external usefulness? A Different Perspective May ignore intrinsic joy beyond utility. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Feeling Practical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feeling-practical-2929961/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Happy people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happy-people/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Practicals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/practicals/) [Separates Happy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/separates-happy-2929962/) [Sweater Socket](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sweater-socket-2929963/) [Sweaters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sweaters/) [Thing Separates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-separates-2067495/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) ## Related quotes > [The only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harling/the-only-thing-that-separates-us-from-the-animals-is-our-ability-to/) [Robert Harling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harling/) > [The only thing which separates man from child is all the values he has lost over the years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/poul-henningsen/the-only-thing-which-separates-man-from-child-is-all-the-values-he/) [Poul Henningsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/poul-henningsen/) > [Details are the only thing that separates one movie from another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/campbell-scott/details-are-the-only-thing-that-separates-one-movie-from-another/) [Campbell Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/campbell-scott/) > [The only thing that separates us from the animals...is we have pornography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/the-only-thing-that-separates-us-from-the-animals-is-we-have/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [The chief thing that separates us from God is the thought that we are separated from God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-keating/the-chief-thing-that-separates-us-from-god-is-the-thought-that-we-are/) [Thomas Keating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-keating/) > [I have my own sheep and I literally sheer the sheep and knot sweaters for friends and family from scratch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/i-have-my-own-sheep-and-i-literally-sheer-the-sheep-and-knot-sweaters/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [Hiking the PCT was the maddening effort of knitting that sweater and unraveling it over and over again. As if everything gained was inevitably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/hiking-the-pct-was-the-maddening-effort-of-knitting-that-sweater-and/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [Dramatic art in her opinion is knowing how to fill a sweater.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bette-davis/dramatic-art-in-her-opinion-is-knowing-how-to-fill-a-sweater/) [Bette Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bette-davis/) > [None of the chase scenes that I did had any opticals. We had to do all of that physically. The first thing you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-friedkin/none-of-the-chase-scenes-that-i-did-had-any-opticals-we-had-to-do-all/) [William Friedkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-friedkin/) > [About 4000 men, women and teenagers regularly venture out to play a game in -20 weather and stinging prairie winds. Bundled in sweaters and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-cox/about-4000-men-women-and-teenagers-regularly-venture-out-to-play-a/) [Bob Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-cox/) > [My mom would put me in these preppy little suits and slick my hair to the side. I have these baby pictures of me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-wang/my-mom-would-put-me-in-these-preppy-little-suits-and-slick-my-hair-to/) [Alexander Wang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-wang/) > [Clothing should be like food. There should never be a $5000 sweater. You know what should cost $5000? A car.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/clothing-should-be-like-food-there-should-never-be-a-5000-sweater-you/) [Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/) > [Originally, back in 1992, DKNY started because I couldn't find a pair of jeans. I also wanted to dress my teenage daughter Gabby. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-karan/originally-back-in-1992-dkny-started-because-i-couldn-t-find-a-pair/) [Donna Karan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-karan/) > [Becky Renee Apple - can you believe her mom named her that and then had all of her sweaters monogramed with 'BRA'?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/becky-renee-apple-can-you-believe-her-mom-named-her-that-and-then-had/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I used to buy everything at garage sales. It was hard to give up! I’d be like, ‘But this crazy sweater is amazing, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leighton-meester/i-used-to-buy-everything-at-garage-sales-it-was-hard-to-give-up-i-d/) [Leighton Meester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leighton-meester/) ## More by Barbara Kingsolver > [“Jesus was a more reliable backer, evidently, less likely to drink himself unconscious or get liver cancer. No wonder people chose Him as their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/jesus-was-a-more-reliable-backer-evidently-less-likely-to-drink/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [Now I'm starting to think he wasn't supposed to be my whole life, he was just this doorway to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/now-i-m-starting-to-think-he-wasn-t-supposed-to-be-my-whole-life-he/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [Cooking is 80 percent confidence, a skill best acquired starting from when the apron strings wrap around you twice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/cooking-is-80-percent-confidence-a-skill-best-acquired-starting-from/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“In Bobby Ogle's version of heaven everyone would wind up in one place, criminals and Muslims included.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/in-bobby-ogle-s-version-of-heaven-everyone-would-wind-up-in-one-place/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“Weeds are job security for the gardener.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/weeds-are-job-security-for-the-gardener/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“It's what you do that makes your soul, not the other way around.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/it-s-what-you-do-that-makes-your-soul-not-the-other-way-around/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“Lusa turned to Crys, her eyes shining. "That was a luna." Crys shrugged. "So?" "So? So what? You want it should sing, too?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/lusa-turned-to-crys-her-eyes-shining-that-was-a-luna-crys-shrugged-so/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [The strength of motherhood is greater than natural laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/the-strength-of-motherhood-is-greater-than-natural-laws/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“An imperfectly remembered life is a useless treachery. Every day, more fragments of the past roll around heavily in the chambers of an empty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/an-imperfectly-remembered-life-is-a-useless-treachery-every-day-more/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [Respecting the dignity of a spectacular food means enjoying it at its best. Europeans celebrate the short season of abundant asparagus as a form…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/respecting-the-dignity-of-a-spectacular-food-means-enjoying-it-at-its/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“Somehow it had come to pass that this man was her whole world, and she had failed to take his measure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/somehow-it-had-come-to-pass-that-this-man-was-her-whole-world-and-she/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [After 'The Poisonwood Bible' was published, several people believed that my parents were missionaries, which could not be further from the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/after-the-poisonwood-bible-was-published-several-people-believed-that/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [I can count all the ways in which being a mother has enriched my understanding of the world, of character, my sense of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/i-can-count-all-the-ways-in-which-being-a-mother-has-enriched-my/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [But we've all ended up giving body and soul to Africa, one way or another. Even Adah, who's becoming an expert in tropical epidemiology…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/but-we-ve-all-ended-up-giving-body-and-soul-to-africa-one-way-or/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [If the Lord hasn't got a boyfriend lined up for me to marry, that's his business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/if-the-lord-hasn-t-got-a-boyfriend-lined-up-for-me-to-marry-that-s/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) [Explore all 939 Barbara Kingsolver quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) ## More Feelings quotes > [I have a strong feeling about this quick movement and changing of society and populations growing - something scary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiroshi-sugimoto/i-have-a-strong-feeling-about-this-quick-movement-and-changing-of/) [Hiroshi Sugimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiroshi-sugimoto/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [We never realize the importance of any our action until we be the hunt of same situation in reaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fadi/we-never-realize-the-importance-of-any-our-action-until-we-be-the/) [Fadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fadi/) > [Sometimes we wish for the feel but we never understand that we have to give a lot to get the feel !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reynolds/sometimes-we-wish-for-the-feel-but-we-never-understand-that-we-have/) [Robert Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reynolds/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [My feeling has always been that 'Good Eats' would have never happened had it been left to a committee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alton-brown/my-feeling-has-always-been-that-good-eats-would-have-never-happened/) [Alton Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alton-brown/) > [Jobs and money are never the primary cause of stress. Thinking, negative thinking causes stress. The real cause of all problems lie in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/jobs-and-money-are-never-the-primary-cause-of-stress-thinking/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [If someone really loves you, no matter how many other people they meet, their feelings for you wouldn't change. A real lover cant be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-someone-really-loves-you-no-matter-how-many-other-people-they-meet/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/) [Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/) > [“I urge you: don't cut short these thought-trains of yours. Follow them through to their end. Your thoughts and your feelings. Follow them through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee/i-urge-you-don-t-cut-short-these-thought-trains-of-yours-follow-them/) [J.M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee/) > [If the media is sending girls the message that their value lies in their bodies, this can only leave them feeling disempowered and distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-siebel-newsom/if-the-media-is-sending-girls-the-message-that-their-value-lies-in/) [Jennifer Siebel Newsom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-siebel-newsom/) > [Good girls don't hurt other people's feelings. Good girls are not overly aggressive, competitive, or boastful. Good girls please others. 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It means to know that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-self-conscious-animal-the-idea-is-ludicrous/) [Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/) [Browse all 21,172 Feelings quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I've about decided that's the main thing that separates happy people from the other people: the feeling that you're a practical item, with a use, like a sweater or a socket wrench.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barbara Kingsolver" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/i-ve-about-decided-that-s-the-main-thing-that-separates-happy-people/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Feelings" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/i-ve-about-decided-that-s-the-main-thing-that-separates-happy-people/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/634/barbara-kingsolver-200_feelings_i-ve-about-decided-that-s-the-main-thing_1918272.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/634/barbara-kingsolver-200_feelings_i-ve-about-decided-that-s-the-main-thing_1918272.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/634/barbara-kingsolver-200_feelings_i-ve-about-decided-that-s-the-main-thing_1918272.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I've about decided that's the main thing that separates happy people from the other people: the feeling that…” — Barbara Kingsolver", "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": "Barbara Kingsolver", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I've about decided that's the main...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/i-ve-about-decided-that-s-the-main-thing-that-separates-happy-people/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/i-ve-about-decided-that-s-the-main-thing-that-separates-happy-people/#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 } } ] } ```