--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When people think you're trying, they…" description: "\"“When people think you're trying, they think you're looking for something. And I'm looking for nothing. When”\" — Danielle Pearl" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b9/danielle-pearl-58036_search_when-people-think-you-re-trying-they-thi_3139721.jpg" --- # When people think you're trying, they think you're looking… ![“When people think you're trying, they think you're looking for something. And I'm looking for nothing. When” quote by Danielle Pearl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b9/danielle-pearl-58036_search_when-people-think-you-re-trying-they-thi_3139721.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b9/danielle-pearl-58036_search_when-people-think-you-re-trying-they-thi_3139721.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b9/danielle-pearl-58036_search_when-people-think-you-re-trying-they-thi_3139721.jpg) > ““When people think you're trying, they think you're looking for something. And I'm looking for nothing. When”” [Danielle Pearl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-pearl/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker rejects the notion of striving for external validation, instead seeking emptiness or freedom from expectation. **In simple terms:** Reject seeking external validation. Key Takeaway Embrace inner freedom, not external goals. Themes self identity freedom Mood philosophical reflective Type motivational introspective When to use this quote - personal development - creative work - mental health - spiritual practice Key Concepts existentialism minimalism Questions to Reflect On - What does “nothing” mean to you? - How can you balance purpose with freedom? A Different Perspective Complete emptiness can be unsettling or unsustainable. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [People Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-think/) [Search](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/search/) [Think Looking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-looking-446989/) [Think Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-trying/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [Trying Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying-think/) ## Related quotes > [If you have several ideas that all seem pretty good, work on the one that you think about, when you're not trying to think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/if-you-have-several-ideas-that-all-seem-pretty-good-work-on-the-one/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [“Even if you don't find what you think you're looking for, darling, it's the going out and looking for it that counts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-fay/even-if-you-don-t-find-what-you-think-you-re-looking-for-darling-it-s/) [Kim Fay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-fay/) > [People think that I'm trying to go up there and just hit homers. That's not the case. That's the last thing I'm doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-schwarber/people-think-that-i-m-trying-to-go-up-there-and-just-hit-homers-that/) [Kyle Schwarber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-schwarber/) > [Well I'm trying to think what I put in... I think I put in 'why?' to see if I'd confuse the computer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-pilkington/well-i-m-trying-to-think-what-i-put-in-i-think-i-put-in-why-to-see-if/) [Karl Pilkington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-pilkington/) > [Don't think you are looking at me because you are not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-ormandy/don-t-think-you-are-looking-at-me-because-you-are-not/) [Eugene Ormandy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-ormandy/) > [“It's always so cool to think you are looking at today is something other people have been looking at for centuries. It's the closest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-strohmeyer/it-s-always-so-cool-to-think-you-are-looking-at-today-is-something/) [Sarah Strohmeyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-strohmeyer/) > [Parenting tip: complement your child on something well done when they don't think you are looking!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-heath/parenting-tip-complement-your-child-on-something-well-done-when-they/) [Kevin Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-heath/) > [When I'm in there I'm just in my zone. What people think about when they're looking at me, that's their business. If there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-mcgregor/when-i-m-in-there-i-m-just-in-my-zone-what-people-think-about-when/) [Conor McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-mcgregor/) > [I think looking is the essential act of loving. Brothers, fathers and sons, lovers, whatever. What you do when you love someone is look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/i-think-looking-is-the-essential-act-of-loving-brothers-fathers-and/) [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) > [Not everybody is perfect, and I don't think we should be looking for perfect people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-cowell/not-everybody-is-perfect-and-i-don-t-think-we-should-be-looking-for/) [Simon Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-cowell/) > [Our character is what we do when we think no one is looking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jackson-brown-jr/our-character-is-what-we-do-when-we-think-no-one-is-looking/) [H. Jackson Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jackson-brown-jr/) > [The measure of your character is not what you do when people are looking. It’s what you do when you think no one is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-mraz/the-measure-of-your-character-is-not-what-you-do-when-people-are/) [Jason Mraz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-mraz/) > [When we think of misdirection, we think of something as looking off to the side when, actually, the things right in front of us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apollo-robbins/when-we-think-of-misdirection-we-think-of-something-as-looking-off-to/) [Apollo Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apollo-robbins/) > [“We all have to love you, and believe in you, and think you are looking out for our best interests. But look at us,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-c-andrews/we-all-have-to-love-you-and-believe-in-you-and-think-you-are-looking/) [V.C. Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-c-andrews/) > [I think we're always looking for ways to inject a sense of humor into our music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/finneas/i-think-we-re-always-looking-for-ways-to-inject-a-sense-of-humor-into/) [Finneas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/finneas/) ## More by Danielle Pearl > [“He smiles. "You know, your accent comes out when you get mad." "I know." "I like it. It's... cute." "Well, kind sir, I'm glad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-pearl/he-smiles-you-know-your-accent-comes-out-when-you-get-mad-i-know-i/) [Danielle Pearl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-pearl/) > [“Plastering on my "everything is okay" fake smile is too much right now, so I make every effort just to keep my lips from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-pearl/plastering-on-my-everything-is-okay-fake-smile-is-too-much-right-now/) [Danielle Pearl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-pearl/) > [“But while Sam may not know what happened, he's witnessed the scars. Not the physical scar, but the emotional ones. And those are far…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-pearl/but-while-sam-may-not-know-what-happened-he-s-witnessed-the-scars-not/) [Danielle Pearl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-pearl/) > [“I must admit, it gives me some satisfaction that my life isn't the only one that was irrevocably altered by him and what he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-pearl/i-must-admit-it-gives-me-some-satisfaction-that-my-life-isn-t-the/) [Danielle Pearl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-pearl/) > [“Don't you look at me like that, Ror," he whispers. I meet his eyes again. "Like what?" He stares at me a moment, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-pearl/don-t-you-look-at-me-like-that-ror-he-whispers-i-meet-his-eyes-again/) [Danielle Pearl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-pearl/) [Explore all 6 Danielle Pearl quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-pearl/) ## More Search quotes > [Once you stop looking for what you what you find exactly what you need](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia/once-you-stop-looking-for-what-you-what-you-find-exactly-what-you-need/) [Cynthia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia/) > [What I was concerned about when I wrote the 'Downward Spiral' record was being a self-centred destructive force. The point was tearing down everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-reznor/what-i-was-concerned-about-when-i-wrote-the-downward-spiral-record/) [Trent Reznor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trent-reznor/) > [“I'm sure if you go forward, that something you'll find it, you'll find it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaejin-insoo/i-m-sure-if-you-go-forward-that-something-you-ll-find-it-you-ll-find/) [Chaejin Insoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaejin-insoo/) > [“Whatever you are seeking is also seeking you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakti-sharan/whatever-you-are-seeking-is-also-seeking-you/) [Shakti Sharan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakti-sharan/) > [We need to come up with use cases for this technology that drive clear benefits for individuals and institutions - these are our customers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abigail-johnson/we-need-to-come-up-with-use-cases-for-this-technology-that-drive/) [Abigail Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abigail-johnson/) > [When you don't know what you're searching for, you have to look absolutely everywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/when-you-don-t-know-what-you-re-searching-for-you-have-to-look/) [Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/) > [I put my name into the Google search bar. Justine Bateman... And the auto-complete comes up. The auto-complete says that the top option is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justine-bateman/i-put-my-name-into-the-google-search-bar-justine-bateman-and-the-auto/) [Justine Bateman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justine-bateman/) > [There's a very long tail of all sorts of creative products - beyond our core web search, image search and advertising businesses - that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-ng/there-s-a-very-long-tail-of-all-sorts-of-creative-products-beyond-our/) [Andrew Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-ng/) > [“A spark of every fire we seek is already within us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/a-spark-of-every-fire-we-seek-is-already-within-us/) [Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/) > [As the future is never known with certainty, the evaluation of the prospective benefits requires the formation of expectations. An acceptable house, partner or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-t-mortensen/as-the-future-is-never-known-with-certainty-the-evaluation-of-the/) [Dale T. Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-t-mortensen/) > [“Man’s Search for Meaning,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-ford/man-s-search-for-meaning/) [Judy Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-ford/) > [“Don't keep looking for "something" in the bag of "nothing". You will see the same thing again and again no matter how many times…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/don-t-keep-looking-for-something-in-the-bag-of-nothing-you-will-see/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [“he seemed to be in quest for mental food, not heart sustenance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/he-seemed-to-be-in-quest-for-mental-food-not-heart-sustenance/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) > [“You’ll drive yourself crazy looking for something that’s not there.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eowyn-ivey/you-ll-drive-yourself-crazy-looking-for-something-that-s-not-there/) [Eowyn Ivey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eowyn-ivey/) > [Most haystacks do not even have a needle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorenzo-lamas/most-haystacks-do-not-even-have-a-needle/) [Lorenzo Lamas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorenzo-lamas/) [Browse all 1,131 Search quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/search/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When people think you're trying, they think you're looking for something. 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