--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sometimes, you go - you achieve a few…" description: "\"Sometimes, you go - you achieve a few things in life. I have achieved more career success than I ever experienced or that I ever thought. And I just re..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e2/david-brooks-644_achieve_sometimes-you-go-you-achieve-a-few-thing_1878909.png" --- # Sometimes, you go - you achieve a few things in life. I… ![“Sometimes, you go - you achieve a few things in life. I have achieved more career success than I ever experienced or that I ever thought. And I just realized, it doesn't make you happy. It's an elemental truth. It's so true.” quote by David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e2/david-brooks-644_achieve_sometimes-you-go-you-achieve-a-few-thing_1878909.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e2/david-brooks-644_achieve_sometimes-you-go-you-achieve-a-few-thing_1878909.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e2/david-brooks-644_achieve_sometimes-you-go-you-achieve-a-few-thing_1878909.png) > “Sometimes, you go - you achieve a few things in life. I have achieved more career success than I ever experienced or that I ever thought. And I just realized, it doesn't make you happy. It's an elemental truth. It's so true.” [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Achieving external success does not guarantee personal happiness; fulfillment comes from inner values and purpose. **In simple terms:** Success alone isn’t enough for happiness. Key Takeaway Seek meaning beyond achievements. Themes success happiness purpose self‑realization Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career advancement - financial gain - personal milestones Key Concepts existential fulfillment psychology of well‑being Questions to Reflect On - What inner values could you cultivate? - How can you balance ambition with contentment? A Different Perspective Happiness also depends on relationships and health. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Career](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/career/) [Career success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/career-success/) [Elementals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elementals/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Things in life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-in-life/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [“I’m convinced that much of the success I have experienced in life is a result of learning from my failures.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/i-m-convinced-that-much-of-the-success-i-have-experienced-in-life-is/) [Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/) > [“Success is experienced when opportunity meets preparation, persistence, and prayer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temeko-richardson/success-is-experienced-when-opportunity-meets-preparation-persistence/) Temeko Richardson > [Success is not about how much money we have in the bank, but it's about how many peoples' lives we have impacted through it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naveen-jain/success-is-not-about-how-much-money-we-have-in-the-bank-but-it-s/) [Naveen Jain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naveen-jain/) > [If anything, any success that I have ever experienced has been because people who didn't have to care about me did, and they pushed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deray-mckesson/if-anything-any-success-that-i-have-ever-experienced-has-been-because/) [DeRay Mckesson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deray-mckesson/) > [The school asks a person who has achieved a certain level of career success to give you a speech telling you that career success…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/the-school-asks-a-person-who-has-achieved-a-certain-level-of-career/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [There are superstars around us who have achieved so much in their career. I am not even five percent of that. I have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anushka-shetty/there-are-superstars-around-us-who-have-achieved-so-much-in-their/) [Anushka Shetty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anushka-shetty/) > [All of the successes achieved throughout my career and contacts with the fans have made me aware of my responsibility to act as an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eusebio/all-of-the-successes-achieved-throughout-my-career-and-contacts-with/) [Eusebio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eusebio/) > [I just want to take the time to think about what I've achieved in my career so far, where I need to go, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raheem-sterling/i-just-want-to-take-the-time-to-think-about-what-i-ve-achieved-in-my/) [Raheem Sterling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raheem-sterling/) > [It's no accident that I'm not married and don't have kids yet. Because, despite what I've achieved in my career, I'm always wondering when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shemar-moore/it-s-no-accident-that-i-m-not-married-and-don-t-have-kids-yet-because/) [Shemar Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shemar-moore/) > [The first few games that we played against some of the teams, the young guys, you know, want a stick sign or photo sign,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-lemieux/the-first-few-games-that-we-played-against-some-of-the-teams-the/) [Mario Lemieux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-lemieux/) > [If I could achieve half as much as Broony's achieved in his career, I'll be delighted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcginn/if-i-could-achieve-half-as-much-as-broony-s-achieved-in-his-career-i/) [John McGinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcginn/) > [I've achieved everything in my career that I set out to - with the Champions League as the crowning glory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arjen-robben/i-ve-achieved-everything-in-my-career-that-i-set-out-to-with-the/) [Arjen Robben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arjen-robben/) > [I haven't achieved as much as I should have done in my career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-redknapp/i-haven-t-achieved-as-much-as-i-should-have-done-in-my-career/) [Jamie Redknapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-redknapp/) > [I am very proud of what I have achieved in my career, and I have had some amazing moments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eidur-gudjohnsen/i-am-very-proud-of-what-i-have-achieved-in-my-career-and-i-have-had/) [Eidur Gudjohnsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eidur-gudjohnsen/) > [Of course I would have liked to have played at the World Cup, but I achieved so much in my career as a footballer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-weah/of-course-i-would-have-liked-to-have-played-at-the-world-cup-but-i/) [George Weah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-weah/) ## More by David Brooks > [The brain is not the mind. It is probably impossible to look at a map of brain activity and predict or even understand the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/the-brain-is-not-the-mind-it-is-probably-impossible-to-look-at-a-map/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [When you're running for president, you're a guest in the living room for four years. And if people don't think you're going to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/when-you-re-running-for-president-you-re-a-guest-in-the-living-room/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [“I’ve come to think that flourishing consists of putting yourself in situations in which you lose self-consciousness and become fused with other people, experiences,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/i-ve-come-to-think-that-flourishing-consists-of-putting-yourself-in/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [We have rapidly increasing technology, which is making life very good for people who are good at using words, and not so good for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/we-have-rapidly-increasing-technology-which-is-making-life-very-good/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [I think Barack Obama's foreign policy will be regarded more failure than success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/i-think-barack-obama-s-foreign-policy-will-be-regarded-more-failure/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [If you know that most processing is below the level of awareness, you learn the value of sleep. You're brain is working on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/if-you-know-that-most-processing-is-below-the-level-of-awareness-you/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [Trade has suddenly become massively unpopular. I think that's massively unjust. I think free trade has been wonderful for America on balance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/trade-has-suddenly-become-massively-unpopular-i-think-that-s/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [Politics is based on social identity, and so, again, there is going to be differences between rural and urban and between left and right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/politics-is-based-on-social-identity-and-so-again-there-is-going-to/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [Pain now is better than pain deferred.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/pain-now-is-better-than-pain-deferred/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [It’s worth noting that you can devote your life to community service and be a total schmuck. You can spend your life on Wall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/it-s-worth-noting-that-you-can-devote-your-life-to-community-service/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [If it feels all right for you, it's probably OK.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/if-it-feels-all-right-for-you-it-s-probably-ok/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [I do think Donald Trump is a fundamentally unstabilizing force and that the people who swore to uphold the Constitution are going to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/i-do-think-donald-trump-is-a-fundamentally-unstabilizing-force-and/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [Tim Kaine has been obviously a governor. He's been a senator. He's one of the smartest rising stars in the Democratic Party. He is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/tim-kaine-has-been-obviously-a-governor-he-s-been-a-senator-he-s-one/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [“Women, in general, are less visually aroused than men, a trait that has nearly cut the market for pornography in half.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/women-in-general-are-less-visually-aroused-than-men-a-trait-that-has/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [I wasn't born with a tie or with Mark Shields stapled to my left hip. I have another life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/i-wasn-t-born-with-a-tie-or-with-mark-shields-stapled-to-my-left-hip/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) [Explore all 431 David Brooks quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) ## More Achieve quotes > [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I love playing for my country, getting the support. Especially for the kids and everybody, showing my example of what I can achieve so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/i-love-playing-for-my-country-getting-the-support-especially-for-the/) [Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/) > [Human beings have an innate inner drive to be autonomous, self-determined, and connected to one another. And when that drive is liberated, people achieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-h-pink/human-beings-have-an-innate-inner-drive-to-be-autonomous-self/) [Daniel H. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-h-pink/) > [Focus on becoming more to achieve more while doing less](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-elrod/focus-on-becoming-more-to-achieve-more-while-doing-less/) [Hal Elrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-elrod/) > [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [I'm a film guy. I love it. When I read the screenplay, I knew that there would be no HD camera that could achieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deon-taylor/i-m-a-film-guy-i-love-it-when-i-read-the-screenplay-i-knew-that-there/) Deon Taylor > [One achieves true human dignity only when one serves. Only he is great who subjects himself to taking part in the achievement of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-antonio-primo-de-rivera/one-achieves-true-human-dignity-only-when-one-serves-only-he-is-great/) Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera > [I'm optimistic Hong Kong will achieve universal suffrage - no matter the attitude of Beijing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-wong/i-m-optimistic-hong-kong-will-achieve-universal-suffrage-no-matter/) [Joshua Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-wong/) > [Each man is capable of doing one thing well. If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [Governments follow their people. A great deal has to do with the vision of the leadership of governments. They have a vision, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-khurshid/governments-follow-their-people-a-great-deal-has-to-do-with-the/) [Salman Khurshid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-khurshid/) > [To achieve victory we must mass our forces at the hub of all power & movement. The enemy's 'Center of Gravity'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-achieve-victory-we-must-mass-our-forces-at-the-hub-of-all-power/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If your only goal is to become rich, you will never achieve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-rockefeller/if-your-only-goal-is-to-become-rich-you-will-never-achieve-it/) [John D. Rockefeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-rockefeller/) > [To achieve something you've never achieved before, you must become someone you've never been before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shubham-joshi/to-achieve-something-you-ve-never-achieved-before-you-must-become/) [Shubham Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shubham-joshi/) > [I've identified as bisexual since I was a teenager, and if we want to achieve equality for all in our policies, we need more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-hill/i-ve-identified-as-bisexual-since-i-was-a-teenager-and-if-we-want-to/) [Katie Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-hill/) Browse all 6,390 Achieve quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Sometimes, you go - you achieve a few things in life. I have achieved more career success than I ever experienced or that I ever thought. And I just realized, it doesn't make you happy. It's an elemental truth. It's so true.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Brooks" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/sometimes-you-go-you-achieve-a-few-things-in-life-i-have-achieved/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Achieve" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/sometimes-you-go-you-achieve-a-few-things-in-life-i-have-achieved/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e2/david-brooks-644_achieve_sometimes-you-go-you-achieve-a-few-thing_1878909.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e2/david-brooks-644_achieve_sometimes-you-go-you-achieve-a-few-thing_1878909.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e2/david-brooks-644_achieve_sometimes-you-go-you-achieve-a-few-thing_1878909.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Sometimes, you go - you achieve a few things in life. I have achieved more career success than I ever…” — David Brooks", "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": "David Brooks", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Sometimes, you go - you achieve...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/sometimes-you-go-you-achieve-a-few-things-in-life-i-have-achieved/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/sometimes-you-go-you-achieve-a-few-things-in-life-i-have-achieved/#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 } } ] } ```