--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: At the end of a miserable day, instead of…" description: "\"At the end of a miserable day, instead of grieving my virtual nothing, I can always look at my loaded wastepaper basket and tell myself that if I faile..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d77/david-sedaris-333_baskets_at-the-end-of-a-miserable-day-instead-of_854649.png" --- # At the end of a miserable day, instead of grieving my… ![“At the end of a miserable day, instead of grieving my virtual nothing, I can always look at my loaded wastepaper basket and tell myself that if I failed, at least I took a few trees down with me.” quote by David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d77/david-sedaris-333_baskets_at-the-end-of-a-miserable-day-instead-of_854649.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d77/david-sedaris-333_baskets_at-the-end-of-a-miserable-day-instead-of_854649.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d77/david-sedaris-333_baskets_at-the-end-of-a-miserable-day-instead-of_854649.png) > “At the end of a miserable day, instead of grieving my virtual nothing, I can always look at my loaded wastepaper basket and tell myself that if I failed, at least I took a few trees down with me.” [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He uses humor to cope with a bad day, finding solace in the idea that even failure can have a small positive impact. **In simple terms:** He jokes that failing still helps the environment. Key Takeaway Find humor and purpose even in setbacks. Themes resilience humor environmentalism Mood lighthearted introspective Type personal philosophical When to use this quote - daily disappointment - creative work - environmental activism Key Concepts cognitive reframing self‑compassion Questions to Reflect On - What small positive actions can you claim after a failure? - How does humor change your perception of loss? A Different Perspective Humor may not address deeper issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Grieving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grieving/) [Miserable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/miserable/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) [Tree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tree/) ## Related quotes > [One of the most important pieces of equipment, for the photographer who really wants to improve, is a great big wastepaper basket.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ansel-adams/one-of-the-most-important-pieces-of-equipment-for-the-photographer/) [Ansel Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ansel-adams/) > [good call. A second drag and your next stop's the wastepaper basket - and not to toss your kleenex, true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/good-call-a-second-drag-and-your-next-stop-s-the-wastepaper-basket/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [The quality of a man's mind can generally be judged by the size of his wastepaper basket.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-bergam-n/the-quality-of-a-man-s-mind-can-generally-be-judged-by-the-size-of/) [Jose Bergamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-bergam-n/) > [“The wastepaper basket is the writer’s best friend. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-bashevis-singer/the-wastepaper-basket-is-the-writer-s-best-friend/) [Isaac Bashevis Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-bashevis-singer/) > [“Every one should keep a mental wastepaper basket and the older he grows the more things he will consign to it - torn up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/every-one-should-keep-a-mental-wastepaper-basket-and-the-older-he/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [Today has been a miserable day. All I want is to crawl into a dark place, shut my eyes and dream of tomorrow being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/today-has-been-a-miserable-day-all-i-want-is-to-crawl-into-a-dark/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [Sitting around miserable all day won't make you any happier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyne/sitting-around-miserable-all-day-won-t-make-you-any-happier/) [John Boyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyne/) > [If the idea is you're working at a job solely to pay the bills because you have ambitions to do something else, if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-f-tompkins/if-the-idea-is-you-re-working-at-a-job-solely-to-pay-the-bills/) [Paul F. Tompkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-f-tompkins/) > [And if by chance you have a miserable day, you will come home to a bed that is made—that you made—and a made bed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-mcraven/and-if-by-chance-you-have-a-miserable-day-you-will-come-home-to-a-bed/) [William H. McRaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-mcraven/) > [Life is much too short to sit around dwelling in unhappiness, and being miserable. Every day is a joyous occasion, be sure to allow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-much-too-short-to-sit-around-dwelling-in-unhappiness-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Rain Rain Rain and freezing cold what a miserable day - Looks like winter has arrived :(](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-digweed/rain-rain-rain-and-freezing-cold-what-a-miserable-day-looks-like/) [John Digweed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-digweed/) > [Got a new approach to difficult people. It's called not caring anymore cause you won't win in the end. Miserable people always lose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/got-a-new-approach-to-difficult-people-it-s-called-not-caring-anymore/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I was going to be so terrible at this… the worst he’d ever had probably. And then he’d never want to see me again…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cora-carmack/i-was-going-to-be-so-terrible-at-this-the-worst-he-d-ever-had/) [Cora Carmack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cora-carmack/) > [“In the end we're all miserable. It's a human condition.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yvonne-prinz/in-the-end-we-re-all-miserable-it-s-a-human-condition/) [Yvonne Prinz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yvonne-prinz/) > [Terrible things happen all of the time, and they can happen in a second. The best thing is to be prepared to react. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-isbell/terrible-things-happen-all-of-the-time-and-they-can-happen-in-a/) [Jason Isbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-isbell/) ## More by David Sedaris > [“Plenty of animals had pets, but few were more devoted than the mouse, who owned a baby corn snake—“A rescue snake, she’d be quick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/plenty-of-animals-had-pets-but-few-were-more-devoted-than-the-mouse/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [“never fall asleep in a Dumpster, never underestimate a bee, never drive a convertible behind a flatbed truck, never get old, never get drunk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/never-fall-asleep-in-a-dumpster-never-underestimate-a-bee-never-drive/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [“It was a father, one hand resting teapot-style on his hip, and the other - what would be the spout - formed into a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/it-was-a-father-one-hand-resting-teapot-style-on-his-hip-and-the/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [“A Japanese woman we’d met in Paris came to the apartment yesterday and spent several hours explaining our appliances. The microwave, the water kettle,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/a-japanese-woman-we-d-met-in-paris-came-to-the-apartment-yesterday/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [One thing I like about the United States, and I kind of miss about the United States, is there's an election coming up here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/one-thing-i-like-about-the-united-states-and-i-kind-of-miss-about-the/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [When you read comic material and people aren't laughing how do you know they're listening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/when-you-read-comic-material-and-people-aren-t-laughing-how-do-you/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [“You have how many children in your family?" the teacher would ask. "I'm guessing you must be Catholic, am I right?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/you-have-how-many-children-in-your-family-the-teacher-would-ask-i-m/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [“Like most seasoned phonies, I roundly suspect that everyone is as disingenuous as I am.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/like-most-seasoned-phonies-i-roundly-suspect-that-everyone-is-as/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [As a child I assumed that when I reached adulthood, I would have grown-up thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/as-a-child-i-assumed-that-when-i-reached-adulthood-i-would-have-grown/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [“You just take and take don´t you? Out there with your thumb in the air—not a care in the world, just grabbing whatever you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/you-just-take-and-take-don-t-you-out-there-with-your-thumb-in-the-air/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [In other parts of the country people tried to stay together for the sake of the children. In New York they tried to work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/in-other-parts-of-the-country-people-tried-to-stay-together-for-the/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [My boyfriend got me a computer three years ago. I'll admit it does make things a lot easier. When I was working on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/my-boyfriend-got-me-a-computer-three-years-ago-i-ll-admit-it-does/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [I spent months searching for some secret code before I realized that common sense has nothing to do with it. Hysteria, psychosis, torture, depression:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/i-spent-months-searching-for-some-secret-code-before-i-realized-that/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [I hated leaving a hole in the smoking world, and so I recruited someone to take my place. People have given me a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/i-hated-leaving-a-hole-in-the-smoking-world-and-so-i-recruited/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [Write relentlessly, until you find your voice. Then, use it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/write-relentlessly-until-you-find-your-voice-then-use-it/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) [Explore all 667 David Sedaris quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) ## More Baskets quotes > [Coal lay in ledges under the ground since the Flood, until a laborer with pick and windlass brings it to the surface. We may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/coal-lay-in-ledges-under-the-ground-since-the-flood-until-a-laborer/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [I wonder how, among the Fremont, mothers and daughters shared their world. Did they walk side by side along the lake edge? What stories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/i-wonder-how-among-the-fremont-mothers-and-daughters-shared-their/) [Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/) > [There's none as deaf as those who won't listen. I get letters. If they are moronic, they go in the wastepaper basket, but if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-bates/there-s-none-as-deaf-as-those-who-won-t-listen-i-get-letters-if-they/) [Ken Bates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-bates/) > [It takes 10 hands to score a basket](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/it-takes-10-hands-to-score-a-basket/) [John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/) > [Faith don't come in a bushel basket, Missy. It come one step at a time. Decide to trust Him for one little thing today,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-austin/faith-don-t-come-in-a-bushel-basket-missy-it-come-one-step-at-a-time/) [Lynn Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-austin/) > [We are constituted a good deal like chickens, which, taken from the hen, and put in a basket of cotton in the chimney-corner, willoften…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/we-are-constituted-a-good-deal-like-chickens-which-taken-from-the-hen/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [We have to have a special insight, or we'll put it in the 'too tough' basket. All of you have to look for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/we-have-to-have-a-special-insight-or-we-ll-put-it-in-the-too-tough/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [The human race shouldn't have all its eggs in one basket, or on one planet. Let's hope we can avoid dropping the basket until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/the-human-race-shouldn-t-have-all-its-eggs-in-one-basket-or-on-one/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [I have done conferences explaining that cloud is a bad idea. It's putting all your eggs in one basket.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-demon-calce/i-have-done-conferences-explaining-that-cloud-is-a-bad-idea-it-s/) [Michael Demon Calce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-demon-calce/) > [I got about half the time I wanted to write poetry. I got about half the time I needed to be a father. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bly/i-got-about-half-the-time-i-wanted-to-write-poetry-i-got-about-half/) [Robert Bly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bly/) > [The Earth is just too small and fragile a basket for the human race to keep all its eggs in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/the-earth-is-just-too-small-and-fragile-a-basket-for-the-human-race/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [My homies that are around me never give me that 'star pass.' I've hung out with some stars who are playing basketball and everyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-foxx/my-homies-that-are-around-me-never-give-me-that-star-pass-i-ve-hung/) [Jamie Foxx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-foxx/) > [Kobe enjoys that situation. Stepping up and making the big basket or being involved in a key play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-kidd/kobe-enjoys-that-situation-stepping-up-and-making-the-big-basket-or/) [Jason Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-kidd/) > [ When children ask me what's my favorite \[role\], I say to them, "Imagine having ten beautiful new puppies in a basket and you had… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-andrews/when-children-ask-me-what-s-my-favorite-role-i-say-to-them-imagine/) [Julie Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-andrews/) > [The basket looked like an ocean, and I was just throwing rocks in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-iverson/the-basket-looked-like-an-ocean-and-i-was-just-throwing-rocks-in/) [Allen Iverson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-iverson/) Browse all 289 Baskets quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "At the end of a miserable day, instead of grieving my virtual nothing, I can always look at my loaded wastepaper basket and tell myself that if I failed, at least I took a few trees down with me.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Sedaris" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/at-the-end-of-a-miserable-day-instead-of-grieving-my-virtual-nothing/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Baskets" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/at-the-end-of-a-miserable-day-instead-of-grieving-my-virtual-nothing/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d77/david-sedaris-333_baskets_at-the-end-of-a-miserable-day-instead-of_854649.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d77/david-sedaris-333_baskets_at-the-end-of-a-miserable-day-instead-of_854649.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d77/david-sedaris-333_baskets_at-the-end-of-a-miserable-day-instead-of_854649.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“At the end of a miserable day, instead of grieving my virtual nothing, I can always look at my loaded…” — David Sedaris", "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 Sedaris", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "At the end of a miserable...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/at-the-end-of-a-miserable-day-instead-of-grieving-my-virtual-nothing/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/at-the-end-of-a-miserable-day-instead-of-grieving-my-virtual-nothing/#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 } } ] } ```