--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is just so much stuff in the world…" description: "\"There is just so much stuff in the world that, to me, is devoid of any real substance, value, and content that I just try to make sure that I am workin..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a5/dean-kamen-11904_happiness_there-is-just-so-much-stuff-in-the-world_674285.png" --- # There is just so much stuff in the world that, to me, is… ![“There is just so much stuff in the world that, to me, is devoid of any real substance, value, and content that I just try to make sure that I am working on things that matter.” quote by Dean Kamen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a5/dean-kamen-11904_happiness_there-is-just-so-much-stuff-in-the-world_674285.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a5/dean-kamen-11904_happiness_there-is-just-so-much-stuff-in-the-world_674285.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a5/dean-kamen-11904_happiness_there-is-just-so-much-stuff-in-the-world_674285.png) > “There is just so much stuff in the world that, to me, is devoid of any real substance, value, and content that I just try to make sure that I am working on things that matter.” [Dean Kamen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-kamen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He emphasizes focusing on meaningful, substantive work, avoiding trivial pursuits. **In simple terms:** Prioritize work with real value and substance. Key Takeaway Choose projects that matter. Themes purpose value focus productivity Mood inspirational focused Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career planning - product development - time management - resource allocation Key Concepts meaningful impact substance goal setting Questions to Reflect On - What criteria define a worthwhile project for you? - How do you assess the substance of an idea? A Different Perspective Defining "meaningful" can be subjective and change over time. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Things that matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-that-matter/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [The day we stop exploring is the day we commit ourselves to live in a stagnant world, devoid of curiosity, empty of dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/the-day-we-stop-exploring-is-the-day-we-commit-ourselves-to-live-in-a/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [Whoever knows that the mind is a fiction and devoid of anything real knows that his own mind neither exists nor doesn't exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bodhidharma/whoever-knows-that-the-mind-is-a-fiction-and-devoid-of-anything-real/) [Bodhidharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bodhidharma/) > [“A world of pure reason, he argued with himself, a world devoid of imaginative sentiment, must be a heartless, monotonous, loveless place. No, this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-g-rosenberg/a-world-of-pure-reason-he-argued-with-himself-a-world-devoid-of/) [Jacob G. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-g-rosenberg/) > [Never was an age more sentimental, more devoid of real feeling, more exaggerated in false feeling, than our own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/never-was-an-age-more-sentimental-more-devoid-of-real-feeling-more/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Of all the things that matter, that really and truly matter, working more efficiently and getting more done, is not one of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-dooley/of-all-the-things-that-matter-that-really-and-truly-matter-working/) [Mike Dooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-dooley/) > [“Choose the things that matter to God. See things as He sees them. Whatever results, that is the best way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-m-steffens/choose-the-things-that-matter-to-god-see-things-as-he-sees-them/) Jason M. Steffens > [The two things that matter are the desire, and being healthy enough to do it. Everything else to me is a non-issue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milo-aukerman/the-two-things-that-matter-are-the-desire-and-being-healthy-enough-to/) [Milo Aukerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milo-aukerman/) > [“In some ways the goals of teaching and writing are the same. You hope to connect to someone else, to make them care about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-f-kluge/in-some-ways-the-goals-of-teaching-and-writing-are-the-same-you-hope/) P.F. Kluge > [It's as if scientists exert every effort of will they possess deliberately to find the least significant problems in the world and explain them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/it-s-as-if-scientists-exert-every-effort-of-will-they-possess/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [The things that matter most are not things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-buchwald/the-things-that-matter-most-are-not-things/) [Art Buchwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-buchwald/) > [I'm still breathing because I have faith. My faith and my kids are the two things that matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-gosselin/i-m-still-breathing-because-i-have-faith-my-faith-and-my-kids-are-the/) [Kate Gosselin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-gosselin/) > [It's the little things that matter the most.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-the-little-things-that-matter-the-most/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“You can never be too sure when it comes to things that matter most”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/you-can-never-be-too-sure-when-it-comes-to-things-that-matter-most/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [I try to make work about things that matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/i-try-to-make-work-about-things-that-matter/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) > [“How you matter is defined by the things that matter to you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/how-you-matter-is-defined-by-the-things-that-matter-to-you/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## More by Dean Kamen > [I started realizing that I wasn't so dumb; rather, most people simply didn't know the answers to the questions that I was interested in-or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-kamen/i-started-realizing-that-i-wasn-t-so-dumb-rather-most-people-simply/) [Dean Kamen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-kamen/) > [Inspiration comes from the heart. The letter ‘I’ is the heart of F”I”RST… (F Inspiration R S T).](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-kamen/inspiration-comes-from-the-heart-the-letter-i-is-the-heart-of-f-i-rst/) [Dean Kamen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-kamen/) > [“In a world of material goods and material exchange trade. I have got a hunk of gold and you have a watch. If we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-kamen/in-a-world-of-material-goods-and-material-exchange-trade-i-have-got-a/) [Dean Kamen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-kamen/) > [I consider high-speed data transmission an invention that became a major innovation. It changed the way we all communicate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-kamen/i-consider-high-speed-data-transmission-an-invention-that-became-a/) [Dean Kamen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-kamen/) > [In some cases, inventions prohibit innovation because we're so caught up in playing with the technology, we forget about the fact that it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-kamen/in-some-cases-inventions-prohibit-innovation-because-we-re-so-caught/) [Dean Kamen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-kamen/) > [The city needs a car like a fish needs a bicycle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-kamen/the-city-needs-a-car-like-a-fish-needs-a-bicycle/) [Dean Kamen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-kamen/) > [I'm a human entropy producer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-kamen/i-m-a-human-entropy-producer/) [Dean Kamen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-kamen/) > [Americans thinking that America will continue to lead the world in innovation and quality of life without some quick and serious educational improvements are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-kamen/americans-thinking-that-america-will-continue-to-lead-the-world-in/) [Dean Kamen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-kamen/) > [ \[Chuck's wife\] was standing behind me at the time and she said, 'Chuck hasn't fed himself in 19 years. So, you've got a choice:… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-kamen/chuck-s-wife-was-standing-behind-me-at-the-time-and-she-said-chuck/) [Dean Kamen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-kamen/) > [We can't live any more in a world which is based on stuff and not ideas. If you want to live with the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-kamen/we-can-t-live-any-more-in-a-world-which-is-based-on-stuff-and-not/) [Dean Kamen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-kamen/) > [The word entrepreneur is associated with success and adventure. From my life, the only thing I can tell you that's consistently associated with entrepreneurship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-kamen/the-word-entrepreneur-is-associated-with-success-and-adventure-from/) [Dean Kamen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-kamen/) > [Clearly, there are many places where diesel is king or gas-turbine is king, or IC engines will win, but there are many places in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-kamen/clearly-there-are-many-places-where-diesel-is-king-or-gas-turbine-is/) [Dean Kamen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-kamen/) > [Innovation needs to be nurtured throughout an organization. Management is doing things right, whereas leadership is doing the right things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-kamen/innovation-needs-to-be-nurtured-throughout-an-organization-management/) [Dean Kamen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-kamen/) > [Everybody has to be able to participate in a future that they want to live for. That's what technology can do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-kamen/everybody-has-to-be-able-to-participate-in-a-future-that-they-want-to/) [Dean Kamen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-kamen/) > [If history is any indication, all truths will eventually turn out to be false.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-kamen/if-history-is-any-indication-all-truths-will-eventually-turn-out-to/) [Dean Kamen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-kamen/) [Explore all 57 Dean Kamen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-kamen/) ## More Happiness quotes > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Remember that your natural state is joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/remember-that-your-natural-state-is-joy/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [Balance suggests a perfect equilibrium. There is no such thing. That is a false expectation… There are going to be priorities and dimensions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-morrison/balance-suggests-a-perfect-equilibrium-there-is-no-such-thing-that-is/) [Denise Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-morrison/) > [“WE CAN'T ALWAYS CONTROL OUR CIRCUMSTANCES BUT WE CAN CONTROL OUR ATTITUDE. WE MUST BE MORE CONCERNED WITH WHAT WE DO WITH WHAT HAPPENS…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-j-ashton/we-can-t-always-control-our-circumstances-but-we-can-control-our/) [MARVIN J. ASHTON](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-j-ashton/) > [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/) [Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/) > [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/) > [Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like its heaven on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/sing-like-no-one-s-listening-love-like-you-ve-never-been-hurt-dance/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“It was beautiful. He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) > [The happy have whole days,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colley-cibber/the-happy-have-whole-days/) [Colley Cibber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colley-cibber/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [I've got nothing to do today but smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-ve-got-nothing-to-do-today-but-smile/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Her dignity consists in being unknown to the world; her glory is in the esteem of her husband; her pleasures in the happiness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/her-dignity-consists-in-being-unknown-to-the-world-her-glory-is-in/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [The size of a man's understanding might always be justly measured by his mirth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-size-of-a-man-s-understanding-might-always-be-justly-measured-by/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Positive thinking evokes more energy, more initiative, more happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/positive-thinking-evokes-more-energy-more-initiative-more-happiness/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) Pancho Barnes [Browse all 40,288 Happiness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There is just so much stuff in the world that, to me, is devoid of any real substance, value, and content that I just try to make sure that I am working on things that matter.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dean Kamen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-kamen/there-is-just-so-much-stuff-in-the-world-that-to-me-is-devoid-of-any/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Happiness" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-kamen/there-is-just-so-much-stuff-in-the-world-that-to-me-is-devoid-of-any/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a5/dean-kamen-11904_happiness_there-is-just-so-much-stuff-in-the-world_674285.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a5/dean-kamen-11904_happiness_there-is-just-so-much-stuff-in-the-world_674285.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a5/dean-kamen-11904_happiness_there-is-just-so-much-stuff-in-the-world_674285.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There is just so much stuff in the world that, to me, is devoid of any real substance, value, and content…” — Dean Kamen", "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": "Dean Kamen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-kamen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There is just so much stuff...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-kamen/there-is-just-so-much-stuff-in-the-world-that-to-me-is-devoid-of-any/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-kamen/there-is-just-so-much-stuff-in-the-world-that-to-me-is-devoid-of-any/#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 } } ] } ```