--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There was so little time and so much to…" description: "\"“There was so little time and so much to learn. But before we left I said to him, \"Sir, what's the most important thing?\" It made him pause as nothing ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed4/deborah-raffin-perry-king-2319_enthusiasm_there-was-so-little-time-and-so-much-to_2485731.jpg" --- # There was so little time and so much to learn. But before… ![“There was so little time and so much to learn. But before we left I said to him, "Sir, what's the most important thing?" It made him pause as nothing else had. A good question! He looked at me, almost fiercely, raised a finger toward the ceiling, and told me the most important thing that anybody…” quote by Deborah Raffin Perry King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed4/deborah-raffin-perry-king-2319_enthusiasm_there-was-so-little-time-and-so-much-to_2485731.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed4/deborah-raffin-perry-king-2319_enthusiasm_there-was-so-little-time-and-so-much-to_2485731.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed4/deborah-raffin-perry-king-2319_enthusiasm_there-was-so-little-time-and-so-much-to_2485731.jpg) > ““There was so little time and so much to learn. But before we left I said to him, "Sir, what's the most important thing?" It made him pause as nothing else had. A good question! He looked at me, almost fiercely, raised a finger toward the ceiling, and told me the most important thing that anybody has ever told me. "The most important thing," he said, "is enthusiasm." -Perry King on Claude Rains”” Deborah Raffin Perry King ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Enthusiasm is presented as the most important attribute, surpassing knowledge or time constraints. **In simple terms:** Enthusiasm matters most. Key Takeaway Embrace enthusiasm. Themes motivation energy learning priorities mindset Mood inspirational energetic thoughtful Type enthusiasm:1 important thing:1 little time:0 time:0 thing said:0 told important:0 said enthusiasm:1 When to use this quote - education - career development - personal coaching - mentoring - team building Key Concepts enthusiasm learning motivation personal growth Questions to Reflect On - How can you channel enthusiasm into effective action? - When does enthusiasm become counterproductive? A Different Perspective Enthusiasm without skill may lead to superficial effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Enthusiasm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enthusiasm/) [Little time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-time/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“He told us that it was important to eat right, exercise, and treat your body as a temple. But he didn't tell us how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/piper-kerman/he-told-us-that-it-was-important-to-eat-right-exercise-and-treat-your/) [Piper Kerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/piper-kerman/) > [“This song goes out to anyone whose ever been told that how you think or feel is wrong. It goes out to everyone who’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-gaskarth/this-song-goes-out-to-anyone-whose-ever-been-told-that-how-you-think/) [Alex Gaskarth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-gaskarth/) > [We must study things we will never use, but which someone told us were important to know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/we-must-study-things-we-will-never-use-but-which-someone-told-us-were/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [My father told me once that the most important thing every man should know is what he would die for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tana-french/my-father-told-me-once-that-the-most-important-thing-every-man-should/) [Tana French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tana-french/) > [“My father once told me that the most important thing every man should know is what he would die for. If you don’t know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tana-french/my-father-once-told-me-that-the-most-important-thing-every-man-should/) [Tana French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tana-french/) > [When was the last time anyone ever told you how important you are?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/when-was-the-last-time-anyone-ever-told-you-how-important-you-are/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [You always get told how important the premiere and doing the press is, but I have suspicions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toby-jones/you-always-get-told-how-important-the-premiere-and-doing-the-press-is/) [Toby Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toby-jones/) > [“We are all told from the very beginning that we are important. From the moment we can first understand words and perhaps even before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-ewell/we-are-all-told-from-the-very-beginning-that-we-are-important-from/) [Katherine Ewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-ewell/) > [She had always told herself that she did hti job because she wanted to help others; afterall, hadn't Maurice told her once that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-winspear/she-had-always-told-herself-that-she-did-hti-job-because-she-wanted/) [Jacqueline Winspear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-winspear/) > [Over the time that I followed Warren Buffett, one CFO told me, it's very important to pay attention not only to what Warren Buffett…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-spier/over-the-time-that-i-followed-warren-buffett-one-cfo-told-me-it-s/) [Guy Spier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-spier/) > [“I want to say something,” I told her. “It’s important.” “Under these circumstances,” she said, with a dark grin, “one wouldn’t really expect unimportant,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffery-deaver/i-want-to-say-something-i-told-her-it-s-important-under-these/) [Jeffery Deaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffery-deaver/) > [As your mother tells you, and my mother certainly told me, it is important, she always used to say, always to try new things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannibal/as-your-mother-tells-you-and-my-mother-certainly-told-me-it-is/) [Hannibal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannibal/) > [“The way a story is told is as important as the story being told, although the way that the story is told is usually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/the-way-a-story-is-told-is-as-important-as-the-story-being-told/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [And if nobody today has told you how important you are or that they love you, we wanted to be the first ones to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-if-nobody-today-has-told-you-how-important-you-are-or-that-they/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The most important thing you will ever give your children is a little of your time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-fesler/the-most-important-thing-you-will-ever-give-your-children-is-a-little/) [Wes Fesler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-fesler/) ## More Enthusiasm quotes > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [“Great things can be accomplish with passionate enthusiasm.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/great-things-can-be-accomplish-with-passionate-enthusiasm/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Enthusiasm is the yeast that makes your hopes shine to the stars. Enthusiasm is the sparkle in your eyes, the swing in your gait.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/enthusiasm-is-the-yeast-that-makes-your-hopes-shine-to-the-stars/) [Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/) > [I'm fascinated by political enthusiasm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/i-m-fascinated-by-political-enthusiasm/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/depression-is-merely-anger-without-enthusiasm/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [Nothing cools so fast as undue enthusiasm. Water that has boiled freezes sooner than any other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-iles/nothing-cools-so-fast-as-undue-enthusiasm-water-that-has-boiled/) [George Iles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-iles/) > [When you've got enough enthusiasm, and don't overthink, things turn out well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-trezeguet/when-you-ve-got-enough-enthusiasm-and-don-t-overthink-things-turn-out/) [David Trezeguet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-trezeguet/) > [The figure of the enthusiast who has just discovered jogging or a new way to fix tofu can be said to stand or, more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-h-lapham/the-figure-of-the-enthusiast-who-has-just-discovered-jogging-or-a-new/) [Lewis H. Lapham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-h-lapham/) > [Attempt to be creative for the joy it brings… Select something like music, dance, sculpture, or poetry. Being creative will help you enjoy life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-g-scott/attempt-to-be-creative-for-the-joy-it-brings-select-something-like/) [Richard G. Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-g-scott/) > [The sectaries of a persecuted religion, depressed by fear, animated with resentment, and perhaps heated by enthusiasm, are seldom in a proper temper of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/the-sectaries-of-a-persecuted-religion-depressed-by-fear-animated/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [Good churches are not built by bad men; at least, there must be probity and enthusiasm somewhere in the society. These minsters were neither…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/good-churches-are-not-built-by-bad-men-at-least-there-must-be-probity/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Enthusiasm is by far the highest paid quality on earth, probably because it is one of the rarest; yet it is one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-bettger/enthusiasm-is-by-far-the-highest-paid-quality-on-earth-probably/) [Frank Bettger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-bettger/) > [The book it reminded me of most is Henry Miller’s The Books in My Life. Like Miller, Shields manages to convey his affection for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-alexis/the-book-it-reminded-me-of-most-is-henry-miller-s-the-books-in-my/) [Andre Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-alexis/) > [I wanted to do a talk show that reminded me of the old school ones I loved as a kid, without all the fake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-norton/i-wanted-to-do-a-talk-show-that-reminded-me-of-the-old-school-ones-i/) [Jim Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-norton/) > [ As we have seen after every other \[Donald\] Trump controversy, this one only increased their enthusiasm for him. His supporters thought the idea of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-inskeep/as-we-have-seen-after-every-other-donald-trump-controversy-this-one/) [Steve Inskeep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-inskeep/) [Browse all 1,846 Enthusiasm quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enthusiasm/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“There was so little time and so much to learn. But before we left I said to him, \"Sir, what's the most important thing?\" It made him pause as nothing else had. A good question! 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