--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The work is the most important thing." description: "\"The work is the most important thing.\" — Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69c/dietrich-fischer-dieskau-19837_important_the-work-is-the-most-important-thing-335_335663.png" --- # The work is the most important thing. ![“The work is the most important thing.” quote by Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69c/dietrich-fischer-dieskau-19837_important_the-work-is-the-most-important-thing-335_335663.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69c/dietrich-fischer-dieskau-19837_important_the-work-is-the-most-important-thing-335_335663.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69c/dietrich-fischer-dieskau-19837_important_the-work-is-the-most-important-thing-335_335663.png) > “The work is the most important thing.” [Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-fischer-dieskau/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The work itself holds the highest value, beyond fame or reward. **In simple terms:** Work is paramount. Key Takeaway Focus on the work itself. Themes dedication craft purpose Mood reflective serene Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - creative projects - academic research - skill refinement Key Concepts artistic mastery professionalism Questions to Reflect On - What does “the work” mean to you? - How do you stay motivated without external rewards? A Different Perspective External validation can distract from intrinsic motivation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Important things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-things/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [The most important thing for a director is being able to communicate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hart/the-most-important-thing-for-a-director-is-being-able-to-communicate/) [Kevin Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hart/) > [We honor life when we work. The type of work is not important: the fact of work is. All work feeds the soul if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/we-honor-life-when-we-work-the-type-of-work-is-not-important-the-fact/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [Education is the most important thing you can have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torrey-smith/education-is-the-most-important-thing-you-can-have/) [Torrey Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torrey-smith/) > [Winning is not the most important thing; it's everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-lombardi/winning-is-not-the-most-important-thing-it-s-everything/) [Vince Lombardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-lombardi/) > [The most important thing about Jazz at Lincoln Center is the fact that it's the first time that perhaps the most important art form…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-vinoly/the-most-important-thing-about-jazz-at-lincoln-center-is-the-fact/) [Rafael Vinoly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-vinoly/) > [“Covey’s solution is to prioritise work that is important but not urgent (the blue square in the diagram). Though this is hard to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mcguinness/covey-s-solution-is-to-prioritise-work-that-is-important-but-not/) [Mark McGuinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mcguinness/) > [The important thing is that he shook hands with us over the phone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-ball/the-important-thing-is-that-he-shook-hands-with-us-over-the-phone/) [Alan Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-ball/) > [Since death is certain and the time of death is uncertain, what is the most important thing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/since-death-is-certain-and-the-time-of-death-is-uncertain-what-is-the/) [Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [The most important thing is a person. A person who incites your curiosity and feeds your curiosity; and machines cannot do that in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-most-important-thing-is-a-person-a-person-who-incites-your/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [I think the most important thing to do is to recognize the fundamentally different circumstances of pursuing growth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/i-think-the-most-important-thing-to-do-is-to-recognize-the/) [Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/) > [I think the most important thing is to stay hopeful, to believe wonderful things are possible and do your best. Basically, to not give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irena-a-hoffman/i-think-the-most-important-thing-is-to-stay-hopeful-to-believe/) [Irena A. Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irena-a-hoffman/) > [The next thing you do today will be the most important thing on your agenda, because, after all, you're doing it next. Well, perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/the-next-thing-you-do-today-will-be-the-most-important-thing-on-your/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [You know, right now, the most important thing in my life is to make sure you understand that, first of all, I thank God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stevie-ray-vaughan/you-know-right-now-the-most-important-thing-in-my-life-is-to-make/) [Stevie Ray Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stevie-ray-vaughan/) > [I think we were raised in a nice Texas Jewish family where education was the most important thing, and close behind that was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-loeb/i-think-we-were-raised-in-a-nice-texas-jewish-family-where-education/) [Lisa Loeb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-loeb/) > [The important thing in life is to have a great aim, and the determination to attain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/the-important-thing-in-life-is-to-have-a-great-aim-and-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) ## More by Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau > [Unfortunately, it happens all too seldom that you really disappear behind a work, that you are no longer audible as an interpreter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-fischer-dieskau/unfortunately-it-happens-all-too-seldom-that-you-really-disappear/) [Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-fischer-dieskau/) > [Which is why, in my lieder concerts, I always strove, when possible, to sing only the works of a single composer, so that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-fischer-dieskau/which-is-why-in-my-lieder-concerts-i-always-strove-when-possible-to/) [Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-fischer-dieskau/) > [...in my lieder concerts, I always strove, when possible, to sing only the works of a single composer, so that the audience could be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-fischer-dieskau/in-my-lieder-concerts-i-always-strove-when-possible-to-sing-only-the/) [Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-fischer-dieskau/) > [With creative people, truly new horizons open up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-fischer-dieskau/with-creative-people-truly-new-horizons-open-up/) [Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-fischer-dieskau/) > [Within each individual young person you meet, you have the same fields to plow. The trick is just to wake thmem up, to sharpen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-fischer-dieskau/within-each-individual-young-person-you-meet-you-have-the-same-fields/) [Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-fischer-dieskau/) > [Some critics have written that I wanted to teach through singing. Not at all. I was learning I went to school every time I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-fischer-dieskau/some-critics-have-written-that-i-wanted-to-teach-through-singing-not/) [Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-fischer-dieskau/) > [Brahms believed that there was no need to publish absolutely everything that Schubert ever wrote.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-fischer-dieskau/brahms-believed-that-there-was-no-need-to-publish-absolutely/) [Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-fischer-dieskau/) > [Particularly at around the age of 70 you reach a stage where you have to be very careful. If, at that point, you abandon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-fischer-dieskau/particularly-at-around-the-age-of-70-you-reach-a-stage-where-you-have/) [Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-fischer-dieskau/) > [Toward the end of his life, one can sense that he was no longer thinking his way into the minds of others, causing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-fischer-dieskau/toward-the-end-of-his-life-one-can-sense-that-he-was-no-longer/) [Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-fischer-dieskau/) > [But the thing that will always occupy me the most is music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-fischer-dieskau/but-the-thing-that-will-always-occupy-me-the-most-is-music/) [Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-fischer-dieskau/) > [You can't do opera when already from the 10th row you can only see little dolls on the stage. In such an enormous space…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-fischer-dieskau/you-can-t-do-opera-when-already-from-the-10th-row-you-can-only-see/) [Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-fischer-dieskau/) > [It is desirable that people make music on the breath, with the breath.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-fischer-dieskau/it-is-desirable-that-people-make-music-on-the-breath-with-the-breath/) [Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-fischer-dieskau/) > [All music has to speak in some form or other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-fischer-dieskau/all-music-has-to-speak-in-some-form-or-other/) [Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-fischer-dieskau/) > [If you only do little clusters - three or four songs by one, and another, and then yet another - you lose the opportunity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-fischer-dieskau/if-you-only-do-little-clusters-three-or-four-songs-by-one-and-another/) [Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-fischer-dieskau/) > [In Romanticism, the main determinant is the mood, the atmosphere. And in that regard, you could also describe Schubert as a Romantic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-fischer-dieskau/in-romanticism-the-main-determinant-is-the-mood-the-atmosphere-and-in/) [Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-fischer-dieskau/) [Explore all 32 Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-fischer-dieskau/) ## More Important quotes > [There is something more important than any ultimate weapon. That is the ultimate position-the position of total control over Earth that lies somewhere out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/there-is-something-more-important-than-any-ultimate-weapon-that-is/) [Lyndon B. 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The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [If I had learned how to get along in the quotidian world while keeping up the search for the hidden realm, I might have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-woodring/if-i-had-learned-how-to-get-along-in-the-quotidian-world-while/) [Jim Woodring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-woodring/) > [Modeling is more important than the talking we do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-williams/modeling-is-more-important-than-the-talking-we-do/) Wayne Williams > [There are more important things to focus on in life than how you look.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arden-cho/there-are-more-important-things-to-focus-on-in-life-than-how-you-look/) [Arden Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arden-cho/) > [Doing the right things is more important than doing things right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ko-wen-je/doing-the-right-things-is-more-important-than-doing-things-right/) [Ko Wen-je](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ko-wen-je/) > [To me, Caribbean food is about fresh, seasonal produce - using what's in season to create vibrant and great tasting food. The spicing is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ainsley-harriott/to-me-caribbean-food-is-about-fresh-seasonal-produce-using-what-s-in/) [Ainsley Harriott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ainsley-harriott/) > [Boys and boys' body image and clothes have become just as important an issue for boys as for girls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosalind-wiseman/boys-and-boys-body-image-and-clothes-have-become-just-as-important-an/) [Rosalind Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosalind-wiseman/) > [I think when you’re dying you start looking for important things in the corners. 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