--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: it sometimes happened that you would, in…" description: "\"“it sometimes happened that you would, in the middle of your exertions, be discouraged by the absurdity of what you were in the process of doing: athle..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a91/douard-lev-10437_quote_it-sometimes-happened-that-you-would-in_1583961.jpg" --- # it sometimes happened that you would, in the middle of… ![“it sometimes happened that you would, in the middle of your exertions, be discouraged by the absurdity of what you were in the process of doing: athletic exertion was vanity. You engaged in it less for the joy of the act than in order to exhaust yourself.” quote by Édouard Levé](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a91/douard-lev-10437_quote_it-sometimes-happened-that-you-would-in_1583961.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a91/douard-lev-10437_quote_it-sometimes-happened-that-you-would-in_1583961.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a91/douard-lev-10437_quote_it-sometimes-happened-that-you-would-in_1583961.jpg) > ““it sometimes happened that you would, in the middle of your exertions, be discouraged by the absurdity of what you were in the process of doing: athletic exertion was vanity. You engaged in it less for the joy of the act than in order to exhaust yourself.”” [Édouard Levé](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douard-lev/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote reflects on the futility and self‑imposed vanity of pushing physical limits without genuine joy, seeing effort as self‑exhaustion rather than fulfillment. **In simple terms:** Physical effort can become empty vanity when joy is missing. Key Takeaway Seek purpose, not just exhaustion. Themes vanity exertion meaning self‑reflection Mood reflective melancholic Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - athletic training - creative projects - personal challenges - habit formation Key Concepts existentialism psychology motivation Questions to Reflect On - Why do you push yourself? - What joy can you find in effort? A Different Perspective May ignore deeper motivations and cause burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Athletic Exertion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athletic-exertion-5988723/) [Exertion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exertion/) [Exertion Vanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exertion-vanity-5988721/) [Exertions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exertions-2852798/) [Exertions Discouraged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exertions-discouraged-5988722/) ## Related quotes > [Your least frequent, most extreme exertions will have the greatest influence on your fitness. 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The best day of my life may already be behind me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douard-lev/only-once-can-i-say-i-m-dying-without-telling-a-lie-the-best-day-of/) [Edouard Leve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douard-lev/) > [“I have never considered sleeping with a nun.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douard-lev/i-have-never-considered-sleeping-with-a-nun/) [Édouard Levé](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douard-lev/) > [“At a public urinal the presence of a neighbor delays my micturition.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douard-lev/at-a-public-urinal-the-presence-of-a-neighbor-delays-my-micturition/) [Édouard Levé](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douard-lev/) [Explore all 62 Édouard Levé quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douard-lev/) ## More Exertion quotes > [“It is not the actual, physical exertion that counts towards one’s progress, not the nature of the task but by the spirit of faith…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-not-the-actual-physical-exertion-that-counts-towards-one-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There are two sorts of content; one is connected with exertion, the other with habits of indolence. 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