--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our life is frittered away by detail…" description: "\"Our life is frittered away by detail Simplify, simplify.” Or, as Plato wrote, “In order to seek one’s own direction, one must simplify the mechanics of..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bad/duane-elgin-19389_day-life_our-life-is-frittered-away-by-detail-sim_711785.png" --- # Our life is frittered away by detail Simplify, simplify.”… ![“Our life is frittered away by detail Simplify, simplify.” Or, as Plato wrote, “In order to seek one’s own direction, one must simplify the mechanics of ordinary, everyday life.” quote by Duane Elgin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bad/duane-elgin-19389_day-life_our-life-is-frittered-away-by-detail-sim_711785.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bad/duane-elgin-19389_day-life_our-life-is-frittered-away-by-detail-sim_711785.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bad/duane-elgin-19389_day-life_our-life-is-frittered-away-by-detail-sim_711785.png) > “Our life is frittered away by detail Simplify, simplify.” Or, as Plato wrote, “In order to seek one’s own direction, one must simplify the mechanics of ordinary, everyday life.” [Duane Elgin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duane-elgin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Complexity overwhelms life; simplifying daily routines frees energy for purpose. **In simple terms:** Simplify life to find direction. Key Takeaway Strip away excess to focus on essentials. Themes simplicity focus purpose Mood calm reflective Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - daily planning - decluttering - goal setting Key Concepts minimalism philosophical clarity Questions to Reflect On - What can you eliminate today? - How does simplicity serve your goals? A Different Perspective Oversimplification can ignore necessary details. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Everyday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everyday/) [Everyday life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everyday-life/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Mechanic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mechanic/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) ## Related quotes > [In order to seek one's own direction, one must simplify the mechanics of ordinary, everyday life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/in-order-to-seek-one-s-own-direction-one-must-simplify-the-mechanics/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [“Simplify, simplify, simplify.” This”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ban-breathnach/simplify-simplify-simplify-this/) [Sarah Ban Breathnach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ban-breathnach/) > [Our life is frittered away by detail... simplify, simplify.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-life-is-frittered-away-by-detail-simplify-simplify/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Simplify, simplify, simplify.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/simplify-simplify-simplify/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Our life is frittered away by detail...Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! I say, let our affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-life-is-frittered-away-by-detail-simplicity-simplicity-simplicity/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Three Tips: Simplify, Simplify, Simplify.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jakob-nielsen/three-tips-simplify-simplify-simplify/) [Jakob Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jakob-nielsen/) > [“Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify! Simplify! Henry David Thoreau”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-catherine-rozek/our-life-is-frittered-away-by-detail-simplify-simplify-henry-david/) Jane Catherine Rozek > [Simplify simplify. Life is meant to be simple, Don't complicate it with bullshit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-bowdery/simplify-simplify-life-is-meant-to-be-simple-don-t-complicate-it-with/) Jodi Bowdery > [“Simplify, simplify. That was the secret to a happy life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/simplify-simplify-that-was-the-secret-to-a-happy-life/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [Please give me all your attention, don't let my heart go seek another direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demi-lovato/please-give-me-all-your-attention-don-t-let-my-heart-go-seek-another/) [Demi Lovato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demi-lovato/) > [We gotta be willing to seek direction ... we've gotta be willing to look within.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iyanla-vanzant/we-gotta-be-willing-to-seek-direction-we-ve-gotta-be-willing-to-look/) [Iyanla Vanzant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iyanla-vanzant/) > [In cities it is useless to look at the stars or to describe them, worship them, or seek direction from them. When lost, one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rawi-hage/in-cities-it-is-useless-to-look-at-the-stars-or-to-describe-them/) [Rawi Hage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rawi-hage/) > [Didn't think her vision was consistent with the ORC, especially the way the Council wishes to work with the ORC. For example, with regard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-foster/didn-t-think-her-vision-was-consistent-with-the-orc-especially-the/) [Norman Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-foster/) > [We're in this strange age where we can't say 'I love you,' at least not sincerely. It's something where, if you simplify it, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christoffer-boe/we-re-in-this-strange-age-where-we-can-t-say-i-love-you-at-least-not/) Christoffer Boe > [Grow jobs. Get this economy growing. Raise wages. Simplify the tax system, so it's easy to comply with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-ryan/grow-jobs-get-this-economy-growing-raise-wages-simplify-the-tax/) [Paul Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-ryan/) ## More by Duane Elgin > [Simplicity of living, if deliberately chosen, implies a compassionate approach to life. It means that we are choosing to live our daily lives with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duane-elgin/simplicity-of-living-if-deliberately-chosen-implies-a-compassionate/) [Duane Elgin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duane-elgin/) > [It seems to me that inner growth is the whole moving force behind voluntary simplicity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duane-elgin/it-seems-to-me-that-inner-growth-is-the-whole-moving-force-behind/) [Duane Elgin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duane-elgin/) > [Poverty is mean and degrading to the human spirit, whereas a life of conscious simplicity can have both a beauty and a functional integrity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duane-elgin/poverty-is-mean-and-degrading-to-the-human-spirit-whereas-a-life-of/) [Duane Elgin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duane-elgin/) > [Simplicity means to feel such a sense of kinship with others that we choose to live simply so that others may simply live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duane-elgin/simplicity-means-to-feel-such-a-sense-of-kinship-with-others-that-we/) [Duane Elgin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duane-elgin/) > [An elegant simplicity is an understated, organic aesthetic that contrasts with the excess of consumerist lifestyles. 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It is to establish a more direct, unpretentious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duane-elgin/to-live-more-simply-is-to-unburden-our-lives-to-live-more-lightly/) [Duane Elgin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duane-elgin/) > [I consciously started to live simply when I started to become conscious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duane-elgin/i-consciously-started-to-live-simply-when-i-started-to-become/) [Duane Elgin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duane-elgin/) > [We live almost completely immersed in a socially constructed reality that so fully absorbs our energy and attention that virtually none remains to experience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duane-elgin/we-live-almost-completely-immersed-in-a-socially-constructed-reality/) [Duane Elgin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duane-elgin/) > [When a person's primary objective is to maximize material pleasures while minimizing discomforts, then life becomes a constant process of "pushing" (trying to push…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duane-elgin/when-a-person-s-primary-objective-is-to-maximize-material-pleasures/) [Duane Elgin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duane-elgin/) > [The essence of voluntary simplicity is living in a way what is outwardly simple and inwardly rich.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duane-elgin/the-essence-of-voluntary-simplicity-is-living-in-a-way-what-is/) [Duane Elgin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duane-elgin/) [Explore all 32 Duane Elgin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duane-elgin/) ## More Day life quotes > [“Let no one hope to find in contemplation an escape from conflict, from anguish or from doubt. 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We'd like people to leave the theater having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rania-attieh/ultimately-we-want-to-provide-people-with-a-unique-experience-and-an/) Rania Attieh > [Families are like friends at school, at first you have no idea about them, but right after you talk talking and getting attach to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asiya-sasika-khan/families-are-like-friends-at-school-at-first-you-have-no-idea-about/) Asiya Sasika Khan > [Design should do the same thing in everyday life that art does when encountered: amaze us, scare us or delight us, but certainly open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-betsky/design-should-do-the-same-thing-in-everyday-life-that-art-does-when/) Aaron Betsky > [ This is the industry that wants \[music\], the rap industry. 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