--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Most of life is a matter of nonessential…" description: "\"“Most of life is a matter of nonessential differences.”\" — Duane Elmer" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73a/duane-elmer-75214_conflict_most-of-life-is-a-matter-of-nonessential_1689339.jpg" --- # Most of life is a matter of nonessential differences. ![“Most of life is a matter of nonessential differences.” quote by Duane Elmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73a/duane-elmer-75214_conflict_most-of-life-is-a-matter-of-nonessential_1689339.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73a/duane-elmer-75214_conflict_most-of-life-is-a-matter-of-nonessential_1689339.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73a/duane-elmer-75214_conflict_most-of-life-is-a-matter-of-nonessential_1689339.jpg) > ““Most of life is a matter of nonessential differences.”” Duane Elmer ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life’s significance lies in minor, nonessential distinctions rather than grand differences. **In simple terms:** Small differences matter most. Key Takeaway Focus on subtle nuances in daily life. Themes perception detail mindfulness Mood reflective analytical Type personal observational When to use this quote - relationships - creative work - personal growth Key Concepts psychology philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What small detail changed your day? - How do you prioritize essential vs. nonessential? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on minutiae can cause anxiety. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conflict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conflict/) [Flexibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flexibility/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding/) ## Related quotes > [“You’re candy to her. Something sweet, but nonessential.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-mcvea/you-re-candy-to-her-something-sweet-but-nonessential/) [Heather McVea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-mcvea/) > [“The nonessential employees, the type of workers whom remain at home when it snows, are the quickest to complain about how the talented persons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/the-nonessential-employees-the-type-of-workers-whom-remain-at-home/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [By all odds, earliest man, so naked to the elements and to deadly enemies, should have existed in a state of constant shock. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/by-all-odds-earliest-man-so-naked-to-the-elements-and-to-deadly/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [“When we feel fractured, redundant and nonessential, only bouncing back from lowliness may brighten up the story of our life. In this endeavor, “otherness”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-pevernagie/when-we-feel-fractured-redundant-and-nonessential-only-bouncing-back/) [Erik Pevernagie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-pevernagie/) > [“The more material we lose, the less we have. The less we have, the more we win.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-liccione/the-more-material-we-lose-the-less-we-have-the-less-we-have-the-more/) [Anthony Liccione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-liccione/) > [“When you say yes to something nonessential, you are saying no to something essential”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mckeown/when-you-say-yes-to-something-nonessential-you-are-saying-no-to/) [Greg McKeown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mckeown/) > [“Those who fail to distinguish the nonessential from the essential and the essential from the nonessential will, in feeding all wrong thoughts, fail to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/th-ch-nh-t-h-nh/those-who-fail-to-distinguish-the-nonessential-from-the-essential-and/) [Thích Nhất Hạnh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/th-ch-nh-t-h-nh/) > [Any life, no matter how long and complex it may be, is made up of a single moment-the moment in which a man finds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/any-life-no-matter-how-long-and-complex-it-may-be-is-made-up-of-a/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) > [“There are always one thing missing in the life. No matter what it is?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prem/there-are-always-one-thing-missing-in-the-life-no-matter-what-it-is/) [Prem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prem/) > [If you're going to spend two years of your life on something, it has to matter to you; you have to be passionate about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelina-jolie/if-you-re-going-to-spend-two-years-of-your-life-on-something-it-has/) [Angelina Jolie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelina-jolie/) > [“Life is a matter of choice, while death is a matter of time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-araneta/life-is-a-matter-of-choice-while-death-is-a-matter-of-time/) Harold Araneta > [I have found in life that everything, no matter how bad, comes to an end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-courtenay/i-have-found-in-life-that-everything-no-matter-how-bad-comes-to-an-end/) [Bryce Courtenay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-courtenay/) > [“prayer is something that is a part of our life no matter where we are god is always there with us ,is gonnabe and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica/prayer-is-something-that-is-a-part-of-our-life-no-matter-where-we-are/) jessica > [But eternal liveliness is what counts: what does "eternal life" matter, or life at all?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/but-eternal-liveliness-is-what-counts-what-does-eternal-life-matter/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Sometimes all you need in life is someone who will always be there for you, no matter what happens to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-all-you-need-in-life-is-someone-who-will-always-be-there/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Duane Elmer > [“Power is meant to be shared with the goal of empowering others. Hoarded power weakens others and exalts oneself. Power, when grounded in biblical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duane-elmer/power-is-meant-to-be-shared-with-the-goal-of-empowering-others/) Duane Elmer > [“Power is to be used in the service of others and only secondarily, if at all, for the benefit of oneself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duane-elmer/power-is-to-be-used-in-the-service-of-others-and-only-secondarily-if/) Duane Elmer Explore all 3 Duane Elmer quotes ## More Conflict quotes > [The history of mankind interests us only as it exhibits a steady gain of truth and right, in the incessant conflict which it records…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-history-of-mankind-interests-us-only-as-it-exhibits-a-steady-gain/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [The U.S.-Mexican border es un herida abierta where the Third World grates against the first and bleeds. And before a scab forms it hemorrhages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-e-anzald-a/the-u-s-mexican-border-es-un-herida-abierta-where-the-third-world/) [Gloria E. Anzaldúa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-e-anzald-a/) > [There is a conflict in the Middle East between two entities, and they're both right, each in their own way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reuven-rivlin/there-is-a-conflict-in-the-middle-east-between-two-entities-and-they/) [Reuven Rivlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reuven-rivlin/) > [Conflict isn't negative, it just is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-crum/conflict-isn-t-negative-it-just-is/) [Thomas Crum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-crum/) > [I have lived in countries that were coming out of conflict: Ireland, South Africa, the Czech republic. People there are overflowing with energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/i-have-lived-in-countries-that-were-coming-out-of-conflict-ireland/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [Africa, being the major target of colonial plunder, therefore becomes a major source of conflict.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-horne/africa-being-the-major-target-of-colonial-plunder-therefore-becomes-a/) [Gerald Horne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-horne/) > [All drama is conflict. Without conflict, there is no action. Without action, there is no character. Without character, there is no story. And without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syd-field/all-drama-is-conflict-without-conflict-there-is-no-action-without/) [Syd Field](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syd-field/) > [The irrepressible conflict propounded by abolitionism has produced now its legitimate fruits - disunion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-irrepressible-conflict-propounded-by-abolitionism-has-produced/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“These are all good things, I said. But no one knows where your country is or who you are. You don't have a familiar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/these-are-all-good-things-i-said-but-no-one-knows-where-your-country/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) > [I understand the formula that producers hire directors and directors are hired to direct and actors are hired to act. I don't have any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-trejo/i-understand-the-formula-that-producers-hire-directors-and-directors/) [Danny Trejo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-trejo/) > [“While there is battle and hatred men have eyes for nothing save the fact that the enemy is the cause of all the troubles;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-butterfield/while-there-is-battle-and-hatred-men-have-eyes-for-nothing-save-the/) [Herbert Butterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-butterfield/) > [UN peacekeeping operations are now increasingly complex and multi-dimensional, going beyond monitoring a ceasefire to actually bringing failed States back to life, often after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/un-peacekeeping-operations-are-now-increasingly-complex-and-multi/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [All men have an instinct for conflict: at least, all healthy men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilaire-belloc/all-men-have-an-instinct-for-conflict-at-least-all-healthy-men/) [Hilaire Belloc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilaire-belloc/) > [I didnt like the Survivor shows because of the mean-spirited aspect, and women certainly were part of whatever conflict they would create.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-lawrence/i-didnt-like-the-survivor-shows-because-of-the-mean-spirited-aspect/) [Sharon Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-lawrence/) > [“How we traverse the space between us when conflict arises has a profound effect on the health and longevity of our relationships.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-salzberg/how-we-traverse-the-space-between-us-when-conflict-arises-has-a/) [Sharon Salzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-salzberg/) [Browse all 3,969 Conflict quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conflict/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Most of life is a matter of nonessential differences.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Duane Elmer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duane-elmer/most-of-life-is-a-matter-of-nonessential-differences/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Conflict" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duane-elmer/most-of-life-is-a-matter-of-nonessential-differences/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73a/duane-elmer-75214_conflict_most-of-life-is-a-matter-of-nonessential_1689339.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73a/duane-elmer-75214_conflict_most-of-life-is-a-matter-of-nonessential_1689339.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73a/duane-elmer-75214_conflict_most-of-life-is-a-matter-of-nonessential_1689339.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Most of life is a matter of nonessential differences.” — Duane Elmer", "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": "Duane Elmer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duane-elmer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Most of life is a matter...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duane-elmer/most-of-life-is-a-matter-of-nonessential-differences/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duane-elmer/most-of-life-is-a-matter-of-nonessential-differences/#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 } } ] } ```