--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The most agreeable thing in life is…" description: "\"The most agreeable thing in life is worthy accomplishment. It is not possible that the idle tramp is as contented as the farmers along the road who own..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00c/e-w-howe-2815_abuse_the-most-agreeable-thing-in-life-is-wort_1009960.png" --- # The most agreeable thing in life is worthy accomplishment… ![“The most agreeable thing in life is worthy accomplishment. It is not possible that the idle tramp is as contented as the farmers along the road who own their own farms, and whose credit is good at the bank in town. When the tramps get together at night, they abuse the farmers, but do not get as…” quote by E. W. Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00c/e-w-howe-2815_abuse_the-most-agreeable-thing-in-life-is-wort_1009960.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00c/e-w-howe-2815_abuse_the-most-agreeable-thing-in-life-is-wort_1009960.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00c/e-w-howe-2815_abuse_the-most-agreeable-thing-in-life-is-wort_1009960.png) > “The most agreeable thing in life is worthy accomplishment. It is not possible that the idle tramp is as contented as the farmers along the road who own their own farms, and whose credit is good at the bank in town. When the tramps get together at night, they abuse the farmers, but do not get as much satisfaction out of it as do the farmers who abuse the tramps. The sounder your argument, the more satisfaction you get out of it.” [E. W. Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-w-howe/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Accomplishment brings true contentment, while idle criticism yields less satisfaction. **In simple terms:** Work gives real happiness; idle talk does not. Key Takeaway Pursue meaningful work. Themes achievement contentment work ethic Mood reflective determined Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - career building - personal projects - community service - financial planning Key Concepts self‑actualization social comparison Questions to Reflect On - What work would give you real satisfaction? - How does criticism affect your own growth? A Different Perspective Idle criticism may mask insecurity and not lead to lasting fulfillment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abuse/) [Accomplishment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accomplishment/) [Argument](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/argument/) [Credit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/credit/) [Farmers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/farmers/) [Farms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/farms/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) [Satisfaction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/satisfaction/) [Sounder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sounder/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Things in life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-in-life/) ## Related quotes > [The sounder your argument, the more satisfaction you get out of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-w-howe/the-sounder-your-argument-the-more-satisfaction-you-get-out-of-it/) [E. W. Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-w-howe/) > [It can be said of him, when he departed he took a Man's life with him. No sounder piece of British manhood was put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keats/it-can-be-said-of-him-when-he-departed-he-took-a-man-s-life-with-him/) [John Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keats/) > [In all determinations of morality, this circumstance of public utility is ever principally in view; and wherever disputes arise, either in philosophy or common…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/in-all-determinations-of-morality-this-circumstance-of-public-utility/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [When you hit seventy you sleep sounder, you feel more alive than when you were thirty. 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I realized early that what a man or a woman does is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-tarbell/i-have-never-had-illusions-about-the-value-of-my-individual/) [Ida Tarbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-tarbell/) > [I am struck by the fact that the more slowly trees grow at first, the sounder they are at the core, and I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-am-struck-by-the-fact-that-the-more-slowly-trees-grow-at-first-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“he that drinks all night, and is hanged betimes in the morning, may sleep the sounder all the next day.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/he-that-drinks-all-night-and-is-hanged-betimes-in-the-morning-may/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [There never was a sounder logical maxim of scientific procedure than Ockham's razor: Entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem. 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If you want to judge your progress,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eknath-easwaran/meditation-may-require-a-lifetime-to-master-but-it-will-have-been-a/) [Eknath Easwaran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eknath-easwaran/) > [In my state, on the basis of the separate but equal doctrine, we have made enormous strides over the years in the education of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/in-my-state-on-the-basis-of-the-separate-but-equal-doctrine-we-have/) [Lyndon B. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson/) > [Whatever the circumstances of your life, the understanding of type can make your perceptions clearer, your judgements sounder, and your life closer to your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-briggs-myers/whatever-the-circumstances-of-your-life-the-understanding-of-type-can/) [Isabel Briggs Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-briggs-myers/) ## More by E. W. Howe > [There is always a type of man who says he loves his fellow men, and expects to make a living at it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-w-howe/there-is-always-a-type-of-man-who-says-he-loves-his-fellow-men-and/) [E. W. Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-w-howe/) > [I believe in grumbling; it is the politest form of fighting known.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-w-howe/i-believe-in-grumbling-it-is-the-politest-form-of-fighting-known/) [E. W. Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-w-howe/) > [A theory is no more like a fact than a photograph is like a person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-w-howe/a-theory-is-no-more-like-a-fact-than-a-photograph-is-like-a-person/) [E. W. Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-w-howe/) > [Few men progress, except as they are pushed along by events.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-w-howe/few-men-progress-except-as-they-are-pushed-along-by-events/) [E. W. 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Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-w-howe/) > [No man would listen to you talk if he didn't know it was his turn next.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-w-howe/no-man-would-listen-to-you-talk-if-he-didn-t-know-it-was-his-turn-next/) [E. W. Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-w-howe/) > [People never have confidence in a Big Talker. They know his statements must be cut down, but they can never tell how much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-w-howe/people-never-have-confidence-in-a-big-talker-they-know-his-statements/) [E. W. Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-w-howe/) > [The only gambling tip which amounts to anything is to keep out of the game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-w-howe/the-only-gambling-tip-which-amounts-to-anything-is-to-keep-out-of-the/) [E. W. Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-w-howe/) > [One has fear in front of a goat, in back of a mule, and on every side of a fool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-w-howe/one-has-fear-in-front-of-a-goat-in-back-of-a-mule-and-on-every-side/) [E. W. Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-w-howe/) > [No man's credit is ever as good as his money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-w-howe/no-man-s-credit-is-ever-as-good-as-his-money/) [E. W. Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-w-howe/) > [Some men storm imaginary Alps all their lives, and die in the foothills cursing difficulties which do not exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-w-howe/some-men-storm-imaginary-alps-all-their-lives-and-die-in-the/) [E. W. Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-w-howe/) > [There is something in the red of a raspberry pie that looks as good to a man as the red in a sheep looks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-w-howe/there-is-something-in-the-red-of-a-raspberry-pie-that-looks-as-good/) [E. W. Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-w-howe/) > [Love affairs have always greatly interested me, but I do not greatly care for them in books or moving pictures. In a love affair,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-w-howe/love-affairs-have-always-greatly-interested-me-but-i-do-not-greatly/) [E. W. Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-w-howe/) [Explore all 149 E. W. Howe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-w-howe/) ## More Abuse quotes > [I wrote when I was a young teen, but I didn't put an eye on the available markets until I was seventeen. The next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reed/i-wrote-when-i-was-a-young-teen-but-i-didn-t-put-an-eye-on-the/) [Robert Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reed/) > [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [Being nice is okay,but don't allow anybody to abuse it...try to fight for your self when you know your on the right way...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-nice-is-okay-but-don-t-allow-anybody-to-abuse-it-try-to-fight/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Build a bridge over shame by teaching kids about sexual abuse. Give them a chance to run to us should they encounter it. 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