--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Not until we have learned to be useful…" description: "\"Not until we have learned to be useful can we afford to do what we like.\" — Ellen Terry" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f2/ellen-terry-28904_afford_not-until-we-have-learned-to-be-useful-c_800100.png" --- # Not until we have learned to be useful can we afford to do… ![“Not until we have learned to be useful can we afford to do what we like.” quote by Ellen Terry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f2/ellen-terry-28904_afford_not-until-we-have-learned-to-be-useful-c_800100.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f2/ellen-terry-28904_afford_not-until-we-have-learned-to-be-useful-c_800100.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f2/ellen-terry-28904_afford_not-until-we-have-learned-to-be-useful-c_800100.png) > “Not until we have learned to be useful can we afford to do what we like.” [Ellen Terry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-terry/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Utility and skill development precede the freedom to pursue passions. **In simple terms:** Earn competence before leisure. Key Takeaway Master basics before chasing dreams. Themes work ethic skill building freedom Mood pragmatic thoughtful Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - job training - entrepreneurship - creative projects Key Concepts economics personal development Questions to Reflect On - What skills must you acquire first? - How does competence enable enjoyment? A Different Perspective Focusing solely on utility may stifle creativity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Afford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afford/) [Afford Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afford-like-4667564/) [Learned Useful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learned-useful-619082/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Useful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/useful/) [Useful Afford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/useful-afford-6128165/) [Usefulness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/usefulness/) ## Related quotes > [“Honesty was for those who could afford it, like heating or electricity or a conscience.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacia-kane/honesty-was-for-those-who-could-afford-it-like-heating-or-electricity/) [Stacia Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacia-kane/) > [“And so I learned by observation, interaction, and experience - as well as active study and research - growing up and throughout my life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yohai-reuben/and-so-i-learned-by-observation-interaction-and-experience-as-well-as/) [Yohai Reuben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yohai-reuben/) > [“Being divorced does not necessarily make one’s advice on marriage useless … or useful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/being-divorced-does-not-necessarily-make-one-s-advice-on-marriage/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [All models are wrong, but some are useful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-e-p-box/all-models-are-wrong-but-some-are-useful/) [George E. P. Box](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-e-p-box/) > [“Don't feel bad if your youth cannot be joyful, but at least make it useful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/don-t-feel-bad-if-your-youth-cannot-be-joyful-but-at-least-make-it/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [“Be always employed to something useful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/be-always-employed-to-something-useful/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [What praise is implied in the simple epithet useful! What reproach in the contrary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/what-praise-is-implied-in-the-simple-epithet-useful-what-reproach-in/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [The useful and the beautiful are never separated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/periander/the-useful-and-the-beautiful-are-never-separated/) [Periander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/periander/) > [“The role of useless ideas is to help us see the useful ones.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamerlan-kuzgov/the-role-of-useless-ideas-is-to-help-us-see-the-useful-ones/) [Tamerlan Kuzgov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamerlan-kuzgov/) > [Usefulness! It is not a fascinating word, and the quality is not one of which the aspiring spirit can dream o' nights, yet on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-terry/usefulness-it-is-not-a-fascinating-word-and-the-quality-is-not-one-of/) [Ellen Terry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-terry/) > [Freedom is that faculty that enlarges the usefulness of all other faculties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/freedom-is-that-faculty-that-enlarges-the-usefulness-of-all-other/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [I personally claim no special insight into Satan's methods, but I have at times been able to identify his influence and his actions in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-e-faust/i-personally-claim-no-special-insight-into-satan-s-methods-but-i-have/) [James E. Faust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-e-faust/) > [I know nothing worth the living for but usefulness and the service of my fellow-creatures. The only object I pursue is to increase, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-godwin/i-know-nothing-worth-the-living-for-but-usefulness-and-the-service-of/) [William Godwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-godwin/) > [Soothing touch, whether it be applied to a ruffled cat, a crying infant, or a frightened child, has a universally recognized power to ameliorate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deane-juhan/soothing-touch-whether-it-be-applied-to-a-ruffled-cat-a-crying-infant/) [Deane Juhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deane-juhan/) > [We are a spectacular, splendid manifestation of life. We have language. . . . We have affection. We have genes for usefulness, and usefulness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/we-are-a-spectacular-splendid-manifestation-of-life-we-have-language/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) ## More by Ellen Terry > [There is all the difference in the world between departure from recognised rules by one who has learned to obey them, and neglect of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-terry/there-is-all-the-difference-in-the-world-between-departure-from/) [Ellen Terry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-terry/) > [Only a great actor finds the difficulties of the actor's art infinite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-terry/only-a-great-actor-finds-the-difficulties-of-the-actor-s-art-infinite/) [Ellen Terry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-terry/) > [No amount of skill on the part of the actress can make up for the loss of youth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-terry/no-amount-of-skill-on-the-part-of-the-actress-can-make-up-for-the/) [Ellen Terry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-terry/) > [Before you can be eccentric, you must know where the circle is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-terry/before-you-can-be-eccentric-you-must-know-where-the-circle-is/) [Ellen Terry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-terry/) > [Vary the pace... is one of the foundations of all good acting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-terry/vary-the-pace-is-one-of-the-foundations-of-all-good-acting/) [Ellen Terry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-terry/) > [Imagination! Imagination! I put it first years ago, when I was asked what qualities I thought necessary for success upon the stage. And I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-terry/imagination-imagination-i-put-it-first-years-ago-when-i-was-asked/) [Ellen Terry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-terry/) > [Security is mortal's chiefest enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-terry/security-is-mortal-s-chiefest-enemy/) [Ellen Terry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-terry/) > [Wonderful women! Have you ever thought how much we all, and women especially, owe to Shakespeare for his vindication of women in these fearless,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-terry/wonderful-women-have-you-ever-thought-how-much-we-all-and-women/) [Ellen Terry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-terry/) > [Eulogy is nice, but one does not learn anything from it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-terry/eulogy-is-nice-but-one-does-not-learn-anything-from-it/) [Ellen Terry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-terry/) > [Coroners' inquests by learned societies can't make Shakespeare a dead man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-terry/coroners-inquests-by-learned-societies-can-t-make-shakespeare-a-dead/) [Ellen Terry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-terry/) > [Conceit is an insuperable obstacle to all progress. On the other hand, it is of little use to take criticism in a slavish spirit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-terry/conceit-is-an-insuperable-obstacle-to-all-progress-on-the-other-hand/) [Ellen Terry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-terry/) > [If it is the mark of the artist to love art before everything, to renounce everything for its sake, to think all the sweet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-terry/if-it-is-the-mark-of-the-artist-to-love-art-before-everything-to/) [Ellen Terry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-terry/) > [Applause is an instinctive, unconscious act expressing the sympathy between actors and audience. Just as our art demands more instinct than intellect in its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-terry/applause-is-an-instinctive-unconscious-act-expressing-the-sympathy/) [Ellen Terry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-terry/) > [Conceit is an insuperable obstacle to all progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-terry/conceit-is-an-insuperable-obstacle-to-all-progress/) [Ellen Terry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-terry/) > [The tragedian will always be a limited tragedian if he has not learned how to laugh. The comedian who cannot weep will never touch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-terry/the-tragedian-will-always-be-a-limited-tragedian-if-he-has-not/) [Ellen Terry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-terry/) [Explore all 19 Ellen Terry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-terry/) ## More Afford quotes > [We can't afford any president to fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/we-can-t-afford-any-president-to-fail/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) > [Just because you can afford it doesn't mean you should buy it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/just-because-you-can-afford-it-doesn-t-mean-you-should-buy-it/) [Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/) > [I am not a Ph.D. in economics or a doctorate in literature that I can afford to take my singing lightly. Even if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kailash-kher/i-am-not-a-ph-d-in-economics-or-a-doctorate-in-literature-that-i-can/) [Kailash Kher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kailash-kher/) > [Now I'm having to live with sales of around 50,000 per album - but I'm pretty content with my place in the general scheme…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-knopfler/now-i-m-having-to-live-with-sales-of-around-50-000-per-album-but-i-m/) [David Knopfler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-knopfler/) > [I was lucky because I got so successful so early, and when you get successful early, then you can afford to be a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-von-furstenberg/i-was-lucky-because-i-got-so-successful-so-early-and-when-you-get/) [Diane von Furstenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-von-furstenberg/) > [I have crooked toes from wearing boots that didn't fit me because that's all I could afford as a kid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-lomu/i-have-crooked-toes-from-wearing-boots-that-didn-t-fit-me-because/) [Jonah Lomu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-lomu/) > [The most common reason new mothers return to work sooner than they'd like to is because they can't afford to go without their salaries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexa-von-tobel/the-most-common-reason-new-mothers-return-to-work-sooner-than-they-d/) [Alexa Von Tobel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexa-von-tobel/) > [This fatigue can not afford to do](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israa-ali/this-fatigue-can-not-afford-to-do/) [ISRAA ALI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israa-ali/) > [A good player is a good player, it's just that we cannot afford signings that do not work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-dyche/a-good-player-is-a-good-player-it-s-just-that-we-cannot-afford/) [Sean Dyche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-dyche/) > [I'm not the most talented writer in the world. I know that. But I also know that I'm disciplined, that I work my butt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-b-coe/i-m-not-the-most-talented-writer-in-the-world-i-know-that-but-i-also/) [David B. Coe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-b-coe/) > [Unfortunately, some people go to a restaurant, and they aren't really there to enjoy themselves. They're there because they think they deserve to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-dinicol/unfortunately-some-people-go-to-a-restaurant-and-they-aren-t-really/) [Joe Dinicol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-dinicol/) > [Nobody has so many friends that he can afford to lose one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/nobody-has-so-many-friends-that-he-can-afford-to-lose-one/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [My earliest memories were when my mom would put me in the plays that she was in because she couldn't afford a babysitter... she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-applegate/my-earliest-memories-were-when-my-mom-would-put-me-in-the-plays-that/) [Christina Applegate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-applegate/) > [In Washington journalists can afford to live almost as well as people who work for a living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/in-washington-journalists-can-afford-to-live-almost-as-well-as-people/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [I'm a little bit tough because I can't afford to get my heart broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandi-glanville/i-m-a-little-bit-tough-because-i-can-t-afford-to-get-my-heart-broken/) [Brandi Glanville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandi-glanville/) [Browse all 784 Afford quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afford/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Not until we have learned to be useful can we afford to do what we like.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ellen Terry" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-terry/not-until-we-have-learned-to-be-useful-can-we-afford-to-do-what-we/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Afford" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-terry/not-until-we-have-learned-to-be-useful-can-we-afford-to-do-what-we/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f2/ellen-terry-28904_afford_not-until-we-have-learned-to-be-useful-c_800100.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f2/ellen-terry-28904_afford_not-until-we-have-learned-to-be-useful-c_800100.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f2/ellen-terry-28904_afford_not-until-we-have-learned-to-be-useful-c_800100.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Not until we have learned to be useful can we afford to do what we like.” — Ellen Terry", "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": "Ellen Terry", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-terry/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Not until we have learned to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-terry/not-until-we-have-learned-to-be-useful-can-we-afford-to-do-what-we/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-terry/not-until-we-have-learned-to-be-useful-can-we-afford-to-do-what-we/#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 } } ] } ```