--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We acquire a sense of worth either by…" description: "\"“We acquire a sense of worth either by realizing our talents, or by keeping busy, or by identifying ourselves with something apart from us--be it a cau..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8bd/eric-hoffer-343_creative-work_we-acquire-a-sense-of-worth-either-by-re_397212.jpg" --- # We acquire a sense of worth either by realizing our… ![“We acquire a sense of worth either by realizing our talents, or by keeping busy, or by identifying ourselves with something apart from us--be it a cause, a leader, a group, possessions and the like. Of the three, the path of self-realization is the most difficult. It is taken only when other…” quote by Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8bd/eric-hoffer-343_creative-work_we-acquire-a-sense-of-worth-either-by-re_397212.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8bd/eric-hoffer-343_creative-work_we-acquire-a-sense-of-worth-either-by-re_397212.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8bd/eric-hoffer-343_creative-work_we-acquire-a-sense-of-worth-either-by-re_397212.jpg) > ““We acquire a sense of worth either by realizing our talents, or by keeping busy, or by identifying ourselves with something apart from us--be it a cause, a leader, a group, possessions and the like. Of the three, the path of self-realization is the most difficult. It is taken only when other avenues to a sense of worth are more or less blocked. Men of talent have to be encouraged and goaded to engage in creative work. Their groans and laments echo through the ages. Action is a highroad to self-confidence and esteem.”” [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self‑worth comes from realizing talents; other routes like busy‑work or affiliation are easier but less authentic. **In simple terms:** Realizing talent builds true self‑esteem. Key Takeaway Cultivate your talents. Themes self‑realization esteem creativity Mood reflective motivational Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career development - artistic pursuits - personal growth Key Concepts worth identity effort Questions to Reflect On - What talents have you neglected? - How can you turn busy‑work into creative expression? A Different Perspective Talent may be hidden or undervalued. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Creative work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative-work/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Realization Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realization-difficult-3194346/) [Realizing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realizing/) [Realizing Talents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realizing-talents-3569958/) [Self confidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-confidence/) [Self realization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-realization/) ## Related quotes > [God-realization is the most difficult state to reach. Let no one fool himself, nor think that someone else can "give" it to him. Whenever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paramahansa-yogananda/god-realization-is-the-most-difficult-state-to-reach-let-no-one-fool/) [Paramahansa Yogananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paramahansa-yogananda/) > [While every human being has a capacity for love, its realization is one of the most difficult achievements.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/while-every-human-being-has-a-capacity-for-love-its-realization-is/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [“A person does not reach the pinnacle of self-realization without relentlessly exploring the parameters of the self, exhausting their psychic energy coming to know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/a-person-does-not-reach-the-pinnacle-of-self-realization-without/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities. Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/believe-in-yourself-have-faith-in-your-abilities-without-a-humble-but/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [“One should be more concerned about what his conscience whispers than about what other people shout.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-auliq-ice/one-should-be-more-concerned-about-what-his-conscience-whispers-than/) [Oscar Auliq-Ice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-auliq-ice/) > [“I am who I am and nothing could possibly change that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutka-laskier/i-am-who-i-am-and-nothing-could-possibly-change-that/) [Rutka Laskier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutka-laskier/) > [How much easier is self-sacrifice than self-realization!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/how-much-easier-is-self-sacrifice-than-self-realization/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [“It's none of your concern what others say or think about you. Your happiness is your own responsibility.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/it-s-none-of-your-concern-what-others-say-or-think-about-you-your/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [“Self care, self love. Self esteem, self confidence”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/self-care-self-love-self-esteem-self-confidence/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Nothing so bolsters our self-confidence and reconciles us with ourselves as the continuous ability to create; to see things grow and develop under our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/nothing-so-bolsters-our-self-confidence-and-reconciles-us-with/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Self-confidence without self-reliance is as useless as a cooking recipe without food. Self-confidence sees the possibilities of the individual; self-reliance realizes them. Self-confidence sees…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-george-jordan/self-confidence-without-self-reliance-is-as-useless-as-a-cooking/) [William George Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-george-jordan/) > [There is in even the most selfish passion a large element of self-abnegation. It is startling to realize that what we call extreme self-seeking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/there-is-in-even-the-most-selfish-passion-a-large-element-of-self/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [As I've indicated, most books go out of print within one year. The same is true of music and film. Commercial culture is sharklike.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/as-i-ve-indicated-most-books-go-out-of-print-within-one-year-the-same/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) > [The impresario function is about intervening with the company's more administrative management structure. It is about trying to establish a sense of boundaries and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kao/the-impresario-function-is-about-intervening-with-the-company-s-more/) [John Kao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kao/) > [“… ya can't please everyone, so ya got to please yourself Ricky Nelson (Referring to creative works, not other things)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/ya-can-t-please-everyone-so-ya-got-to-please-yourself-ricky-nelson/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Eric Hoffer > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [When grubbing for necessities man is still an animal. He becomes uniquely human when he reaches out for the superfluous and extravagant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/when-grubbing-for-necessities-man-is-still-an-animal-he-becomes/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [“We lie the loudest when we lie to ourselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/we-lie-the-loudest-when-we-lie-to-ourselves/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Our originality shows itself most strikingly not in what we wholly originate but in what we do with that which we borrow from others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/our-originality-shows-itself-most-strikingly-not-in-what-we-wholly/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [The creative mind is the playful mind. Philosophy is the play and dance of ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-creative-mind-is-the-playful-mind-philosophy-is-the-play-and/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [It is also plausible that those movements with the greatest inner contradiction and between profession and practice - that is to say with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/it-is-also-plausible-that-those-movements-with-the-greatest-inner/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [The best part of the art of living is to know how to grow old gracefully.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-best-part-of-the-art-of-living-is-to-know-how-to-grow-old/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [“In the alchemy of man's soul almost all noble attributes--courage, honor, love, hope, faith, duty, loyalty, etc.--can be transmuted into ruthlessness. Compassion alone stands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/in-the-alchemy-of-man-s-soul-almost-all-noble-attributes-courage/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [The act of self-denial seems to confer on us the right to be harsh and merciless toward others. The impression somehow prevails that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-act-of-self-denial-seems-to-confer-on-us-the-right-to-be-harsh/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [A nation without dregs and malcontents, is orderly, decent, peaceful and pleasant, but perhaps without the seed of things to come](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/a-nation-without-dregs-and-malcontents-is-orderly-decent-peaceful-and/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Compassion alone stands apart from the continuous traffic between good and evil proceeding within us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/compassion-alone-stands-apart-from-the-continuous-traffic-between/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [There are many who find a good alibi far more attractive than an achievement. For an achievement does not settle anything permanently. We still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/there-are-many-who-find-a-good-alibi-far-more-attractive-than-an/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [A war is not won if the defeated enemy has not been turned into a friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/a-war-is-not-won-if-the-defeated-enemy-has-not-been-turned-into-a/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Man is the only creature that strives to surpass himself, and yearns for the impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/man-is-the-only-creature-that-strives-to-surpass-himself-and-yearns/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [This food-and-shelter theory concerning man's efforts is without insight. The desire for praise is more imperative than the desire for food and shelter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/this-food-and-shelter-theory-concerning-man-s-efforts-is-without/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) [Explore all 658 Eric Hoffer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) ## More Creative work quotes > [“… ya can't please everyone, so ya got to please yourself Ricky Nelson (Referring to creative works, not other things)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/ya-can-t-please-everyone-so-ya-got-to-please-yourself-ricky-nelson/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The impresario function is about intervening with the company's more administrative management structure. It is about trying to establish a sense of boundaries and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kao/the-impresario-function-is-about-intervening-with-the-company-s-more/) [John Kao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kao/) > [As I've indicated, most books go out of print within one year. The same is true of music and film. Commercial culture is sharklike.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/as-i-ve-indicated-most-books-go-out-of-print-within-one-year-the-same/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) > [ If \[people\] place such things as friendship and family ties above their own productive work, yes, then they are immoral. Friendship, family life and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/if-people-place-such-things-as-friendship-and-family-ties-above-their/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [“What we call creative work, Ought not to be called work at all because it isn't. I imagine that Thomas Edison never did a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-we-call-creative-work-ought-not-to-be-called-work-at-all-because/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Let us guide our students over the road of discipline from materials, through function, to creative work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/let-us-guide-our-students-over-the-road-of-discipline-from-materials/) [Ludwig Mies van der Rohe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/) > [Creativity is not a solitary movement. That is its power. Whatever is touched by it, whoever hears it, sees it, senses it, knows it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarissa-pinkola-estes/creativity-is-not-a-solitary-movement-that-is-its-power-whatever-is/) [Clarissa Pinkola Estes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarissa-pinkola-estes/) > [“One thing about creative work is that it’s never done. In different words, every person we interviewed said that it was equally true that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-henry/one-thing-about-creative-work-is-that-it-s-never-done-in-different/) [Todd Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-henry/) > [I believe in creative work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demian-bichir/i-believe-in-creative-work/) [Demian Bichir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demian-bichir/) > [“The only legitimate basis of creative work lies in the courageous recognition of all the irreconcilable antagonisms that make our life so enigmatic, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/the-only-legitimate-basis-of-creative-work-lies-in-the-courageous/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) > [ We pride ourselves at Natrona - I mean, pride {ironically\] - on developing a noncompetitive community. That's very important. The values that can come… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-waldman/we-pride-ourselves-at-natrona-i-mean-pride-ironically-on-developing-a/) [Anne Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-waldman/) > [“Most agree that a useful definition of creative work is that it includes a combination of novelty and value. Creativity requires novelty because tried-and-true…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-w-flaherty/most-agree-that-a-useful-definition-of-creative-work-is-that-it/) [Alice W. Flaherty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-w-flaherty/) > [At this point in my life, I like the security of a job, while still having time for my young son and to pursue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-noth/at-this-point-in-my-life-i-like-the-security-of-a-job-while-still/) [Chris Noth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-noth/) > [“The point of dreams was never to be the affordable option, it was the one everyone else saw as a mistake and every creative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anastasia-bolinder/the-point-of-dreams-was-never-to-be-the-affordable-option-it-was-the/) [Anastasia Bolinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anastasia-bolinder/) > [I try to live right. I always try to adhere to what I think is right, and that, to me, is the most important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-maloof/i-try-to-live-right-i-always-try-to-adhere-to-what-i-think-is-right/) [Sam Maloof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-maloof/) [Browse all 323 Creative work quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative-work/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We acquire a sense of worth either by realizing our talents, or by keeping busy, or by identifying ourselves with something apart from us--be it a cause, a leader, a group, possessions and the like. Of the three, the path of self-realization is the most difficult. It is taken only when other avenues to a sense of worth are more or less blocked. Men of talent have to be encouraged and goaded to engage in creative work. Their groans and laments echo through the ages. 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