--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What was the use of doing great things if…" description: "\"What was the use of doing great things if I could have a better time telling her what I was going to do?\" — F. Scott Fitzgerald" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aad/f-scott-fitzgerald-72_great-things_what-was-the-use-of-doing-great-things-i_2493975.jpg" --- # What was the use of doing great things if I could have a… ![“What was the use of doing great things if I could have a better time telling her what I was going to do?” quote by F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aad/f-scott-fitzgerald-72_great-things_what-was-the-use-of-doing-great-things-i_2493975.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aad/f-scott-fitzgerald-72_great-things_what-was-the-use-of-doing-great-things-i_2493975.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aad/f-scott-fitzgerald-72_great-things_what-was-the-use-of-doing-great-things-i_2493975.jpg) > “What was the use of doing great things if I could have a better time telling her what I was going to do?” [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He questions the value of grand achievements if they prevent sharing intimate moments with loved ones. **In simple terms:** Great deeds lose meaning without sharing love. Key Takeaway Prioritize relationships over accolades. Themes love legacy priorities Mood thoughtful melancholic Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - marriage - creative projects - family time - personal goals Key Concepts meaning connection personal fulfillment Questions to Reflect On - What would you sacrifice for love? - How do you balance ambition and intimacy? A Different Perspective Great acts may feel empty without loved ones. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Great things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-things/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [It is no use doing what you like; you have got to like what you do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/it-is-no-use-doing-what-you-like-you-have-got-to-like-what-you-do/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [Since it could be done what was the use of doing it, and anyway you always have to stop doing something sometime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/since-it-could-be-done-what-was-the-use-of-doing-it-and-anyway-you/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [Dialogue works the least well when it's telling you what's going on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-rickman/dialogue-works-the-least-well-when-it-s-telling-you-what-s-going-on/) Tom Rickman > [“Oh, I needn’t worry about you telling anyone. Neither of you are going anywhere for a long time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-forrest/oh-i-needn-t-worry-about-you-telling-anyone-neither-of-you-are-going/) [Bella Forrest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-forrest/) > [Doing great things for others is an awesome gift to give yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sharma/doing-great-things-for-others-is-an-awesome-gift-to-give-yourself/) [Robin Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sharma/) > [“People do not become great by doing great things. They do great things because they are great.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/people-do-not-become-great-by-doing-great-things-they-do-great-things/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Why can't there be a lot of great women who are doing great things?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-wiig/why-can-t-there-be-a-lot-of-great-women-who-are-doing-great-things/) [Kristen Wiig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-wiig/) > [There are a ton of people doing great things every day, and you don't hear about it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-stone/there-are-a-ton-of-people-doing-great-things-every-day-and-you-don-t/) [Spencer Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-stone/) > [I want to be remembered for making great music and doing great things for people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/i-want-to-be-remembered-for-making-great-music-and-doing-great-things/) [Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/) > [I'm not telling you it is going to be easy - I'm telling you it's going to be worth it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-not-telling-you-it-is-going-to-be-easy-i-m-telling-you-it-s-going/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A lot of people behind the scenes were telling me that I was going to have to do something with my hair, my weight,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/la-porsha-renae/a-lot-of-people-behind-the-scenes-were-telling-me-that-i-was-going-to/) [La'Porsha Renae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/la-porsha-renae/) > [I'm not telling you its going to be easy, I'm telling you its going to be worth it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-not-telling-you-its-going-to-be-easy-i-m-telling-you-its-going-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Telling to yourself that you're going to bed, when you're actually not and then having to hold back from posting things on Twitter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/telling-to-yourself-that-you-re-going-to-bed-when-you-re-actually-not/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm not gonna leave you. There's no way I will and I am telling you I'm not going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-hudson/i-m-not-gonna-leave-you-there-s-no-way-i-will-and-i-am-telling-you-i/) [Jennifer Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-hudson/) > [From the beginning of your career until the end, you have people telling you, you can't do something or you're only going to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominick-cruz/from-the-beginning-of-your-career-until-the-end-you-have-people/) [Dominick Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominick-cruz/) ## More by F. Scott Fitzgerald > [“His dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/his-dream-must-have-seemed-so-close-that-he-could-hardly-fail-to/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“There was a ripe mystery about it, a hint of bedrooms upstairs more beautiful and cool than other bedrooms, of gay and radiant activities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/there-was-a-ripe-mystery-about-it-a-hint-of-bedrooms-upstairs-more/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [I want you to take a red-hot bath as hot as you can bear it, and just relax your nerves. You can read in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-want-you-to-take-a-red-hot-bath-as-hot-as-you-can-bear-it-and-just/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [Tireless passion, fierce jealousy, longing to possess and crush-these alone were left of all his love for Rosalind; these remained to him as payment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/tireless-passion-fierce-jealousy-longing-to-possess-and-crush-these/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [I found something! Courage--just that; courage as a rule of life and something to cling to always.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-found-something-courage-just-that-courage-as-a-rule-of-life-and/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“Life is a series of successful gestures...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/life-is-a-series-of-successful-gestures/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“Another dawn flung itself across the river; a belated taxi hurried along the street, its lamps still shining like burning eyes in a face…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/another-dawn-flung-itself-across-the-river-a-belated-taxi-hurried/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“She plucked a twig and broke it, but she found no spring in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/she-plucked-a-twig-and-broke-it-but-she-found-no-spring-in-it/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“I'm one of those people who go through the world giving other people thrills but getting few myself except those I read into men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-m-one-of-those-people-who-go-through-the-world-giving-other-people/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [The Montana sunset lay between the mountains like a giant bruise from which darkened arteries spread across a poisoned sky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/the-montana-sunset-lay-between-the-mountains-like-a-giant-bruise-from/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“You loved me too?" he repeated.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/you-loved-me-too-he-repeated/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“He was good looking, "sort of distinguished when he wants to be", had a line, and was properly inconstant. In fact, he summed up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/he-was-good-looking-sort-of-distinguished-when-he-wants-to-be-had-a/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [What are you going to do? "Can't say - run for president, write -" "Greenwich Village?" "Good heavens, no - I said write -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/what-are-you-going-to-do-can-t-say-run-for-president-write-greenwich/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“The latter was considered a good fellow and a fine leader, until a year later, when he disappeared with a mess fund of eleven…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/the-latter-was-considered-a-good-fellow-and-a-fine-leader-until-a/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“It eluded us then, but that’s no matter—tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther. . . . And then one fine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/it-eluded-us-then-but-that-s-no-matter-tomorrow-we-will-run-faster/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) [Explore all 1,568 F. Scott Fitzgerald quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) ## More Great things quotes > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [No matter how many great things you say about Jacques Pepin, there's always more. Through his books and videos, he taught me the importance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-kenji-lopez-alt/no-matter-how-many-great-things-you-say-about-jacques-pepin-there-s/) [J. Kenji Lopez-Alt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-kenji-lopez-alt/) > [Great things that can happen when you're doing a movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-l-brooks/great-things-that-can-happen-when-you-re-doing-a-movie/) [James L. Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-l-brooks/) > [Who can really be faithful in great things if he has not learned to be faithful in the things of daily life?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/who-can-really-be-faithful-in-great-things-if-he-has-not-learned-to/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [“Second letter from Mom: So! What if you colored the world? This still does not seem a great thing. In fact it seems very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-d-calin/second-letter-from-mom-so-what-if-you-colored-the-world-this-still/) [Elena D. Calin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-d-calin/) > [I have so much respect for the country, I don't like blanket indictments. There's a lot of really great things about this country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cris-collinsworth/i-have-so-much-respect-for-the-country-i-don-t-like-blanket/) [Cris Collinsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cris-collinsworth/) > [In presenting a mathematical argument the great thing is to give the educated reader the chance to catch on at once to the momentary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edensor-littlewood/in-presenting-a-mathematical-argument-the-great-thing-is-to-give-the/) [John Edensor Littlewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edensor-littlewood/) > [The great thing about the arts, and especially popular music, is that it really does cut across genres and races and classes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-raitt/the-great-thing-about-the-arts-and-especially-popular-music-is-that/) [Bonnie Raitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-raitt/) > [I don’t know, I don’t know that I’m missing anything. I just think too much sometimes. Sometimes I’m even happy because I’m so engaged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-buckley/i-don-t-know-i-don-t-know-that-i-m-missing-anything-i-just-think-too/) [Jeff Buckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-buckley/) > [The great thing about an independent film is that you're too busy working, and you're too busy hoping to God to get it done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-dowd/the-great-thing-about-an-independent-film-is-that-you-re-too-busy/) [Ann Dowd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-dowd/) > [Every great thing starts with an idea, followed by a doubt and finally a resolve to abandon or pursue. Victory is a treacherous journey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dane-cook/every-great-thing-starts-with-an-idea-followed-by-a-doubt-and-finally/) [Dane Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dane-cook/) > [I have a large watch collection, and classic watches are especially important to me. I had a silver Rolex, and I actually gave it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-berkus/i-have-a-large-watch-collection-and-classic-watches-are-especially/) [Nate Berkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-berkus/) > [That is one of the great things about Test cricket, the ball. Sometimes it swings conventionally, sometimes it doesn't and sometimes it reverses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-cook/that-is-one-of-the-great-things-about-test-cricket-the-ball-sometimes/) [Alastair Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-cook/) > [In the end things must be as they are and have always been--the great things remain for the great, the abysses for the profound,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/in-the-end-things-must-be-as-they-are-and-have-always-been-the-great/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Great men undertake great things because they are great; fools, because they think them easy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/great-men-undertake-great-things-because-they-are-great-fools-because/) [Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/) [Browse all 1,881 Great things quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-things/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What was the use of doing great things if I could have a better time telling her what I was going to do?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "F. 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