--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Life does not require us to make good; it…" description: "\"Life does not require us to make good; it asks only that we give our best at each level of experience.\" — Henry David Thoreau" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b67/henry-david-thoreau-20_experience_life-does-not-require-us-to-make-good-it_1644985.jpg" --- # Life does not require us to make good; it asks only that… ![“Life does not require us to make good; it asks only that we give our best at each level of experience.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b67/henry-david-thoreau-20_experience_life-does-not-require-us-to-make-good-it_1644985.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b67/henry-david-thoreau-20_experience_life-does-not-require-us-to-make-good-it_1644985.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b67/henry-david-thoreau-20_experience_life-does-not-require-us-to-make-good-it_1644985.jpg) > “Life does not require us to make good; it asks only that we give our best at each level of experience.” [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life demands effort, not perfection; we should strive to do our best in each moment. **In simple terms:** Do your best, not perfect. Key Takeaway Focus on effort over outcome. Themes self-improvement philosophy effort Mood contemplative motivational Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - daily work - parenting - teaching - sports coaching Key Concepts existentialism ethics Questions to Reflect On - How do you measure “best”? - What limits your effort? A Different Perspective Perfectionism may still arise. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ## Related quotes > [Wealth is measured by the level of experience in all aspects of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/wealth-is-measured-by-the-level-of-experience-in-all-aspects-of-life/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [60s is the new 40s. The only difference is the level of experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/60s-is-the-new-40s-the-only-difference-is-the-level-of-experience/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Being a head designer or art director or just even a designer, you need a certain level of experience and maturity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christophe-lemaire/being-a-head-designer-or-art-director-or-just-even-a-designer-you/) [Christophe Lemaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christophe-lemaire/) > [I've learned not to choose a woman by her age but by her level of experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romany-malco/i-ve-learned-not-to-choose-a-woman-by-her-age-but-by-her-level-of/) [Romany Malco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romany-malco/) > [I will not lower the standard of the Bible to my level of experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-johnson/i-will-not-lower-the-standard-of-the-bible-to-my-level-of-experience/) [Bill Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-johnson/) > [“We do not have the right to level out all experience into a single world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-merleau-ponty/we-do-not-have-the-right-to-level-out-all-experience-into-a-single/) [Maurice Merleau-Ponty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-merleau-ponty/) > [That is mere sentimentality that lies abed by day and thinks itself white, far from the tan and callus of experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/that-is-mere-sentimentality-that-lies-abed-by-day-and-thinks-itself/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-doing-good-that-is-one-of-the-professions-which-is-full/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I make a good roast chicken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudia-winkleman/i-make-a-good-roast-chicken/) [Claudia Winkleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudia-winkleman/) > [I'd like to be able to make something as good as 'Hunky Dory' or 'Young Americans.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-mckenna/i-d-like-to-be-able-to-make-something-as-good-as-hunky-dory-or-young/) [Declan McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declan-mckenna/) > [“Money doesn’t make you a good person.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracey-ward/money-doesn-t-make-you-a-good-person/) [Tracey Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracey-ward/) > [Don't make excuses, make good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/don-t-make-excuses-make-good/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [“Make good choices and always do your best.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yvonne-capitelli/make-good-choices-and-always-do-your-best/) Yvonne Capitelli > [You can make a good living while serving a greater good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-misner/you-can-make-a-good-living-while-serving-a-greater-good/) [Ivan Misner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-misner/) > [(I want to) make good stories that have a redemptive message and allow people to dig into their own lives and personal struggles and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-waters/i-want-to-make-good-stories-that-have-a-redemptive-message-and-allow/) [Drew Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-waters/) ## More by Henry David Thoreau > [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Men say they know many things; But lo! they have taken wings, — The arts and sciences, And a thousand appliances; The wind that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-say-they-know-many-things-but-lo-they-have-taken-wings-the-arts/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I am not afraid of praise, for I have practiced it on myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-am-not-afraid-of-praise-for-i-have-practiced-it-on-myself/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or back gammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/all-voting-is-a-sort-of-gaming-like-checkers-or-back-gammon-with-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“This spending of the best part of one's life earning money in order to enjoy a questionable liberty during the least valuable part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/this-spending-of-the-best-part-of-one-s-life-earning-money-in-order/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-doing-good-that-is-one-of-the-professions-which-is-full/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [A traveler who looks at things with an impartial eye may see what the oldest inhabitant has not observed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-traveler-who-looks-at-things-with-an-impartial-eye-may-see-what-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [In proportion as our inward life fails, we go more constantly and desperately to the post office. You may depend on it, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/in-proportion-as-our-inward-life-fails-we-go-more-constantly-and/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-had-three-chairs-in-my-house-one-for-solitude-two-for-friendship/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The still youthful energies of the globe have only to be directed in their proper channel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-still-youthful-energies-of-the-globe-have-only-to-be-directed-in/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Concord's little arch does not span all our fate, nor is what transpires under it law for the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/concord-s-little-arch-does-not-span-all-our-fate-nor-is-what/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The lumberers rarely trouble themselves to put out their fires, such is the dampness of the primitive forest; and this is one cause, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-lumberers-rarely-trouble-themselves-to-put-out-their-fires-such/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“When he has obtained those things which are necessary to life, there is another alternative than to obtain the superfluities; and that is, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/when-he-has-obtained-those-things-which-are-necessary-to-life-there/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Wealth is measured by the level of experience in all aspects of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/wealth-is-measured-by-the-level-of-experience-in-all-aspects-of-life/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Explore all 3,376 Henry David Thoreau quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## More Experience quotes > [Experience makes a lesson to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/experience-makes-a-lesson-to-us/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The Derby experience had not been good for me and the way it finished left a very bad taste in my mouth so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-pearson/the-derby-experience-had-not-been-good-for-me-and-the-way-it-finished/) [Nigel Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-pearson/) > [Well, I've been politically involved for a really long time. Growing up in the segregated South, it was a very painful experience for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cybill-shepherd/well-i-ve-been-politically-involved-for-a-really-long-time-growing-up/) [Cybill Shepherd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cybill-shepherd/) > [From my experience of having served for 3000 days, I can say that anything can be achieved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/from-my-experience-of-having-served-for-3000-days-i-can-say-that/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [My favorite job is the next one. Its such a gratifying experience getting to creatively keep trying something new and push things in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-craig-smith/my-favorite-job-is-the-next-one-its-such-a-gratifying-experience/) [Roger Craig Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-craig-smith/) > [I happen to think it's the politics that makes you electable, but the reason for that is politicians sometimes talk about electability as if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/i-happen-to-think-it-s-the-politics-that-makes-you-electable-but-the/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [Iranians hate Arabs. They're a fairly well-educated population and they have centuries of experience with self-government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ledeen/iranians-hate-arabs-they-re-a-fairly-well-educated-population-and/) [Michael Ledeen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ledeen/) > [Education is a lifelong experience. Experience is a lifelong education. Education plus experience equals expertise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bugeja/education-is-a-lifelong-experience-experience-is-a-lifelong-education/) Michael Bugeja > [Prison experience puts distance between me and any person who hasn't been there, done that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-mcconnell/prison-experience-puts-distance-between-me-and-any-person-who-hasn-t/) [Patricia McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-mcconnell/) > [Experience is a thorough teacher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-jane-holmes/experience-is-a-thorough-teacher/) [Mary Jane Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-jane-holmes/) > [It definitely helps to have the acting experience going into singing, because when you're singing, you have to portray the emotion you were feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-newman/it-definitely-helps-to-have-the-acting-experience-going-into-singing/) Ryan Newman > [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) > [I've had a great experience with pretty much everybody I've worked with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mia-wasikowska/i-ve-had-a-great-experience-with-pretty-much-everybody-i-ve-worked/) [Mia Wasikowska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mia-wasikowska/) > [It wasn't a mistake, it was a fun learning experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-wasn-t-a-mistake-it-was-a-fun-learning-experience/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I worked a lot in Chicago's theater scene as a fight choreographer. And so I do have a lot of experience in stage combat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-offerman/i-worked-a-lot-in-chicago-s-theater-scene-as-a-fight-choreographer/) [Nick Offerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-offerman/) [Browse all 11,792 Experience quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Life does not require us to make good; it asks only that we give our best at each level of experience.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/life-does-not-require-us-to-make-good-it-asks-only-that-we-give-our/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Experience" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/life-does-not-require-us-to-make-good-it-asks-only-that-we-give-our/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b67/henry-david-thoreau-20_experience_life-does-not-require-us-to-make-good-it_1644985.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b67/henry-david-thoreau-20_experience_life-does-not-require-us-to-make-good-it_1644985.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b67/henry-david-thoreau-20_experience_life-does-not-require-us-to-make-good-it_1644985.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Life does not require us to make good; it asks only that we give our best at each level of experience.” — Henry David Thoreau", "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": "Henry David Thoreau", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Life does not require us to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/life-does-not-require-us-to-make-good-it-asks-only-that-we-give-our/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/life-does-not-require-us-to-make-good-it-asks-only-that-we-give-our/#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 } } ] } ```