--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In striving towards your goal, you do not…" description: "\"In striving towards your goal, you do not see many things that are under your nose.\" — Hermann Hesse" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c62/hermann-hesse-130_goal_in-striving-towards-your-goal-you-do-not_1814063.png" --- # In striving towards your goal, you do not see many things… ![“In striving towards your goal, you do not see many things that are under your nose.” quote by Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c62/hermann-hesse-130_goal_in-striving-towards-your-goal-you-do-not_1814063.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c62/hermann-hesse-130_goal_in-striving-towards-your-goal-you-do-not_1814063.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c62/hermann-hesse-130_goal_in-striving-towards-your-goal-you-do-not_1814063.png) > “In striving towards your goal, you do not see many things that are under your nose.” [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When pursuing a goal, we often overlook obvious opportunities right in front of us. **In simple terms:** Focus on goals can blind us to nearby solutions. Key Takeaway Stay aware of immediate possibilities while aiming higher. Themes self‑development focus awareness goal‑setting perception Mood motivational insightful reflective Type self‑help philosophical When to use this quote - career advancement - personal relationships - creative projects - problem solving Key Concepts mindfulness opportunity recognition strategic planning Questions to Reflect On - What simple steps are being ignored? - How can we broaden our awareness? A Different Perspective Tunnel vision may cause missed chances. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Striving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/striving/) ## Related quotes > [Happiness is experienced largely in striving towards a goal, not in having attained things, because our nature is always to want to go on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-ellis/happiness-is-experienced-largely-in-striving-towards-a-goal-not-in/) [Albert Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-ellis/) > [My fabulous architect godfather and mentor told me once that striving toward a goal - or perfection - gives one focus and direction, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-stock/my-fabulous-architect-godfather-and-mentor-told-me-once-that-striving/) [Catherine Stock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-stock/) > [Striving toward a goal puts a more pleasing construction on our advance toward death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/striving-toward-a-goal-puts-a-more-pleasing-construction-on-our/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [I don't want to be New Vocalist of the Year; that's not a goal of mine. If those things come along, that would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-wallen/i-don-t-want-to-be-new-vocalist-of-the-year-that-s-not-a-goal-of-mine/) [Morgan Wallen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-wallen/) > [If you refuse to set a bold goal for your financial future, you're really setting a goal anyway: To keep things the way they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-gage/if-you-refuse-to-set-a-bold-goal-for-your-financial-future-you-re/) [Randy Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-gage/) > [I used to say that I wanted to make great art with people I love. Now I have an addendum to that goal: to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/i-used-to-say-that-i-wanted-to-make-great-art-with-people-i-love-now/) [Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) > [The goal is to do things that are exciting and respectable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-kushner/the-goal-is-to-do-things-that-are-exciting-and-respectable/) [Jared Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-kushner/) > [Needing nothing really is the ultimate goal. And to have nothing to do with things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-simmons/needing-nothing-really-is-the-ultimate-goal-and-to-have-nothing-to-do/) [Russell Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-simmons/) > [Life is only meaningful when we are striving for a goal .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/life-is-only-meaningful-when-we-are-striving-for-a-goal/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [I love being able to come in every single day and work out and watch film and practice with guys who are all striving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-mahomes/i-love-being-able-to-come-in-every-single-day-and-work-out-and-watch/) [Patrick Mahomes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-mahomes/) > [The style of life is a unity because it has grown out of the difficulties of early life and out of the striving for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-adler/the-style-of-life-is-a-unity-because-it-has-grown-out-of-the/) [Alfred Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-adler/) > [Although we will hate and fight the machines, we will be supplanted anyway, and rightly so, for the intelligent machines to which we will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-asimov/although-we-will-hate-and-fight-the-machines-we-will-be-supplanted/) [Isaac Asimov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-asimov/) > [“Always remember that striving and struggling precede success, even in the dictionary.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ban-breathnach/always-remember-that-striving-and-struggling-precede-success-even-in/) [Sarah Ban Breathnach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ban-breathnach/) > [America is not static. America is striving. And sometimes, America requires critique. Jingoism is an avoidance of realism. You can simultaneously love and be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-blow/america-is-not-static-america-is-striving-and-sometimes-america/) [Charles M. Blow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-blow/) > [“When you finally give up striving, you will be left with what you have been striving for.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/when-you-finally-give-up-striving-you-will-be-left-with-what-you-have/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) ## More by Hermann Hesse > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Therefore, I see whatever exists as good, death is to me like life, sin like holiness, wisdom like foolishness, everything has to be as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/therefore-i-see-whatever-exists-as-good-death-is-to-me-like-life-sin/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [A home isn't just a roof over our heads. A home is a place where we feel loved and where we love others. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/a-home-isn-t-just-a-roof-over-our-heads-a-home-is-a-place-where-we/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Fortunately, like most children, I had learned what is most valuable, most indispensable for life before school years began, taught by apple trees, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/fortunately-like-most-children-i-had-learned-what-is-most-valuable/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [“The mistaken and unhappy notion that a man is an enduring unity is known to you. It is also known to you that a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/the-mistaken-and-unhappy-notion-that-a-man-is-an-enduring-unity-is/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [“... it would be better for our country and the world in general, if at least the few people who were capable of thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/it-would-be-better-for-our-country-and-the-world-in-general-if-at/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [The bird fights its way out of the egg. The egg is the world. Who would be born must first destroy a world. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/the-bird-fights-its-way-out-of-the-egg-the-egg-is-the-world-who-would/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Everything becomes a little different as soon as it is spoken out loud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/everything-becomes-a-little-different-as-soon-as-it-is-spoken-out-loud/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [It may be important to great thinkers to examine the world, to explain and despise it. But I think it is only important to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/it-may-be-important-to-great-thinkers-to-examine-the-world-to-explain/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [“..it is useless for you to build walls and dormitories and chapels and churches. Death looks through the window and laughs..”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/it-is-useless-for-you-to-build-walls-and-dormitories-and-chapels-and/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [“When the world is at peace, when all things are tranquil and all men obey their superiors in all their courses, then music can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/when-the-world-is-at-peace-when-all-things-are-tranquil-and-all-men/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [A mere nothing suffices — and the lightning strikes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/a-mere-nothing-suffices-and-the-lightning-strikes/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [“And if time is not real, then the dividing line that seems to lie between this world and eternity, between suffering and bliss, between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/and-if-time-is-not-real-then-the-dividing-line-that-seems-to-lie/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Beautiful was this world, looking at it thus, without searching, thus simply, thus childlike.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/beautiful-was-this-world-looking-at-it-thus-without-searching-thus/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Were not the gods forms created like me and you, mortal, transient?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/were-not-the-gods-forms-created-like-me-and-you-mortal-transient/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) [Explore all 951 Hermann Hesse quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) ## More Goal quotes > [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The goal of spiritual practice is full recovery, and the only thing you need to recover from is a fractured sense of self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-goal-of-spiritual-practice-is-full-recovery-and-the-only-thing/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [According to the best research, less than 3% of Americans have written goals, and less than 1% review and rewrite their goals on a daily basis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/according-to-the-best-research-less-than-3-of-americans-have-written/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [When you have accomplished your goal simply walk away. This is the path way to Heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/when-you-have-accomplished-your-goal-simply-walk-away-this-is-the/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [“my role my goal my dream my life not yours -all mine”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emi-sisk/my-role-my-goal-my-dream-my-life-not-yours-all-mine/) Emi Sisk > [Eugenic goals are most likely to be attained under another name than eugenics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-osborn/eugenic-goals-are-most-likely-to-be-attained-under-another-name-than/) [Frederick Osborn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-osborn/) > [The Only cure for nihilism is for liberal democratic societies - their electorates, their judiciary, and their political leadership- to insist that force is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/the-only-cure-for-nihilism-is-for-liberal-democratic-societies-their/) [Michael Ignatieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/) > [Everybody tries to score a great goal, and I am lucky I have netted a few.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zlatan-ibrahimovic/everybody-tries-to-score-a-great-goal-and-i-am-lucky-i-have-netted-a/) [Zlatan Ibrahimovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zlatan-ibrahimovic/) > [However, however, if the goal is to abandon America's free enterprise economy, if the goal is to convert America into a submissive member of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/however-however-if-the-goal-is-to-abandon-america-s-free-enterprise/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [If your only goal is to become rich, you will never achieve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-rockefeller/if-your-only-goal-is-to-become-rich-you-will-never-achieve-it/) [John D. Rockefeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-rockefeller/) > [When you look around the room during meetings and practice, you see that everyone has the same goal. It's obvious by the way that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kendricks/when-you-look-around-the-room-during-meetings-and-practice-you-see/) Eric Kendricks > [I like to wake up and just feel gratitude. Gratitude for waking up, for my health, for my kids, for my family. A lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-corcoran/i-like-to-wake-up-and-just-feel-gratitude-gratitude-for-waking-up-for/) [Barbara Corcoran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-corcoran/) > [“Dreams will come true as long as you give some effort towards your goal”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dayana/dreams-will-come-true-as-long-as-you-give-some-effort-towards-your/) Dayana > [“There are two kinds of people: goal-oriented and ego-oriented. Goal-oriented people work together and get things gone. Ego-oriented people don’t work.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charbel-tadros/there-are-two-kinds-of-people-goal-oriented-and-ego-oriented-goal/) [Charbel Tadros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charbel-tadros/) [Browse all 9,890 Goal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In striving towards your goal, you do not see many things that are under your nose.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Hermann Hesse" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/in-striving-towards-your-goal-you-do-not-see-many-things-that-are/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Goal" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/in-striving-towards-your-goal-you-do-not-see-many-things-that-are/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c62/hermann-hesse-130_goal_in-striving-towards-your-goal-you-do-not_1814063.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c62/hermann-hesse-130_goal_in-striving-towards-your-goal-you-do-not_1814063.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c62/hermann-hesse-130_goal_in-striving-towards-your-goal-you-do-not_1814063.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In striving towards your goal, you do not see many things that are under your nose.” — Hermann Hesse", "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": "Hermann Hesse", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "In striving towards your goal, you...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/in-striving-towards-your-goal-you-do-not-see-many-things-that-are/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/in-striving-towards-your-goal-you-do-not-see-many-things-that-are/#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 } } ] } ```