--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Learn what is to be taken seriously and…" description: "\"Learn what is to be taken seriously and laugh at the rest. Hermann Hesse\" — Hermann Hesse" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d18/hermann-hesse-130_advice_learn-what-is-to-be-taken-seriously-and_1087973.png" --- # Learn what is to be taken seriously and laugh at the rest… ![“Learn what is to be taken seriously and laugh at the rest. Hermann Hesse” quote by Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d18/hermann-hesse-130_advice_learn-what-is-to-be-taken-seriously-and_1087973.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d18/hermann-hesse-130_advice_learn-what-is-to-be-taken-seriously-and_1087973.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d18/hermann-hesse-130_advice_learn-what-is-to-be-taken-seriously-and_1087973.png) > “Learn what is to be taken seriously and laugh at the rest. Hermann Hesse” [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. He advises distinguishing serious matters from trivial ones, encouraging a light‑hearted approach to the non‑essential. **In simple terms:** Take seriously what matters, laugh at the rest. Key Takeaway Prioritize significance, release trivial concerns. Themes prioritization humor philosophy Mood reflective lighthearted Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - making life decisions - managing stress - creative brainstorming Key Concepts seriousness light‑heartedness focus Questions to Reflect On - What do you consider truly serious? - How can humor aid coping? A Different Perspective Over‑emphasis on humor may downplay genuine issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advice/) [Common sense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common-sense/) [Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hesse/) [Laugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laugh/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [“Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-s-sharma/siddhartha-by-hermann-hesse/) [Robin S. Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-s-sharma/) > [Learn what is to be taken seriously and laugh at the rest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/learn-what-is-to-be-taken-seriously-and-laugh-at-the-rest/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm a very serious person, but I don't take myself very seriously and I would rather laugh all day than argue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stone-cold-steve-austin/i-m-a-very-serious-person-but-i-don-t-take-myself-very-seriously-and/) [Stone Cold Steve Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stone-cold-steve-austin/) > [“And they didn't like to pay with trust and love, but rather with money and goods. They betrayed each other and expected being betrayed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/and-they-didn-t-like-to-pay-with-trust-and-love-but-rather-with-money/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [“Quien no lleva dentro un lobo no tiene por eso que ser feliz tampoco.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/quien-no-lleva-dentro-un-lobo-no-tiene-por-eso-que-ser-feliz-tampoco/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [“But there is one thing which these so clear, these so venerable teachings do not contain: they do not contain the mystery of what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/but-there-is-one-thing-which-these-so-clear-these-so-venerable/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [“Samoća je neovisnost, nju sam priželjkivao i godinama je nastojao izboriti. Bila je hladna, oh da, ali je bila i tiha, divno tiha i…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/samo-a-je-neovisnost-nju-sam-pri-eljkivao-i-godinama-je-nastojao/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [“For it cannot be denied that all over the world and in all ages there are beings who are perceived to be extraordinary, charming,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/for-it-cannot-be-denied-that-all-over-the-world-and-in-all-ages-there/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [“Stages As every flower fades and as all youth Departs, so life at every stage, So every virtue, so our grasp of truth, Blooms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/stages-as-every-flower-fades-and-as-all-youth-departs-so-life-at/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [“He sat thus, lost in meditation, thinking Om, his soul as the arrow directed at Brahman.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/he-sat-thus-lost-in-meditation-thinking-om-his-soul-as-the-arrow/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [“What is meditation? What is leaving one's body? What is fasting? What is holding one's breath? It is fleeing from the self, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/what-is-meditation-what-is-leaving-one-s-body-what-is-fasting-what-is/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [I don't take myself or the species too seriously. You have to laugh at everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ardal-o-hanlon/i-don-t-take-myself-or-the-species-too-seriously-you-have-to-laugh-at/) [Ardal O'Hanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ardal-o-hanlon/) > [You must learn to take life less seriously and to laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maharishi-mahesh-yogi/you-must-learn-to-take-life-less-seriously-and-to-laugh/) [Maharishi Mahesh Yogi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maharishi-mahesh-yogi/) > [My advice is: Don't take yourself too seriously, laugh a lot, enjoy your time with family, and appreciate the unique talents of others. Trust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-robertson/my-advice-is-don-t-take-yourself-too-seriously-laugh-a-lot-enjoy-your-2/) [Willie Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-robertson/) > [I take life very seriously. I can laugh at it, because what else can you do? But it's a hard daily battle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-townsend/i-take-life-very-seriously-i-can-laugh-at-it-because-what-else-can/) [Sue Townsend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-townsend/) ## 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. 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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 Advice quotes > [The sensible person is always serious about sensible advice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/the-sensible-person-is-always-serious-about-sensible-advice/) Mak\_786 > [I ask for tips, for advice. 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I think that you really ought to listen to the critics, because sometimes they're telling you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-worst-advice-don-t-listen-to-the-critics-i-think-that-you-really/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [When I was in my twenties and just so sexually prolific, the first time I went to Machu Picchu, this guy, a spiritual teacher,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-harrelson/when-i-was-in-my-twenties-and-just-so-sexually-prolific-the-first/) [Woody Harrelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-harrelson/) > [The best way to succeed in this world is to act on the advice you give to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/the-best-way-to-succeed-in-this-world-is-to-act-on-the-advice-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [Time is priceless. You have it, but you don't own it. You spend it, but you can't keep it. And once it's gone, there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/time-is-priceless-you-have-it-but-you-don-t-own-it-you-spend-it-but/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You don't need to take a persons advice to make him feel good, just ask him for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/you-don-t-need-to-take-a-persons-advice-to-make-him-feel-good-just/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [Some of the things that we hold onto the most, are the things that we need to let go of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryaj-ablando-catayas/some-of-the-things-that-we-hold-onto-the-most-are-the-things-that-we/) [Ryaj Ablando Catayas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryaj-ablando-catayas/) > [“If your clothes are enough to drive would-be friends away, they're not the kind of friends you want." Typical mother advice. 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