--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The problem with the rat race is that…" description: "\"“The problem with the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still a rat. —Lily Tomlin”\" — Idris Mootee" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06b/idris-mootee-78198_rat-race_the-problem-with-the-rat-race-is-that-ev_2990145.jpg" --- # The problem with the rat race is that even if you win… ![“The problem with the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still a rat. —Lily Tomlin” quote by Idris Mootee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06b/idris-mootee-78198_rat-race_the-problem-with-the-rat-race-is-that-ev_2990145.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06b/idris-mootee-78198_rat-race_the-problem-with-the-rat-race-is-that-ev_2990145.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06b/idris-mootee-78198_rat-race_the-problem-with-the-rat-race-is-that-ev_2990145.jpg) > ““The problem with the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still a rat. —Lily Tomlin”” [Idris Mootee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idris-mootee/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Winning the rat race still leaves you feeling trapped like a rat. **In simple terms:** Success can still feel imprisoning. Key Takeaway Seek freedom beyond competition. Themes competition success trapped identity rat race Mood critical contemplative Type Rat race:1 Lily Tomlin:0 Race Win:0 Problem Rat:0 Rat Lily:0 When to use this quote - career planning - personal fulfillment - social critique - well‑being Key Concepts sociology psychology culture Questions to Reflect On - What defines true success for you? - How can you avoid feeling trapped? A Different Perspective May misinterpret “rat” metaphor. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lily-tomlin/) [Problem Rat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem-rat-4693981/) [Race Win](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race-win-706699/) [Rat Lily](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rat-lily-4693982/) [Rat race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rat-race/) ## Related quotes > [“The problem with the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still a rat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/the-problem-with-the-rat-race-is-that-even-if-you-win-you-re-still-a/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [A lot of people live with no apparent means of support. I kind of envy the musicians up there. You're down here, busting your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-voss/a-lot-of-people-live-with-no-apparent-means-of-support-i-kind-of-envy/) [Kurt Voss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-voss/) > [The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you're still a rat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/the-trouble-with-the-rat-race-is-that-even-if-you-win-you-re-still-a/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [“The trouble with being in the rat race is that even if you win, you're still a rat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/the-trouble-with-being-in-the-rat-race-is-that-even-if-you-win-you-re/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [“I always wanted to be somebody, but I should have been more specific." Lily Tomlin”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-c-sheedy/i-always-wanted-to-be-somebody-but-i-should-have-been-more-specific/) [E.C. Sheedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-c-sheedy/) > [I was obsessed with Carol Burnett, Lily Tomlin; I watched 'Mama's Family' religiously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-rothwell/i-was-obsessed-with-carol-burnett-lily-tomlin-i-watched-mama-s-family/) [Natasha Rothwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-rothwell/) > [ If you watch \[The\] Search for Signs of Intelligent Life \[in the Universe\], or The Incredible Shrinking Woman, or 9 to 5, there is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/if-you-watch-the-search-for-signs-of-intelligent-life-in-the-universe/) [Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/) > [Whoopi Goldberg, Lily Tomlin, Julia Louis-Dreyfus - I put Issa Rae in that category of comic genius.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-ellis/whoopi-goldberg-lily-tomlin-julia-louis-dreyfus-i-put-issa-rae-in/) [Jay Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-ellis/) > [If I'd had any way of knowing that things were- as Lily Tomlin once said- going to get a whole lot worse before they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/if-i-d-had-any-way-of-knowing-that-things-were-as-lily-tomlin-once/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [I binge-watched this show Damages. Glenn Close and Rose Byrne are so good. Lily Tomlin is in it. You see all these great actors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winona-ryder/i-binge-watched-this-show-damages-glenn-close-and-rose-byrne-are-so/) [Winona Ryder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winona-ryder/) > [I was on a show called '12 Miles of Bad Road' with Lily Tomlin - it was an incredible HBO show. We shot 6…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliza-coupe/i-was-on-a-show-called-12-miles-of-bad-road-with-lily-tomlin-it-was/) [Eliza Coupe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliza-coupe/) > [Lily Tomlin...I used to watch reruns of Laugh-In and she was always my favorite part. She's this very unique talent and the way she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baron-vaughn/lily-tomlin-i-used-to-watch-reruns-of-laugh-in-and-she-was-always-my/) [Baron Vaughn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baron-vaughn/) > [Being around Lily Tomlin has been great, how she treats people, how she handles herself, how she goes about interpreting her character or deciding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baron-vaughn/being-around-lily-tomlin-has-been-great-how-she-treats-people-how-she/) [Baron Vaughn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baron-vaughn/) > [ I'm such a fan of Lily's \[Tomlin\], for so many years. I feel like Lily was the first popular mainstream crossover comedian who also… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/i-m-such-a-fan-of-lily-s-tomlin-for-so-many-years-i-feel-like-lily/) [Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/) > [Lily Tomlin, Judi Dench, Carol Burnett, Linda Emond, Meryl Streep, Janet Mctyre. I saw all these women on stage, and I experienced a feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-shor/lily-tomlin-judi-dench-carol-burnett-linda-emond-meryl-streep-janet/) [Miriam Shor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-shor/) ## More by Idris Mootee > [“Complexity is the prodigy of the world. Simplicity is the sensation of the universe. Behind complexity, there is always simplicity to be revealed. Inside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idris-mootee/complexity-is-the-prodigy-of-the-world-simplicity-is-the-sensation-of/) [Idris Mootee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idris-mootee/) [Explore all 2 Idris Mootee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idris-mootee/) ## More Rat race quotes > [How many years has it taken people to realize that we are all brothers and sisters and human beings in the human race? I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsha-p-johnson/how-many-years-has-it-taken-people-to-realize-that-we-are-all/) [Marsha P. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsha-p-johnson/) > [“Other people - store clerks, burger flippers, software engineers, the whole vocabulary of meaningless jobs that make up Life in America - other people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/other-people-store-clerks-burger-flippers-software-engineers-the/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Most psychotherapies are designed to patch up wounded people and then throw them back into the battle of oppositions. They guide people in how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-johnson/most-psychotherapies-are-designed-to-patch-up-wounded-people-and-then/) [Robert A. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-johnson/) > [I wouldn't mind the rat race - if the rats would lose once in a while.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-wilson/i-wouldn-t-mind-the-rat-race-if-the-rats-would-lose-once-in-a-while/) [Tom Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-wilson/) > [It may be that you will be happiest in the rat race; perhaps, like me, you are basically a rat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-koch/it-may-be-that-you-will-be-happiest-in-the-rat-race-perhaps-like-me/) [Richard Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-koch/) > [If one compares himself with others, he will always find himself in the rat race and time will be always running ahead of him](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/if-one-compares-himself-with-others-he-will-always-find-himself-in/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [Perfection is something we should all strive for. It's a duty and a joy to perfect one's nature... The most difficult thing is love.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/perfection-is-something-we-should-all-strive-for-it-s-a-duty-and-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Our everyday cares, making a living, the crazy rat race of life, often make us forget the value of a good deed. Thus, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shari-arison/our-everyday-cares-making-a-living-the-crazy-rat-race-of-life-often/) [Shari Arison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shari-arison/) > [“Don’t just make statements. Just look. There are two million years of inheritance, thousands and thousands of experiences, impressions, conditions, knowledge. All that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/don-t-just-make-statements-just-look-there-are-two-million-years-of/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [The really important kind of freedom involves attention and awareness and discipline, and being able truly to care about other people and to sacrifice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-really-important-kind-of-freedom-involves-attention-and-awareness/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I do not want to be a part of Hindi cinema's rat race. But yes, if I get offers and characters which I feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prosenjit-chatterjee/i-do-not-want-to-be-a-part-of-hindi-cinema-s-rat-race-but-yes-if-i/) [Prosenjit Chatterjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prosenjit-chatterjee/) > [I don't want to be in any rat race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/poonam-dhillon/i-don-t-want-to-be-in-any-rat-race/) [Poonam Dhillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/poonam-dhillon/) > [I just don't want to participate in the rat race of streaming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pokimane/i-just-don-t-want-to-participate-in-the-rat-race-of-streaming/) [Pokimane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pokimane/) > [It's not about being a sex prostitute. It's about this power play in the war of the sexes. It's a rat race, like, "I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lykke-li/it-s-not-about-being-a-sex-prostitute-it-s-about-this-power-play-in/) [Lykke Li](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lykke-li/) > [I don't care about the rat race. I am satisfied with my legacy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjay-mishra/i-don-t-care-about-the-rat-race-i-am-satisfied-with-my-legacy/) [Sanjay Mishra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjay-mishra/) [Browse all 131 Rat race quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rat-race/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The problem with the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still a rat. —Lily Tomlin”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Idris Mootee" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idris-mootee/the-problem-with-the-rat-race-is-that-even-if-you-win-you-re-still-a-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Rat race" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idris-mootee/the-problem-with-the-rat-race-is-that-even-if-you-win-you-re-still-a-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06b/idris-mootee-78198_rat-race_the-problem-with-the-rat-race-is-that-ev_2990145.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06b/idris-mootee-78198_rat-race_the-problem-with-the-rat-race-is-that-ev_2990145.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06b/idris-mootee-78198_rat-race_the-problem-with-the-rat-race-is-that-ev_2990145.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The problem with the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still a rat. —Lily Tomlin” — Idris Mootee", "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": "Idris Mootee", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idris-mootee/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The problem with the rat race...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idris-mootee/the-problem-with-the-rat-race-is-that-even-if-you-win-you-re-still-a-2/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idris-mootee/the-problem-with-the-rat-race-is-that-even-if-you-win-you-re-still-a-2/#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 } } ] } ```