--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I am not desperate, I am worthless." description: "\"When I am not desperate, I am worthless.\" — Ivo Andric" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/570/ivo-andri-2481_desperate_when-i-am-not-desperate-i-am-worthless-3_382890.png" --- # When I am not desperate, I am worthless. ![“When I am not desperate, I am worthless.” quote by Ivo Andric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/570/ivo-andri-2481_desperate_when-i-am-not-desperate-i-am-worthless-3_382890.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/570/ivo-andri-2481_desperate_when-i-am-not-desperate-i-am-worthless-3_382890.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/570/ivo-andri-2481_desperate_when-i-am-not-desperate-i-am-worthless-3_382890.png) > “When I am not desperate, I am worthless.” [Ivo Andric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivo-andri/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Desperation fuels purpose; without it, one feels empty and lacking value. **In simple terms:** Desperation gives meaning. Key Takeaway Find purposeful drive. Themes motivation desperation self-worth purpose Mood thoughtful introspective Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career crises - personal setbacks - creative blocks Key Concepts existential psychology drive Questions to Reflect On - What drives you beyond desperation? - How can you create purpose without crisis? A Different Perspective Desperation can be unhealthy if chronic. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Desperate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desperate/) [Desperate Worthless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desperate-worthless-3470212/) [Worthless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worthless/) ## Related quotes > [How could you feel worthless when God has honoured you by creating you and choosing you to be with Him, in this life and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-mogahed/how-could-you-feel-worthless-when-god-has-honoured-you-by-creating/) [Yasmin Mogahed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-mogahed/) > [Know - how is worthless unless guided by know - why and know - when.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andreas-feininger/know-how-is-worthless-unless-guided-by-know-why-and-know-when/) [Andreas Feininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andreas-feininger/) > [Ideas are worthless, execution is everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/ideas-are-worthless-execution-is-everything/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [“If life was worthless, what was death?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/if-life-was-worthless-what-was-death/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [Freinds are like pennies. . . two face +worthless!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/freinds-are-like-pennies-two-face-worthless/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In the eyes of those lovers of perfection, a work is never finished a word that for them has no sense but abandoned; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-valery/in-the-eyes-of-those-lovers-of-perfection-a-work-is-never-finished-a/) [Paul Valery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-valery/) > [Science and art may invent splendid modes of illuminating the apartments of the opulent; but these are all poor and worthless compared with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ellery-channing/science-and-art-may-invent-splendid-modes-of-illuminating-the/) [William Ellery Channing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ellery-channing/) > [Worthless people blame their karma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burmese-proverb/worthless-people-blame-their-karma/) [Burmese Proverb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burmese-proverb/) > [There is some lack either of sense or of character in one who becomes involved in difficulties with the worthless or the vicious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lancaster-spalding/there-is-some-lack-either-of-sense-or-of-character-in-one-who-becomes/) [John Lancaster Spalding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lancaster-spalding/) > [RUBBISH, n. Worthless matter, such as the religions, philosophies, literatures, arts and sciences of the tribes infesting the regions lying due south from Boreaplas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/rubbish-n-worthless-matter-such-as-the-religions-philosophies/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [He gives only the worthless gold who gives from a sense of duty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/he-gives-only-the-worthless-gold-who-gives-from-a-sense-of-duty/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) > [There's nothing valuable about being ripped off or sold on a worthless degree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-cardona/there-s-nothing-valuable-about-being-ripped-off-or-sold-on-a/) [Miguel Cardona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-cardona/) > [It is easy enough to say that man is immortal simply because he will endure: that when the last ding-dong of doom has clanged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/it-is-easy-enough-to-say-that-man-is-immortal-simply-because-he-will/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [Grow up? Get herself straightened out? Her mind reeled from the verbal battering. No matter what she did, her father would tell her she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dekker/grow-up-get-herself-straightened-out-her-mind-reeled-from-the-verbal/) [Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/) > [Nothing and no one in the world is valuable or worthless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/nothing-and-no-one-in-the-world-is-valuable-or-worthless/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) ## More by Ivo Andric > [“Teško je zamisliti varoš sa manje novca i slabijim izvorima zarade a sa većom žeđi za novcem, sa manje volje za radom i veštine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivo-andri/te-ko-je-zamisliti-varo-sa-manje-novca-i-slabijim-izvorima-zarade-a/) [Ivo Andrić](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivo-andri/) > [“U mraku vidim kako ti oči sjaju, a kad nam se lica dotaknu i tvoj dah ukrsti sa mojim, ja osetim sve godine naše…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivo-andri/u-mraku-vidim-kako-ti-o-i-sjaju-a-kad-nam-se-lica-dotaknu-i-tvoj-dah/) [Ivo Andrić](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivo-andri/) > [“Neka ti nije žao rad samoće i šutnje što je oko tebe. Možda udes dobro misli s tobom, možda je to stara nečija molitva…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivo-andri/neka-ti-nije-ao-rad-samo-e-i-utnje-to-je-oko-tebe-mo-da-udes-dobro/) [Ivo Andrić](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivo-andri/) > [Between the fear that something would happen and the hope that still it wouldn't, there is much more space than one thinks. On that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivo-andri/between-the-fear-that-something-would-happen-and-the-hope-that-still/) [Ivo Andric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivo-andri/) > [“Vreme muči i zamara samo one koji žive zauzeti jedino ništavnim brigama o svojoj ličnosti i svojim uživanjima, ali ono je kratko i neosetno…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivo-andri/vreme-mu-i-i-zamara-samo-one-koji-ive-zauzeti-jedino-ni-tavnim/) [Ivo Andrić](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivo-andri/) > [“Sve je u meni mrtvo; tako mi je dobro. Ne dopire do mene zvuk, umro mi je ocinji vid. Sve je ostalo za velikom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivo-andri/sve-je-u-meni-mrtvo-tako-mi-je-dobro-ne-dopire-do-mene-zvuk-umro-mi/) [Ivo Andrić](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivo-andri/) > [“He never even felt how countless petty circumstances were fusing together to create an imperceptible but powerful stream that would carry him back into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivo-andri/he-never-even-felt-how-countless-petty-circumstances-were-fusing/) [Ivo Andrić](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivo-andri/) > [“Men who do not work themselves and who undertake nothing in their lives easily loose patience and fall into error when judging the work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivo-andri/men-who-do-not-work-themselves-and-who-undertake-nothing-in-their/) [Ivo Andrić](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivo-andri/) > [“U nas se mnogo ljudi zale na ,,sredinu",i ne bez razloga,ali se zale toliki i tako mnogo i cesto,da je rec ,,sredina" pocela da…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivo-andri/u-nas-se-mnogo-ljudi-zale-na-sredinu-i-ne-bez-razloga-ali-se-zale/) [Ivo Andrić](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivo-andri/) > [What doesn't hurt - is not life; what doesn't pass - is not happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivo-andri/what-doesn-t-hurt-is-not-life-what-doesn-t-pass-is-not-happiness/) [Ivo Andric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivo-andri/) > [“Ja, covjek nestalna srca koji živim bez mira i radosti; gorak život o tudjem hljebu, nemirne prošlosti, pune lutanja, nesnalaženja i stradanja, nestalne, teške…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivo-andri/ja-covjek-nestalna-srca-koji-ivim-bez-mira-i-radosti-gorak-ivot-o/) [Ivo Andrić](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivo-andri/) > [“... u krvi im je saznanje da se pravi život sastoji od samih zatišja i da bi ludo i uzaludno bilo mutiti ta retka…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivo-andri/u-krvi-im-je-saznanje-da-se-pravi-ivot-sastoji-od-samih-zati-ja-i-da/) [Ivo Andrić](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivo-andri/) > [“Kad bi se sakupila i ujedno sabrala lična osećanja gneva, protesta, gađenja i ogorčenja sa kojima su ljudi pojedinci umrli, uzalud dozivajući pravdu i…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivo-andri/kad-bi-se-sakupila-i-ujedno-sabrala-li-na-ose-anja-gneva-protesta-ga/) [Ivo Andrić](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivo-andri/) > [“Postoje ljudi, koji ti za pet minuta pokvare cijeli dan, a postoje i oni s kojima provedeš minut, a poželiš da traje vječno.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivo-andri/postoje-ljudi-koji-ti-za-pet-minuta-pokvare-cijeli-dan-a-postoje-i/) [Ivo Andrić](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivo-andri/) > [“Kud sam ja sve lutao? Kud su padale moje teznje, koliko posrtao, koliko bludio u mislima i grijesio u zivotu! - Kako da vam…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivo-andri/kud-sam-ja-sve-lutao-kud-su-padale-moje-teznje-koliko-posrtao-koliko/) [Ivo Andrić](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivo-andri/) [Explore all 145 Ivo Andric quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivo-andri/) ## More Desperate quotes > [Marriage is a desperate thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-selden/marriage-is-a-desperate-thing/) [John Selden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-selden/) > [“I was ambitious and desperate to direct my first film, so I capitulated and blew it. Never again. Never fucking again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-ferguson/i-was-ambitious-and-desperate-to-direct-my-first-film-so-i/) [Craig Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-ferguson/) > [“I am a desperate romantic. I love the idea of random collisions of the heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-thompson/i-am-a-desperate-romantic-i-love-the-idea-of-random-collisions-of-the/) [Jessica Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-thompson/) > [Worship isn't destructive, Martin. I know that. I don't. I only know it's the core of his life. What else has he got? He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-shaffer/worship-isn-t-destructive-martin-i-know-that-i-don-t-i-only-know-it-s/) [Peter Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-shaffer/) > [“Really? I'm trying to place you. It seems like we've met before." Did I just issue him a pick up line? Fantastic, I've now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-mcguire/really-i-m-trying-to-place-you-it-seems-like-we-ve-met-before-did-i/) [Jamie McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-mcguire/) > [Never be desperate. Get rid of your insecurities. Know your worth. Believe in yourself and go get what you want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/never-be-desperate-get-rid-of-your-insecurities-know-your-worth/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“She was stupid and lonely. So desperate to be touched and loved with a good love. I need you, don't leave me, you're all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucian-bane/she-was-stupid-and-lonely-so-desperate-to-be-touched-and-loved-with-a/) [Lucian Bane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucian-bane/) > [You mostly know that you want to be funny, know that you have the desire. It's not like people who grow up beautiful and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/you-mostly-know-that-you-want-to-be-funny-know-that-you-have-the/) [Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/) > [I had to smile when stories emerged questioning whether I was gay. Obviously I knew I wasn't but people were curiously desperate to suggest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-radcliffe/i-had-to-smile-when-stories-emerged-questioning-whether-i-was-gay/) [Daniel Radcliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-radcliffe/) > [The World Health Organisation has a lot of its medical experts sitting in Geneva while hospitals in Africa have no drugs and desperate patients…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-hanson/the-world-health-organisation-has-a-lot-of-its-medical-experts/) [Pauline Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-hanson/) > [There, in the center of that silence was not eternity but the death of time and a loneliness so profound the word itself had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/there-in-the-center-of-that-silence-was-not-eternity-but-the-death-of/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [I know it's a film and all of that, and it's a Hollywood film, but it kind of feels like this sometimes, when you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-marber/i-know-it-s-a-film-and-all-of-that-and-it-s-a-hollywood-film-but-it/) [Patrick Marber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-marber/) > [“you think I"m that desperate?" "The raging hard-on jabbing at me says yes." ~Creed/Annika”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-croft/you-think-i-m-that-desperate-the-raging-hard-on-jabbing-at-me-says/) [Sydney Croft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-croft/) > [Along with a livable wage, many parents are desperate for quality affordable child care.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-gillibrand/along-with-a-livable-wage-many-parents-are-desperate-for-quality/) [Kirsten Gillibrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsten-gillibrand/) > [As a player, if a club is desperate to sign you, then you can benefit from that. Desperate clubs are prepared to pay more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diego-forlan/as-a-player-if-a-club-is-desperate-to-sign-you-then-you-can-benefit/) [Diego Forlan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diego-forlan/) [Browse all 1,618 Desperate quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desperate/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I am not desperate, I am worthless.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ivo Andric" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivo-andri/when-i-am-not-desperate-i-am-worthless/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Desperate" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivo-andri/when-i-am-not-desperate-i-am-worthless/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/570/ivo-andri-2481_desperate_when-i-am-not-desperate-i-am-worthless-3_382890.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/570/ivo-andri-2481_desperate_when-i-am-not-desperate-i-am-worthless-3_382890.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/570/ivo-andri-2481_desperate_when-i-am-not-desperate-i-am-worthless-3_382890.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I am not desperate, I am worthless.” — Ivo Andric", "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": "Ivo Andric", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivo-andri/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When I am not desperate, I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivo-andri/when-i-am-not-desperate-i-am-worthless/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivo-andri/when-i-am-not-desperate-i-am-worthless/#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 } } ] } ```