---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The less seriously you take yourself, the…"
description: "\"The less seriously you take yourself, the better work you're going to do.\" — James Van Der Beek"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca1/james-van-der-beek-14237_better_the-less-seriously-you-take-yourself-the_301098.png"
---

#  The less seriously you take yourself, the better work…

![“The less seriously you take yourself, the better work you're going to do.” quote by James Van Der Beek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca1/james-van-der-beek-14237_better_the-less-seriously-you-take-yourself-the_301098.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca1/james-van-der-beek-14237_better_the-less-seriously-you-take-yourself-the_301098.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca1/james-van-der-beek-14237_better_the-less-seriously-you-take-yourself-the_301098.png)

> “The less seriously you take yourself, the better work you're going to do.”

[James Van Der Beek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-van-der-beek/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Humility reduces self‑imposed pressure, allowing creativity and productivity to flow more freely.

**In simple terms:** Don’t take yourself too seriously.

Key Takeaway

Embrace humility to improve work.

Themes

self‑esteem creativity productivity

Mood

lighthearted reflective

Type

inspirational practical

When to use this quote

- creative projects
- public speaking
- team collaboration

Key Concepts

psychology of performance mindset ego management

Questions to Reflect On

- How does humor affect your work environment?
- Can you balance confidence with humility?

A Different Perspective

Humor can be misinterpreted as lack of seriousness.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/)

## Related quotes

> [Life is lived only once. And the less seriously the better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bowles/life-is-lived-only-once-and-the-less-seriously-the-better/)

[Paul Bowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bowles/)

> [Ultimately, the less I know about what I'm doing, the better the work is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/ultimately-the-less-i-know-about-what-i-m-doing-the-better-the-work-is/)

[Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/)

> [Buffalo rib-eye steaks, on the grill, is my favorite meal, seriously. It has less fat, more vitamins and more protein than beef. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/buffalo-rib-eye-steaks-on-the-grill-is-my-favorite-meal-seriously-it/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I have so many projects to work on I'm going to have to live to at least 120 to get some of them done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-white/i-have-so-many-projects-to-work-on-i-m-going-to-have-to-live-to-at/)

[Jack White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-white/)

> [“The secret of success is not on sitting on a chair and ordering for work to be done but going out and getting it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-abraham/the-secret-of-success-is-not-on-sitting-on-a-chair-and-ordering-for/)

[Amit Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-abraham/)

> [“If I don't know where I am, how can I work out where I'm going?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-a-perkins/if-i-don-t-know-where-i-am-how-can-i-work-out-where-i-m-going/)

[K A Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-a-perkins/)

> [We have to take care of our people. That's our work now. And it's going to be a lot harder than it would have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-mock/we-have-to-take-care-of-our-people-that-s-our-work-now-and-it-s-going/)

[Janet Mock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-mock/)

> [Stay as connected as you can. Sometimes that means you're going to do a job that may not pay you much but may give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-stokes-mitchell/stay-as-connected-as-you-can-sometimes-that-means-you-re-going-to-do/)

[Brian Stokes Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-stokes-mitchell/)

> [Make no mistake, you would prefer to work for someone who is going to put their arm around you at times and lift you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-pearce/make-no-mistake-you-would-prefer-to-work-for-someone-who-is-going-to/)

[Stuart Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-pearce/)

> [Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/your-work-is-going-to-fill-a-large-part-of-your-life-and-the-only-way/)

[Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/)

> [“Choose a job you love, Your work is going to fill a large part of your life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napz-cherub-pellazo/choose-a-job-you-love-your-work-is-going-to-fill-a-large-part-of-your/)

[Napz Cherub Pellazo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napz-cherub-pellazo/)

> [And to get the work done that I must do, one has to work in isolation and not be readily disturbed... I don't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reg-butler/and-to-get-the-work-done-that-i-must-do-one-has-to-work-in-isolation/)

Reg Butler

> [I think a lot of the work I've done and a lot of the work I'm going to do in the future still ties…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-van-agtmael/i-think-a-lot-of-the-work-i-ve-done-and-a-lot-of-the-work-i-m-going/)

[Peter van Agtmael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-van-agtmael/)

> [I have always believed in the fact that it's your work that is going to figure out things for you. As long as you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barun-sobti/i-have-always-believed-in-the-fact-that-it-s-your-work-that-is-going/)

[Barun Sobti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barun-sobti/)

> [Spring work is going on with joyful enthusiasm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/spring-work-is-going-on-with-joyful-enthusiasm/)

[John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/)

## More by James Van Der Beek

> [You get a script and you love it. You find a director that you trust, and it becomes all about how do I commit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-van-der-beek/you-get-a-script-and-you-love-it-you-find-a-director-that-you-trust/)

[James Van Der Beek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-van-der-beek/)

> [You can't really pretend something is rosier than it is and expect people to buy it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-van-der-beek/you-can-t-really-pretend-something-is-rosier-than-it-is-and-expect/)

[James Van Der Beek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-van-der-beek/)

> [I have a gut reaction to stuff that I read. Either it's a filmmaker that I really want to work with, or it's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-van-der-beek/i-have-a-gut-reaction-to-stuff-that-i-read-either-it-s-a-filmmaker/)

[James Van Der Beek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-van-der-beek/)

> [The more you make fun of yourself and don't try to go for any kind of respect, the more people seem to respect you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-van-der-beek/the-more-you-make-fun-of-yourself-and-don-t-try-to-go-for-any-kind-of/)

[James Van Der Beek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-van-der-beek/)

> [Had my first son this morning... well, actually, my wife had him. I just caught him. Wo. Heart expanding way faster than my brain...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-van-der-beek/had-my-first-son-this-morning-well-actually-my-wife-had-him-i-just/)

[James Van Der Beek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-van-der-beek/)

> [I love sports and I love sports movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-van-der-beek/i-love-sports-and-i-love-sports-movies/)

[James Van Der Beek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-van-der-beek/)

> [I was dyslexic, so math and formulas were not necessarily my strong suit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-van-der-beek/i-was-dyslexic-so-math-and-formulas-were-not-necessarily-my-strong/)

[James Van Der Beek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-van-der-beek/)

> [Ultimately, I'd love to be able to work in film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-van-der-beek/ultimately-i-d-love-to-be-able-to-work-in-film/)

[James Van Der Beek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-van-der-beek/)

> [The film business has changed and society has changed. I started acting before the internet, which is insane to say. That makes me sound…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-van-der-beek/the-film-business-has-changed-and-society-has-changed-i-started/)

[James Van Der Beek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-van-der-beek/)

> [Eventually, I think I may end up directing. It would have to be the project where I think that I'm the person to direct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-van-der-beek/eventually-i-think-i-may-end-up-directing-it-would-have-to-be-the/)

[James Van Der Beek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-van-der-beek/)

> [I've only dyed my hair blond once, after 'Varsity Blues.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-van-der-beek/i-ve-only-dyed-my-hair-blond-once-after-varsity-blues/)

[James Van Der Beek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-van-der-beek/)

> [I remember one day during my freshman year of high school, when as usual I was obsessively listening to a cast recording: it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-van-der-beek/i-remember-one-day-during-my-freshman-year-of-high-school-when-as/)

[James Van Der Beek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-van-der-beek/)

> [If a rumor comes out that I'm gay, I could care less. There are so many worse things that they could be saying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-van-der-beek/if-a-rumor-comes-out-that-i-m-gay-i-could-care-less-there-are-so-many/)

[James Van Der Beek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-van-der-beek/)

> [I figure if you talk about it once, then that's an open invitation for everyone to dig into your personal life even further. So,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-van-der-beek/i-figure-if-you-talk-about-it-once-then-that-s-an-open-invitation-for/)

[James Van Der Beek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-van-der-beek/)

> [I've never really had a problem with the imagination level of an audience. They're always smarter and savvier than any studio exec will give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-van-der-beek/i-ve-never-really-had-a-problem-with-the-imagination-level-of-an/)

[James Van Der Beek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-van-der-beek/)

[Explore all 47 James Van Der Beek quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-van-der-beek/)

## More Better quotes

> [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/)

[Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/)

> [Everybody has their cliques, and I was very shy. I'm still very shy. Music opened up doors. I would get to my choir class,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-fonsi/everybody-has-their-cliques-and-i-was-very-shy-i-m-still-very-shy/)

[Luis Fonsi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-fonsi/)

> [You can't force people to feel in a certain way, and the sooner you understand that,the better. I feel everything has its way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidharth-malhotra/you-can-t-force-people-to-feel-in-a-certain-way-and-the-sooner-you/)

[Sidharth Malhotra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidharth-malhotra/)

> [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/)

[Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/)

> [The bigger the canvas, the better I do. I'm not so good at understated, kitchen-sink kinds of parts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/the-bigger-the-canvas-the-better-i-do-i-m-not-so-good-at-understated/)

[Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/)

> [The Little you Give !! The Better it Gets !!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-stanyer/the-little-you-give-the-better-it-gets/)

[Mario Stanyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-stanyer/)

> [A strong, durable Puerto Rican economy will leave the island better prepared to handle future natural disasters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-campos-duffy/a-strong-durable-puerto-rican-economy-will-leave-the-island-better/)

[Rachel Campos-Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-campos-duffy/)

> [In my first 100 days as Ontario's Minister of Transportation, I found a willing municipal partner in the City of Toronto that shares our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-mulroney/in-my-first-100-days-as-ontario-s-minister-of-transportation-i-found/)

[Caroline Mulroney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-mulroney/)

> [It hasn't been a conscious thing, like, 'I don't want to listen to a bunch of dudes,' but I genuinely like music by women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soccer-mommy/it-hasn-t-been-a-conscious-thing-like-i-don-t-want-to-listen-to-a/)

[Soccer Mommy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soccer-mommy/)

> [Life is going to hit you some line drives, and sometimes you'll have to think fast. However, it's better to think first than to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bytheway/life-is-going-to-hit-you-some-line-drives-and-sometimes-you-ll-have/)

[John Bytheway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bytheway/)

> [I like to collaborate with other people for studio recordings because I believe collaboration, in any form, makes music better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-barlow/i-like-to-collaborate-with-other-people-for-studio-recordings-because/)

[Lou Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-barlow/)

> [Absolutely, you can improve and become better at toughness. It's a talent, but it can be acquired, too. I think of it like building…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-harbaugh/absolutely-you-can-improve-and-become-better-at-toughness-it-s-a/)

[Jim Harbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-harbaugh/)

> [Not having drops and not taking plays off, if I do that it will make everyone around me better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demaryius-thomas/not-having-drops-and-not-taking-plays-off-if-i-do-that-it-will-make/)

[Demaryius Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demaryius-thomas/)

> [Cara Delevingne and I took an eyebrow selfie. We both have prominent eyebrows, but hers are much better than mine. Maybe we should do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-poulter/cara-delevingne-and-i-took-an-eyebrow-selfie-we-both-have-prominent/)

[Will Poulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-poulter/)

> [I never really look at it past one year. I look at last year and my whole goal is to be a better player…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-williams/i-never-really-look-at-it-past-one-year-i-look-at-last-year-and-my/)

[Trent Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trent-williams/)

Browse all 17,085 Better quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The less seriously you take yourself, the better work you're going to do.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "James Van Der Beek"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-van-der-beek/the-less-seriously-you-take-yourself-the-better-work-you-re-going-to/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Better"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-van-der-beek/the-less-seriously-you-take-yourself-the-better-work-you-re-going-to/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca1/james-van-der-beek-14237_better_the-less-seriously-you-take-yourself-the_301098.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca1/james-van-der-beek-14237_better_the-less-seriously-you-take-yourself-the_301098.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca1/james-van-der-beek-14237_better_the-less-seriously-you-take-yourself-the_301098.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The less seriously you take yourself, the better work you're going to do.” — James Van Der Beek",
                "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": "James Van Der Beek",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-van-der-beek/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The less seriously you take yourself,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-van-der-beek/the-less-seriously-you-take-yourself-the-better-work-you-re-going-to/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-van-der-beek/the-less-seriously-you-take-yourself-the-better-work-you-re-going-to/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
