--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Seek for no meaning in it; it has none…" description: "\"“Seek for no meaning in it; it has none. What meaning is there in pain and pleasure? They are twins; that is all we know. Seek no meaning in anything y..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e9/john-davidson-29855_intention_seek-for-no-meaning-in-it-it-has-none-wh_2784529.jpg" --- # Seek for no meaning in it; it has none. What meaning is… ![“Seek for no meaning in it; it has none. What meaning is there in pain and pleasure? They are twins; that is all we know. Seek no meaning in anything you see here. Images, ideas, flashes of purpose will peer out in all our ways and deeds, but there is no intention here below. Is there any intention…” quote by John Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e9/john-davidson-29855_intention_seek-for-no-meaning-in-it-it-has-none-wh_2784529.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e9/john-davidson-29855_intention_seek-for-no-meaning-in-it-it-has-none-wh_2784529.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e9/john-davidson-29855_intention_seek-for-no-meaning-in-it-it-has-none-wh_2784529.jpg) > ““Seek for no meaning in it; it has none. What meaning is there in pain and pleasure? They are twins; that is all we know. Seek no meaning in anything you see here. Images, ideas, flashes of purpose will peer out in all our ways and deeds, but there is no intention here below. Is there any intention anywhere?”” [John Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-davidson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life lacks inherent meaning; pain and pleasure are twin experiences without purpose. **In simple terms:** Life has no built‑in purpose. Key Takeaway Accept meaninglessness and focus on experience. Themes existentialism meaninglessness dualism Mood reflective melancholic Type philosophical poetic When to use this quote - personal growth - artistic creation - mindfulness - spiritual inquiry Key Concepts philosophy psychology Questions to Reflect On - Do you create your own meaning? - How do you handle suffering without purpose? A Different Perspective Some find meaning through personal narratives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Intention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intention/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) [Pain and pleasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain-and-pleasure/) [Pleasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasure/) [Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose/) ## Related quotes > [It is not peace we seek but meaning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-durrell/it-is-not-peace-we-seek-but-meaning/) [Lawrence Durrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-durrell/) > [“We do not create meaning out of a text; rather, we seek to find the meaning that is already there.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-scott-duvall/we-do-not-create-meaning-out-of-a-text-rather-we-seek-to-find-the/) J. Scott Duvall > [“misery, though seemingly ridiculous, indicates life itself has the potential of meaning, and therefore pain itself must also have meaning.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/misery-though-seemingly-ridiculous-indicates-life-itself-has-the/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [Everyone thinks that pain is physical, but the true meaning of pain is having your heart ripped out of your chest, piece by piece…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan/everyone-thinks-that-pain-is-physical-but-the-true-meaning-of-pain-is/) [Nathan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan/) > [I think about the meaning of pain. Pain is personal. It really belongs to the one feeling it. Probably the only thing that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/i-think-about-the-meaning-of-pain-pain-is-personal-it-really-belongs/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [“Tears are one of the most meaningful liquid. Wanna know why? Because out of many liquid here in the world, only tears can explain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emeley-b-bello/tears-are-one-of-the-most-meaningful-liquid-wanna-know-why-because/) Emeley B. Bello > [Tears are one of the most costly liquid ; Do u know why? Because out of many liquids here in the world only tears…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/tears-are-one-of-the-most-costly-liquid-do-u-know-why-because-out-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Tears are one of the most meaningful liquids, because out of the many liquids in the world, only tears can explain the real meaning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/tears-are-one-of-the-most-meaningful-liquids-because-out-of-the-many/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [The first person, who teaches you, the meaning of love will also be The first person, who teaches you, the meaning of pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ananditha-krishna/the-first-person-who-teaches-you-the-meaning-of-love-will-also-be-the/) [Ananditha Krishna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ananditha-krishna/) > [The first person who teach you the meaning of the verb Love, will also be the first person who teaches you the meaning of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-first-person-who-teach-you-the-meaning-of-the-verb-love-will-also/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The meaning of pain is different for different people ... It depends on their age, their experience and their knowledge. But the intensity of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shreyas-tripathy/the-meaning-of-pain-is-different-for-different-people-it-depends-on/) Shreyas Tripathy > [Tears are one of the most meaningful liquids, know why? Cause out of many liquids here in the world, only tears can explain the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/tears-are-one-of-the-most-meaningful-liquids-know-why-cause-out-of/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [You are free to give life meaning, whatever meaning you want to give it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fulghum/you-are-free-to-give-life-meaning-whatever-meaning-you-want-to-give-it/) [Robert Fulghum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fulghum/) > [Life has no meaning. Each of us has meaning and we bring it to life. We are the only answer of meaning of life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikas-runwal/life-has-no-meaning-each-of-us-has-meaning-and-we-bring-it-to-life-we/) [Vikas Runwal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikas-runwal/) > [ “\[T\]here is nothing to say about life. It has no meaning. You make meaning. If you want a meaning in your life, find a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/t-here-is-nothing-to-say-about-life-it-has-no-meaning-you-make/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) ## More by John Davidson > [“...you mustn’t pun, Brumm, puns are produced only in vacant minds. Keep high thoughts and visions of delightful things before you and you won’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-davidson/you-mustn-t-pun-brumm-puns-are-produced-only-in-vacant-minds-keep/) [John Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-davidson/) > [It wasn't until I went to college that I met the theatre people and began to admire them because they were learning a trade…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-davidson/it-wasn-t-until-i-went-to-college-that-i-met-the-theatre-people-and/) [John Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-davidson/) > [Physical activity can get you going when you are immobilized. Get action in your life, and don't just talk about it. Get into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-davidson/physical-activity-can-get-you-going-when-you-are-immobilized-get/) [John Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-davidson/) > [“I’ll be hanged if I can understand how it concerns Evolution to get us out of a mere scrape.” “Out of all kinds of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-davidson/i-ll-be-hanged-if-i-can-understand-how-it-concerns-evolution-to-get/) [John Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-davidson/) > [“You will find, Brumm,” said Earl Lavender, “that one of two things must be sacrificed by every man who lives to be over sixty—the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-davidson/you-will-find-brumm-said-earl-lavender-that-one-of-two-things-must-be/) [John Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-davidson/) > [I don't know why people are so surprised by my live performances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-davidson/i-don-t-know-why-people-are-so-surprised-by-my-live-performances/) [John Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-davidson/) > [My approach is so simple; every song I sing, every story I tell, every move I make, must move the audience to laughter, tears,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-davidson/my-approach-is-so-simple-every-song-i-sing-every-story-i-tell-every/) [John Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-davidson/) > [In White Plains I wasn't theatrical at all. I was a model and I used to take the train into New York three days…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-davidson/in-white-plains-i-wasn-t-theatrical-at-all-i-was-a-model-and-i-used/) [John Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-davidson/) > [“Gentlemen,” said Earl Lavender, with perfect complacence, “it becomes you to make a charge of madness against me. I told my friend Lord Brumm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-davidson/gentlemen-said-earl-lavender-with-perfect-complacence-it-becomes-you/) [John Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-davidson/) > [“Do I believe in Heaven and Hell? I do, we have them here; the world is nothing else.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-davidson/do-i-believe-in-heaven-and-hell-i-do-we-have-them-here-the-world-is/) [John Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-davidson/) > [“Mrs. Scamler,’ she said, ‘do you study French, ma'am?’ ‘I do, indeed,’ I said; ‘two hours a day.’ ‘Then, ma’am,’ she says, ‘we call…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-davidson/mrs-scamler-she-said-do-you-study-french-ma-am-i-do-indeed-i-said-two/) [John Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-davidson/) > [“It is the observer of the pun that makes it, my dear Brumm. Of course, when the word is distorted, as in Evilution, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-davidson/it-is-the-observer-of-the-pun-that-makes-it-my-dear-brumm-of-course/) [John Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-davidson/) > [Singing well has always been important to me, but the most important factor is the connection to the audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-davidson/singing-well-has-always-been-important-to-me-but-the-most-important/) [John Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-davidson/) > [“You’re young, and like anything new. It’s change you want. I’m middle-aged, and there’s nothing staler to me than change. Constant comfort and little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-davidson/you-re-young-and-like-anything-new-it-s-change-you-want-i-m-middle/) [John Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-davidson/) > [“Now I have two immediate objects in view. The first is to devote myself to the evolutionary life more thoroughly than I have yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-davidson/now-i-have-two-immediate-objects-in-view-the-first-is-to-devote/) [John Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-davidson/) [Explore all 18 John Davidson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-davidson/) ## More Intention quotes > [I started out dancing on a reality TV show, but always with the intention of making my way over to film. I transitioned into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-hough/i-started-out-dancing-on-a-reality-tv-show-but-always-with-the/) [Julianne Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-hough/) > [I have no intention of retiring. Even my blood sugar is better when I'm working.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-stritch/i-have-no-intention-of-retiring-even-my-blood-sugar-is-better-when-i/) [Elaine Stritch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-stritch/) > [It is not my intention to explain Turkey, its culture and its problems. My literature has a universal concern: I want to bring people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orhan-pamuk/it-is-not-my-intention-to-explain-turkey-its-culture-and-its-problems/) [Orhan Pamuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orhan-pamuk/) > [Whenever any person in the creative field does a film, they think it is going to be of good quality or this is something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshaye-khanna/whenever-any-person-in-the-creative-field-does-a-film-they-think-it/) [Akshaye Khanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshaye-khanna/) > [If you don't plan to live the Christian life totally committed to knowing your God and to walking in obedience to Him, then don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-arthur/if-you-don-t-plan-to-live-the-christian-life-totally-committed-to/) [Kay Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-arthur/) > [It's my intention to make something stand outside the realm of album art, but it also feels comfortable to me to be in it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dyer-baizley/it-s-my-intention-to-make-something-stand-outside-the-realm-of-album/) [John Dyer Baizley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dyer-baizley/) > [If you are not conscious of all of the different parts of yourself, the part of yourself that is the strongest will win out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-zukav/if-you-are-not-conscious-of-all-of-the-different-parts-of-yourself/) [Gary Zukav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-zukav/) > [My intention is to knock out Andy Ruiz.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-ortiz/my-intention-is-to-knock-out-andy-ruiz/) [Luis Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-ortiz/) > [In ancient times, those who wished to illuminate the world with virtue first brought order to their nations. Wishing to order well their nations,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/in-ancient-times-those-who-wished-to-illuminate-the-world-with-virtue/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Even a moderniser like Alexander II - who emancipated the serfs in 1861 - had no intention of devolving real power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-david/even-a-moderniser-like-alexander-ii-who-emancipated-the-serfs-in-1861/) [Saul David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-david/) > [Where the sky begins, the horizon ends, despite the best intentions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/where-the-sky-begins-the-horizon-ends-despite-the-best-intentions/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [“The devil?” Jason heaved the tick over his shoulder like a collier with his sack. “Satan. The adversary. The enemy of the plan of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/the-devil-jason-heaved-the-tick-over-his-shoulder-like-a-collier-with/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [I had no intention of becoming an actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-hammond/i-had-no-intention-of-becoming-an-actor/) [Nicholas Hammond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-hammond/) > [I went back to graduate school with the clear intention that what I wanted to do with my life was to improve societies, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglass-north/i-went-back-to-graduate-school-with-the-clear-intention-that-what-i/) [Douglass North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglass-north/) > [To transform the world, we must begin with ourselves; and what is important in beginning with ourselves is the intention. The intention must be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-transform-the-world-we-must-begin-with-ourselves-and-what-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 2,822 Intention quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intention/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Seek for no meaning in it; it has none. What meaning is there in pain and pleasure? They are twins; that is all we know. Seek no meaning in anything you see here. Images, ideas, flashes of purpose will peer out in all our ways and deeds, but there is no intention here below. Is there any intention anywhere?”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Davidson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-davidson/seek-for-no-meaning-in-it-it-has-none-what-meaning-is-there-in-pain/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Intention" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-davidson/seek-for-no-meaning-in-it-it-has-none-what-meaning-is-there-in-pain/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e9/john-davidson-29855_intention_seek-for-no-meaning-in-it-it-has-none-wh_2784529.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e9/john-davidson-29855_intention_seek-for-no-meaning-in-it-it-has-none-wh_2784529.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e9/john-davidson-29855_intention_seek-for-no-meaning-in-it-it-has-none-wh_2784529.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Seek for no meaning in it; it has none. What meaning is there in pain and pleasure? They are twins; that is…” — John Davidson", "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": "John Davidson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-davidson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Seek for no meaning in it;...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-davidson/seek-for-no-meaning-in-it-it-has-none-what-meaning-is-there-in-pain/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-davidson/seek-for-no-meaning-in-it-it-has-none-what-meaning-is-there-in-pain/#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 } } ] } ```