--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We should focus more on the things we've…" description: "\"We should focus more on the things we've accomplished, but I mean, obviously Syria disturbs me greatly and I'm not happy with where Syria is.\" — John F..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b86/john-f-kerry-996_accomplished_we-should-focus-more-on-the-things-we-ve_2592655.png" --- # We should focus more on the things we've accomplished, but… ![“We should focus more on the things we've accomplished, but I mean, obviously Syria disturbs me greatly and I'm not happy with where Syria is.” quote by John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b86/john-f-kerry-996_accomplished_we-should-focus-more-on-the-things-we-ve_2592655.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b86/john-f-kerry-996_accomplished_we-should-focus-more-on-the-things-we-ve_2592655.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b86/john-f-kerry-996_accomplished_we-should-focus-more-on-the-things-we-ve_2592655.png) > “We should focus more on the things we've accomplished, but I mean, obviously Syria disturbs me greatly and I'm not happy with where Syria is.” [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker urges focusing on achievements but expresses strong concern about Syria’s situation and personal dissatisfaction. **In simple terms:** Focus on successes while acknowledging Syria’s crisis. Key Takeaway Balance optimism with advocacy. Themes politics conflict optimism Mood concerned hopeful Type political personal When to use this quote - news commentary - public statements - activism Key Concepts human rights foreign policy personal reflection Questions to Reflect On - How can we stay hopeful amid crisis? - What actions can individuals take for Syria? A Different Perspective Emotional bias may affect objectivity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Syria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/syria/) ## Related quotes > [The agreement is fundamentally that we want to try to resolve this. The agreement is that ISIL is a threat to everybody, and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/the-agreement-is-fundamentally-that-we-want-to-try-to-resolve-this/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [If the threat is jihadism - and it is - and the threat is the destruction of Syria so that all of these refugees…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/if-the-threat-is-jihadism-and-it-is-and-the-threat-is-the-destruction/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [ The Russians need to understand that you cannot have peace \[in Syria\] unless you resolve the question of Sunni buy-in. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/the-russians-need-to-understand-that-you-cannot-have-peace-in-syria/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [ \[Bashar\] Assad himself has said on several occasions recently that if the people of Syria don't believe I should be there in the future,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/bashar-assad-himself-has-said-on-several-occasions-recently-that-if/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [So my judgment is that Syria will move; Syria will change, as it embraces a legitimate relationship with the United States and the West…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/so-my-judgment-is-that-syria-will-move-syria-will-change-as-it/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [Nobody's interests are served by what's happening in Syria today. It's a catastrophe. It's the worst human catastrophe since World War II. And, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/nobody-s-interests-are-served-by-what-s-happening-in-syria-today-it-s/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [ If Russia is there \[in Syria\] alone fighting them \[ISIL\], guess what? Russia becomes the target and Russia starts seeing - who knows -… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/if-russia-is-there-in-syria-alone-fighting-them-isil-guess-what/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [Let me just say you could end this violence within a very short period of time, have a complete ceasefire - which Iran could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/let-me-just-say-you-could-end-this-violence-within-a-very-short/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [ If \[Bashar\] Assad himself could save this whole process by saying, "I will engage in a managed transition where we all work together to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/if-bashar-assad-himself-could-save-this-whole-process-by-saying-i/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [There's an agreement that Syria should be a unified country, united; that it needs to be secular; that ISIL needs to be taken on;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/there-s-an-agreement-that-syria-should-be-a-unified-country-united/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [ You cannot bring peace in Syria as long as \[Bashar\] Assad is, in fact, there. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/you-cannot-bring-peace-in-syria-as-long-as-bashar-assad-is-in-fact/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [ People talk about \[Bashar\] Assad running Syria. He doesn't control his own country. He's down to about 20, 25 percent of the country. What… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/people-talk-about-bashar-assad-running-syria-he-doesn-t-control-his/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [Money comes and goes. I'm thankful I have money. I'm trying to save up more. I would like more money. But it's not happiness.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dat-phan/money-comes-and-goes-i-m-thankful-i-have-money-i-m-trying-to-save-up/) [Dat Phan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dat-phan/) > [For the first time in longer than I can remember, I feel peaceful. Not happy. Not sad. Not anxious. Not horny. Just all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/for-the-first-time-in-longer-than-i-can-remember-i-feel-peaceful-not/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [I talk to my dad all the time, he's more like my buddy than my father, and he's not happy that I use him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-spade/i-talk-to-my-dad-all-the-time-he-s-more-like-my-buddy-than-my-father/) [David Spade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-spade/) ## More by John F. 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Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [We should not allow a tiny minority of shoddy scientists and science and extreme ideologues to compete with scientific facts,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/we-should-not-allow-a-tiny-minority-of-shoddy-scientists-and-science/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [Jesus did not help just the sick who could afford to pay for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/jesus-did-not-help-just-the-sick-who-could-afford-to-pay-for-it/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [War should be not a war of choice; it should be a war of necessity. And it should be a last resort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/war-should-be-not-a-war-of-choice-it-should-be-a-war-of-necessity-and/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) [Explore all 312 John F. Kerry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) ## More Accomplished quotes > [I never believed in trying to do anything. Whatever I set out to do I found I had already accomplished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/i-never-believed-in-trying-to-do-anything-whatever-i-set-out-to-do-i/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [This is, for an accomplished Latino, an accomplished African American, an accomplished anyone who disproves stereotypes, it's a constant battle in your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-sotomayor/this-is-for-an-accomplished-latino-an-accomplished-african-american/) [Sonia Sotomayor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-sotomayor/) > [When you have accomplished your goal simply walk away. This is the path way to Heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/when-you-have-accomplished-your-goal-simply-walk-away-this-is-the/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [... even the most sublimely accomplished non-stop talker can't consistently please.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger-2/even-the-most-sublimely-accomplished-non-stop-talker-can-t/) [J. D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger-2/) > [ \[U\]nless oppressed groups stick together, and on alliances of self interest rather than do-goodism; nothing can be accomplished in the long run to dismantle… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shulamith-firestone/u-nless-oppressed-groups-stick-together-and-on-alliances-of-self/) [Shulamith Firestone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shulamith-firestone/) > [Alas, you don't need monsters for monstrous deeds to be accomplished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zygmunt-bauman/alas-you-don-t-need-monsters-for-monstrous-deeds-to-be-accomplished/) [Zygmunt Bauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zygmunt-bauman/) > [Like all writers, he measured the achievements of others by what they had accomplished, asking of them that they measure him by what he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/like-all-writers-he-measured-the-achievements-of-others-by-what-they/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) > [I'm proud of what I've accomplished and that is empowering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/violet-chachki/i-m-proud-of-what-i-ve-accomplished-and-that-is-empowering/) [Violet Chachki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/violet-chachki/) > [We do not know today whether we are busy or idle. In times when we thought ourselves indolent, we have afterwards discovered that much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/we-do-not-know-today-whether-we-are-busy-or-idle-in-times-when-we/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [I don't know Beyoncé, but I have the impression that she's sincere, that she really is a feminist and wanted to put the word…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/i-don-t-know-beyonc-but-i-have-the-impression-that-she-s-sincere-that/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [The gain in self-confidence of having accomplished a tiresome labour is immense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/the-gain-in-self-confidence-of-having-accomplished-a-tiresome-labour/) [Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/) > [With Epcot Center, the Disney corporation has accomplished something I didn't think possible in today's world. 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