--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm not striving for happiness, I'm…" description: "\"I'm not striving for happiness, I'm trying to get some work done. And sometimes the best work is done under doubt. Constantly rethinking and re-evaluat..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b11/john-zorn-11273_best_i-m-not-striving-for-happiness-i-m-tryin_876814.jpg" --- # I'm not striving for happiness, I'm trying to get some… ![“I'm not striving for happiness, I'm trying to get some work done. And sometimes the best work is done under doubt. Constantly rethinking and re-evaluating what you're doing, working and working until it's finished.” quote by John Zorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b11/john-zorn-11273_best_i-m-not-striving-for-happiness-i-m-tryin_876814.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b11/john-zorn-11273_best_i-m-not-striving-for-happiness-i-m-tryin_876814.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b11/john-zorn-11273_best_i-m-not-striving-for-happiness-i-m-tryin_876814.jpg) > “I'm not striving for happiness, I'm trying to get some work done. And sometimes the best work is done under doubt. Constantly rethinking and re-evaluating what you're doing, working and working until it's finished.” [John Zorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-zorn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Productivity thrives under doubt, as constant reassessment refines work until completion. **In simple terms:** Doubt can improve work. Key Takeaway Embrace doubt to refine tasks. Themes productivity self‑critique focus perseverance growth Mood determined introspective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - creative projects - research - software development - writing Key Concepts iterative process mindful work self‑evaluation Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance doubt and progress? - When does doubt become harmful? A Different Perspective Doubt may cause paralysis if unchecked. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Striving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/striving/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [I’m constantly in doubt about what I’m doing, I’m constantly tortured, and that’s why I say happiness is irrelevant. Happiness is for children and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-zorn/i-m-constantly-in-doubt-about-what-i-m-doing-i-m-constantly-tortured/) [John Zorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-zorn/) > [Striving for happiness is a long, hard journey with many challenges. It requires eternal vigilance to win the victory. You cannot succeed with sporadic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-h-goaslind/striving-for-happiness-is-a-long-hard-journey-with-many-challenges-it/) Jack H. Goaslind > [Happiness is the absence of the striving for happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhuangzi/happiness-is-the-absence-of-the-striving-for-happiness/) [Zhuangzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhuangzi/) > [“Happiness is the abscence of the striving for happiness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuang-tzu/happiness-is-the-abscence-of-the-striving-for-happiness/) [Chuang Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuang-tzu/) > [I'm always just trying to get the work done so that I can be free - like, with the sense that, like, the real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-july/i-m-always-just-trying-to-get-the-work-done-so-that-i-can-be-free/) [Miranda July](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-july/) > [All that lives is striving for happiness; yet a thousand and one pains and fears attend upon every pleasure which man seeks through the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meher-baba/all-that-lives-is-striving-for-happiness-yet-a-thousand-and-one-pains/) [Meher Baba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meher-baba/) > [If you are striving to have more happiness in your life, it helps to guide your mind towards starting to recognize what are selfish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-yauch/if-you-are-striving-to-have-more-happiness-in-your-life-it-helps-to/) [Adam Yauch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-yauch/) > [Perfect happiness is the absence of striving for happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhuangzi/perfect-happiness-is-the-absence-of-striving-for-happiness/) [Zhuangzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhuangzi/) > [Nothing brings me more happiness than trying to help the most vulnerable people in society. It is a goal and an essential part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/princess-diana/nothing-brings-me-more-happiness-than-trying-to-help-the-most/) [Princess Diana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/princess-diana/) > [Death just comes, not happiness. Because when you're trying to find happiness, you're trying to navigate a very, very murky minefield of distractions, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-k-smith/death-just-comes-not-happiness-because-when-you-re-trying-to-find/) [Ian K. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-k-smith/) > [Letting go is letting happiness in, in trying to hold on to whats familiar, we limit our ability to experience joy in the present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rashida-rowe/letting-go-is-letting-happiness-in-in-trying-to-hold-on-to-whats/) [Rashida Rowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rashida-rowe/) > [“You can’t save the world, so don’t sacrifice your happiness trying.’ ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-brown/you-can-t-save-the-world-so-don-t-sacrifice-your-happiness-trying/) [Dan Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-brown/) > [Forget your own happiness by trying to create a little happiness for 0thers. REMEMBER, When you are Good to 0thers You are Best to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pacifiersucker/forget-your-own-happiness-by-trying-to-create-a-little-happiness-for/) Pacifiersucker > [“If it's just a matter of looking, I've looked! I've looked for happiness at home. I've looked all over this neighbourhood for happiness... Someday,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-schulz/if-it-s-just-a-matter-of-looking-i-ve-looked-i-ve-looked-for/) [Charles M. Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-schulz/) > [The advice I'd give to anyone looking out for love is to find happiness in yourself first before trying to find it through someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coleen-nolan/the-advice-i-d-give-to-anyone-looking-out-for-love-is-to-find/) [Coleen Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coleen-nolan/) ## More by John Zorn > [I have no doubts. I know what gets in the way and I know what encourages me to do more work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-zorn/i-have-no-doubts-i-know-what-gets-in-the-way-and-i-know-what/) [John Zorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-zorn/) > [I was always an outsider, proud of being an outsider. I always reveled in the outsiders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-zorn/i-was-always-an-outsider-proud-of-being-an-outsider-i-always-reveled/) [John Zorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-zorn/) > [I have art. I have music. I have the history, this legacy behind me that I can look up to. This is what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-zorn/i-have-art-i-have-music-i-have-the-history-this-legacy-behind-me-that/) [John Zorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-zorn/) > [You can't sit down and write 300 compositions in a three-month period and think that you're doing it all by yourself. Obviously, there's something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-zorn/you-can-t-sit-down-and-write-300-compositions-in-a-three-month-period/) [John Zorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-zorn/) > [One of the reasons I started Tzadik, which is my own label, is to keep things in print. I got tired of labels dropping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-zorn/one-of-the-reasons-i-started-tzadik-which-is-my-own-label-is-to-keep/) [John Zorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-zorn/) > [That is a lot of the reason I do what I do, to really spread the word and spread information and turn people onto…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-zorn/that-is-a-lot-of-the-reason-i-do-what-i-do-to-really-spread-the-word/) [John Zorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-zorn/) > [People sometimes have a very hard time accepting change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-zorn/people-sometimes-have-a-very-hard-time-accepting-change/) [John Zorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-zorn/) > [I feel like there are messages. I feel like there are angels. I feel that there is a legacy and an energy. And I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-zorn/i-feel-like-there-are-messages-i-feel-like-there-are-angels-i-feel/) [John Zorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-zorn/) > [It's a matter of keeping people on a spontaneous edge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-zorn/it-s-a-matter-of-keeping-people-on-a-spontaneous-edge/) [John Zorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-zorn/) > [I don't ascribe to the idea of the ivory tower composer who sits alone in a room composing his masterpieces and then comes down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-zorn/i-don-t-ascribe-to-the-idea-of-the-ivory-tower-composer-who-sits/) [John Zorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-zorn/) > [Well, in Japan, I have got a group of musicians that I have worked with a lot, that concentrate just on the hardcore stuff,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-zorn/well-in-japan-i-have-got-a-group-of-musicians-that-i-have-worked-with/) [John Zorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-zorn/) > [I have wit in my work and a sense of humor, but I do not use irony in any way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-zorn/i-have-wit-in-my-work-and-a-sense-of-humor-but-i-do-not-use-irony-in/) [John Zorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-zorn/) > [I don't control it at all. It's all up to the musicians in the group. They control it. They make all the cues, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-zorn/i-don-t-control-it-at-all-it-s-all-up-to-the-musicians-in-the-group/) [John Zorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-zorn/) > [I'm constantly tortured, and that's why I say happiness is irrelevant. Happiness is for children and yuppies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-zorn/i-m-constantly-tortured-and-that-s-why-i-say-happiness-is-irrelevant/) [John Zorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-zorn/) > [I'm not a practicing kabbalist. I'm not a spiritual master. I'm not a rabbi. I don't - but it's part of who I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-zorn/i-m-not-a-practicing-kabbalist-i-m-not-a-spiritual-master-i-m-not-a/) [John Zorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-zorn/) [Explore all 60 John Zorn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-zorn/) ## More Best quotes > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. 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