--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Most people, of course, spend their lives…" description: "\"Most people, of course, spend their lives caring about the wrong things. The worry about South Africa or Nicaragua. They spend so much time finding the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87a/kinky-friedman-2471_caring_most-people-of-course-spend-their-lives_2021999.png" --- # Most people, of course, spend their lives caring about the… ![“Most people, of course, spend their lives caring about the wrong things. The worry about South Africa or Nicaragua. They spend so much time finding themselves that they lose their taxicabs. They don't see that what kind of napkin you get at a delicatessen is a matter of much significance in the…” quote by Kinky Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87a/kinky-friedman-2471_caring_most-people-of-course-spend-their-lives_2021999.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87a/kinky-friedman-2471_caring_most-people-of-course-spend-their-lives_2021999.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87a/kinky-friedman-2471_caring_most-people-of-course-spend-their-lives_2021999.png) > “Most people, of course, spend their lives caring about the wrong things. The worry about South Africa or Nicaragua. They spend so much time finding themselves that they lose their taxicabs. They don't see that what kind of napkin you get at a delicatessen is a matter of much significance in the world today. That's why they don't get linen.” [Kinky Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kinky-friedman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often focus on distant problems while ignoring everyday details that shape life. **In simple terms:** Fixating on big issues can blind us to small, impactful matters. Key Takeaway Pay attention to daily details. Themes attention priorities awareness Mood reflective critical Type observational philosophical When to use this quote - personal decisions - consumer choices - political activism Key Concepts philosophy social critique Questions to Reflect On - What small daily detail could you change? - How do you balance big concerns with everyday life? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on macro issues can cause missed opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Caring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caring/) [Caring Wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caring-wrong-1840570/) [Findings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/findings/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Kind Napkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind-napkin-3667271/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Linen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/linen/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [Napkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/napkin/) [Napkin Delicatessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/napkin-delicatessen-3667269/) [Napkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/napkins/) [Nicaragua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nicaragua/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Significance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/significance/) [South africa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/south-africa/) [Things Worry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-worry/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [Worry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worry/) ## Related quotes > [Your caring too much about all the wrong things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/your-caring-too-much-about-all-the-wrong-things/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Tuck My Napkin in My Shirt Cuz I'm Just Mobbin Like That](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/tuck-my-napkin-in-my-shirt-cuz-i-m-just-mobbin-like-that/) [Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/) > [I've been in more laps than a napkin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-west/i-ve-been-in-more-laps-than-a-napkin/) [Mae West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-west/) > [I find that a shirt is most similar to a napkin when I don't have a napkin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/i-find-that-a-shirt-is-most-similar-to-a-napkin-when-i-don-t-have-a/) [Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/) > [“I often wonder why women have careers,' said Shredded Napkin suddenly, showing his teeth. I don't think he can possibly be saying what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-russ/i-often-wonder-why-women-have-careers-said-shredded-napkin-suddenly/) [Joanna Russ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-russ/) > [Luxury lives in the finer details. It's a cloth napkin at a dinner table. It's a mint on your pillow before bed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iggy-azalea/luxury-lives-in-the-finer-details-it-s-a-cloth-napkin-at-a-dinner/) [Iggy Azalea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iggy-azalea/) > [“ We still have your watch.You can have it back tonight.All you need to do is sneak up after dinner, set the tower, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-dixon/we-still-have-your-watch-you-can-have-it-back-tonight-all-you-need-to/) [Heather Dixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-dixon/) > [“I don’t need a napkin. That’s what pants are for.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-don-t-need-a-napkin-that-s-what-pants-are-for/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [There are two good reasons to put your napkin in your lap. One is that food might spill in your lap, and it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-are-two-good-reasons-to-put-your-napkin-in-your-lap-one-is-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“And the rest of the story?" he asked, trying to force a smile. "Is that like everything else in POT, on a need-to-know basis?"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-nesbo/and-the-rest-of-the-story-he-asked-trying-to-force-a-smile-is-that/) [Jo Nesbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-nesbo/) > [When planning your wedding you make so many decisions: 'Do I want this fork or that fork?' But in the end people aren't going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lara-stone/when-planning-your-wedding-you-make-so-many-decisions-do-i-want-this/) [Lara Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lara-stone/) > [I never use a napkin on my lap at a restaurant...because I believe in myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannibal-buress/i-never-use-a-napkin-on-my-lap-at-a-restaurant-because-i-believe-in/) [Hannibal Buress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannibal-buress/) > [The most exciting business ideas fit on the back of an airplane napkin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carmine-gallo/the-most-exciting-business-ideas-fit-on-the-back-of-an-airplane-napkin/) [Carmine Gallo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carmine-gallo/) > [“The only way I could conceive of waving a white flag, would be during the process of folding it, so to be used as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-althouse/the-only-way-i-could-conceive-of-waving-a-white-flag-would-be-during/) [Tom Althouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-althouse/) > [Be our guest, be our guest put our service to the test. Tie your napkin round your neck cheri and we'll provide the rest.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beauty-and-the-beast/be-our-guest-be-our-guest-put-our-service-to-the-test-tie-your-napkin/) [Beauty And The Beast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beauty-and-the-beast/) ## More by Kinky Friedman > [I believe that voices like Ross Perot, Pat Buchanan, Ralph Nader should be heard. They don't have to be president. Give 'em a chance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kinky-friedman/i-believe-that-voices-like-ross-perot-pat-buchanan-ralph-nader-should/) [Kinky Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kinky-friedman/) > [I don't believe in carrying a weapon. If somebody wants to shoot me, he'll have to bring his own gun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kinky-friedman/i-don-t-believe-in-carrying-a-weapon-if-somebody-wants-to-shoot-me-he/) [Kinky Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kinky-friedman/) > [The system is not perfect. Until it's perfect, let's do away with the death penalty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kinky-friedman/the-system-is-not-perfect-until-it-s-perfect-let-s-do-away-with-the/) [Kinky Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kinky-friedman/) > [That's the government. Having been a politician and a musician, I can tell you which one is a higher calling. If musicians ran the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kinky-friedman/that-s-the-government-having-been-a-politician-and-a-musician-i-can/) [Kinky Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kinky-friedman/) > [I'm too young for Medicare and too old for women to care.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kinky-friedman/i-m-too-young-for-medicare-and-too-old-for-women-to-care/) [Kinky Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kinky-friedman/) > [I never apologize for the truth. And the truth here is that racists come in many different colors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kinky-friedman/i-never-apologize-for-the-truth-and-the-truth-here-is-that-racists/) [Kinky Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kinky-friedman/) > [God created whiskey to keep the Irish from taking over the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kinky-friedman/god-created-whiskey-to-keep-the-irish-from-taking-over-the-world/) [Kinky Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kinky-friedman/) > [I suffer from the curse of being multi-talented. There's no doubt about it. Politics and literature have gotten in the way of songwriting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kinky-friedman/i-suffer-from-the-curse-of-being-multi-talented-there-s-no-doubt/) [Kinky Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kinky-friedman/) > [The teachers are getting screwed, blued, and tattooed by the system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kinky-friedman/the-teachers-are-getting-screwed-blued-and-tattooed-by-the-system/) [Kinky Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kinky-friedman/) > [ I want to be governor \[of Texas\] because I need the closet space. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kinky-friedman/i-want-to-be-governor-of-texas-because-i-need-the-closet-space/) [Kinky Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kinky-friedman/) > [On the whole I prefer cats to women because cats seldom if ever use the word 'relationship'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kinky-friedman/on-the-whole-i-prefer-cats-to-women-because-cats-seldom-if-ever-use/) [Kinky Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kinky-friedman/) > [My plan is to bring back like the Bracero Program from 1944 that ran for 20 years where the Mexican government vets these people.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kinky-friedman/my-plan-is-to-bring-back-like-the-bracero-program-from-1944-that-ran/) [Kinky Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kinky-friedman/) > [I don't think I have even achieved fame. Of course, Hemingway says that fame is death's little sister.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kinky-friedman/i-don-t-think-i-have-even-achieved-fame-of-course-hemingway-says-that/) [Kinky Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kinky-friedman/) > [If you gotta kill two birds, might as well get stoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kinky-friedman/if-you-gotta-kill-two-birds-might-as-well-get-stoned/) [Kinky Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kinky-friedman/) > [People may surprise you with unexpected kindness. Dogs have a depth of loyalty that often we seem unworthy of. But the love of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kinky-friedman/people-may-surprise-you-with-unexpected-kindness-dogs-have-a-depth-of/) [Kinky Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kinky-friedman/) [Explore all 165 Kinky Friedman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kinky-friedman/) ## More Caring quotes > [There are a number of qualities which are important for mental peace, but from the little experience I have, I believe that one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/there-are-a-number-of-qualities-which-are-important-for-mental-peace/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [There is nothing about myself that I wouldn't reveal or write about. I don't care how horrendous or ridiculous I may appear in person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/there-is-nothing-about-myself-that-i-wouldn-t-reveal-or-write-about-i/) [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) > [Forgive yourself for not being the richest, the thinnest, the tallest, the one with the best hair. Forgive yourself for not being the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/forgive-yourself-for-not-being-the-richest-the-thinnest-the-tallest/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [But victimhood was seductive, a release from responsibility and caring. Fear would be transmuted into weary resignation; failure would no longer generate guilt but,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/but-victimhood-was-seductive-a-release-from-responsibility-and-caring/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [A happy family needs a loving and caring father, and he who knows how to be a mother sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-happy-family-needs-a-loving-and-caring-father-and-he-who-knows-how/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Show your contempt for the problem and your concern for the person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/show-your-contempt-for-the-problem-and-your-concern-for-the-person/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [Just remember that when nobody was there for you, I was. And when nobody else gave a damn, I did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/just-remember-that-when-nobody-was-there-for-you-i-was-and-when/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Without a vision there is no possibility of creating something larger than what al-ready exists. An entrepreneur has to be able to bring something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/without-a-vision-there-is-no-possibility-of-creating-something-larger/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [Hmmm! life zz about caring the life that u have as the rest of the things are of secondary value tc n ks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sardar-hyder-abbas/hmmm-life-zz-about-caring-the-life-that-u-have-as-the-rest-of-the/) [Sardar Hyder Abbas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sardar-hyder-abbas/) > [You can't make someone love you, all you can do is be someone who can be loved ,the rest is up to the person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-can-t-make-someone-love-you-all-you-can-do-is-be-someone-who-can/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The terrorists-those nineteen people, with hundreds or maybe thousands behind them-did the worst thing you can possibly imagine. But tens of millions people did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/the-terrorists-those-nineteen-people-with-hundreds-or-maybe-thousands/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [When you're 20 you care what everyone thinks, when you're 40 you stop caring what everyone thinks, when you're 60 you realize no one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/when-you-re-20-you-care-what-everyone-thinks-when-you-re-40-you-stop/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [“English: "Being an adult doesn't mean killing the child we once were; it means being able to protect him." Česky: „Být dospělým neznamená zabít…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebasti-n-wortys/english-being-an-adult-doesn-t-mean-killing-the-child-we-once-were-it/) [Sebastián Wortys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebasti-n-wortys/) > [“As you travel along the roads in life, there is a certain kind of peace that comes with knowing you're on the right path.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amaka-nkosazana/as-you-travel-along-the-roads-in-life-there-is-a-certain-kind-of/) [Amaka Nkosazana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amaka-nkosazana/) > [“I am sick with caring.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-am-sick-with-caring/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) [Browse all 2,651 Caring quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caring/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Most people, of course, spend their lives caring about the wrong things. The worry about South Africa or Nicaragua. 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