---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But we know that just because we want…"
description: "\"“But we know that just because we want something does not mean that we will get what we want,”\" — Madeleine L'Engle"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/828/madeleine-l-engle-345_want_but-we-know-that-just-because-we-want-so_2598521.png"
---

#  But we know that just because we want something does not…

![“But we know that just because we want something does not mean that we will get what we want,” quote by Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/828/madeleine-l-engle-345_want_but-we-know-that-just-because-we-want-so_2598521.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/828/madeleine-l-engle-345_want_but-we-know-that-just-because-we-want-so_2598521.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/828/madeleine-l-engle-345_want_but-we-know-that-just-because-we-want-so_2598521.png)

> ““But we know that just because we want something does not mean that we will get what we want,””

[Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/)

## About This Quote

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

Desire alone doesn’t guarantee outcome; effort, circumstance, and reality also shape results.

**In simple terms:** Wanting isn’t enough.

Key Takeaway

Combine desire with action.

Themes

desire expectation reality

Mood

reflective hopeful

Type

motivational philosophical

When to use this quote

- career planning
- personal aspirations
- relationship goals

Key Concepts

goal setting motivation

Questions to Reflect On

- What actions will you pair with your wishes?
- How do you handle unmet desires?

A Different Perspective

May underestimate external obstacles.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Does Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/does-mean/) [Just Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just-want/) [Mean Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean-want/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Want Does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-does-469328/)

## Related quotes

> [He who does not want does not act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/he-who-does-not-want-does-not-act/)

[Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/)

> [“I don't want whatever I want. Nobody does. What kind of fun would it be if I just got everything I ever wanted?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/i-don-t-want-whatever-i-want-nobody-does-what-kind-of-fun-would-it-be/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [“What do I want? Why do I want it? Is it me, or is it them, or is it both? And does it matter?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kit-rocha/what-do-i-want-why-do-i-want-it-is-it-me-or-is-it-them-or-is-it-both/)

[Kit Rocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kit-rocha/)

> [My God, what do we want? What does any human being want?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-chisholm/my-god-what-do-we-want-what-does-any-human-being-want/)

[Shirley Chisholm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-chisholm/)

> [I never do anything I don't want to do. Nor does anyone, but in my case I am always aware of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/i-never-do-anything-i-don-t-want-to-do-nor-does-anyone-but-in-my-case/)

[Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/)

> [If you want to do something, what does it matter where you are ranked?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kalpana-chawla/if-you-want-to-do-something-what-does-it-matter-where-you-are-ranked/)

[Kalpana Chawla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kalpana-chawla/)

> [What I want does exist if I dare to find it...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/what-i-want-does-exist-if-i-dare-to-find-it/)

[Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/)

> [ Do it \[stand-up comedy\] because it feels like the right thing to do. Do it because you don't want to do anything else. There… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-peters/do-it-stand-up-comedy-because-it-feels-like-the-right-thing-to-do-do/)

[Russell Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-peters/)

> [I want a man who will love me &amp; treat me like I mean something. If I cant find that then I want one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-want-a-man-who-will-love-me-treat-me-like-i-mean-something-if-i/)

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

> [Everybody says they want to win. But when you start talking about sacrifice and doing what's right for the team, it's like, 'Wait a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-bosh/everybody-says-they-want-to-win-but-when-you-start-talking-about/)

[Chris Bosh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-bosh/)

> [Just because I miss you doesn't mean I want you back in my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/just-because-i-miss-you-doesn-t-mean-i-want-you-back-in-my-life/)

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

> [“Love,you don´t know what you do to me." "I have a pretty good idea.I make you stiff and hard,and when I touch you,you want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-ashley/love-you-don-t-know-what-you-do-to-me-i-have-a-pretty-good-idea-i/)

[Jennifer Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-ashley/)

> [This world without a leopard…I mean, who would want to be here?!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-vreeland/this-world-without-a-leopard-i-mean-who-would-want-to-be-here/)

[Diana Vreeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-vreeland/)

> [“What I 'd like first is someone to raise them with, someone who will look at me and say, 'that one. I want that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giselle-ellis/what-i-d-like-first-is-someone-to-raise-them-with-someone-who-will/)

[Giselle Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giselle-ellis/)

> [It's what everyone is after, I mean they want success and when they get it it's an incredible pressure but what you have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-beckley/it-s-what-everyone-is-after-i-mean-they-want-success-and-when-they/)

[Gerry Beckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-beckley/)

## More by Madeleine L'Engle

> [“One of the hardest lessons I have to learn is how not to be judgmental about people who are judgmental. When I see how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/one-of-the-hardest-lessons-i-have-to-learn-is-how-not-to-be/)

[Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/)

> [Inspiration more often comes during the work than before it, because the largest part of the job of an artist is to listen to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/inspiration-more-often-comes-during-the-work-than-before-it-because/)

[Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/)

> [You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/you-have-to-write-the-book-that-wants-to-be-written-and-if-the-book/)

[Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/)

> [Severe illness isolates those in close contact with it, because it inevitably narrows the focus of concern. To a certain extent this can lead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/severe-illness-isolates-those-in-close-contact-with-it-because-it/)

[Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/)

> [Goodness has never been a guarantee of safety.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/goodness-has-never-been-a-guarantee-of-safety/)

[Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/)

> [“Faith is what makes life bearable, with all its tragedies and ambiguities and sudden, startling joys.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/faith-is-what-makes-life-bearable-with-all-its-tragedies-and/)

[Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/)

> [“Instead of rejoicing in this glorious “impossible” which gives meaning and dignity to our lives, we try to domesticate God, to make his mighty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/instead-of-rejoicing-in-this-glorious-impossible-which-gives-meaning/)

[Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/)

> [I have never lived before...Until this summer, I did not know what it was to be alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/i-have-never-lived-before-until-this-summer-i-did-not-know-what-it/)

[Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/)

> [On the other side of pain, there is still love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/on-the-other-side-of-pain-there-is-still-love/)

[Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/)

> [“To love is to be vulnerable; and it is only in vulnerability and risk—not safety and security—that we overcome darkness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/to-love-is-to-be-vulnerable-and-it-is-only-in-vulnerability-and-risk/)

[Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/)

> [“IT was the most horrible, the most repellent thing she had ever seen, far more nauseating then anything she had ever imagined with her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/it-was-the-most-horrible-the-most-repellent-thing-she-had-ever-seen/)

[Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/)

> [I feel as though I'm not breathing when I'm out of his presence. He's the oxygen in my air, the sun in my universe,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/i-feel-as-though-i-m-not-breathing-when-i-m-out-of-his-presence-he-s/)

[Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/)

> [Rather than feeling lost and unimportant and meaningless, set against galaxies which go beyond the reach of the furthest telescopes, I feel that my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/rather-than-feeling-lost-and-unimportant-and-meaningless-set-against/)

[Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/)

> [My husband is my most ruthless critic... sometimes he will say, 'It's been said better before.' Of course it has. It's all been said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/my-husband-is-my-most-ruthless-critic-sometimes-he-will-say-it-s-been/)

[Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/)

> [If we aren't capable of being hurt we aren't capable of feeling joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/if-we-aren-t-capable-of-being-hurt-we-aren-t-capable-of-feeling-joy/)

[Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/)

[Explore all 660 Madeleine L'Engle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/)

## More Want quotes

> [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/)

[Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/)

> [Women still, when they have breast cancer, go to work; they still lead their lives. They have to. I just did what I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-potter/women-still-when-they-have-breast-cancer-go-to-work-they-still-lead/)

[Monica Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-potter/)

> [We do not want nowadays temples of worship and outward rites and ceremonies. What we really want is an Asram. We want a place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/we-do-not-want-nowadays-temples-of-worship-and-outward-rites-and/)

[Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/)

> [Just understand that the good that you want is already here. All you have to do is get in harmony with it. And you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/just-understand-that-the-good-that-you-want-is-already-here-all-you/)

[Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/)

> [I want to be known as a good major-leaguer, and good major-leaguers work to become good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-rodriguez/i-want-to-be-known-as-a-good-major-leaguer-and-good-major-leaguers/)

[Alex Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-rodriguez/)

> [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/)

[Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/)

> [I don't like being away from home. That's one reason why I don't work as much as I used to \[when I started my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-powell/i-don-t-like-being-away-from-home-that-s-one-reason-why-i-don-t-work/)

[Jane Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-powell/)

> [I do not want to live at the cost of the life even of a snake. I should let him bite me to death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-to-live-at-the-cost-of-the-life-even-of-a-snake-i/)

[Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/)

> [I live life without limits and I will go after anything I want with no hesitation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-morgan/i-live-life-without-limits-and-i-will-go-after-anything-i-want-with/)

[Liv Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-morgan/)

> [Do you think that God would separate me from my husband if I killed myself? I feel as though I am going out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-you-think-that-god-would-separate-me-from-my-husband-if-i-killed/)

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

> [When you go to a club it's not about being black or white or heavy or thick. I'm shaking my ass because I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/when-you-go-to-a-club-it-s-not-about-being-black-or-white-or-heavy-or/)

[Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/)

> [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/)

[Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/)

> [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/)

[Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/)

> [I received a beautiful welcome to the world of music. I want to give something back to the younger generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luciano-pavarotti/i-received-a-beautiful-welcome-to-the-world-of-music-i-want-to-give/)

[Luciano Pavarotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luciano-pavarotti/)

> [The time that one gains cannot be accumulated in a storehouse; it is contradictory to want to save up existence, which, the fact is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/the-time-that-one-gains-cannot-be-accumulated-in-a-storehouse-it-is/)

[Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/)

[Browse all 86,049 Want quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“But we know that just because we want something does not mean that we will get what we want,”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Madeleine L'Engle"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/but-we-know-that-just-because-we-want-something-does-not-mean-that-we/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Want"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/but-we-know-that-just-because-we-want-something-does-not-mean-that-we/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/828/madeleine-l-engle-345_want_but-we-know-that-just-because-we-want-so_2598521.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/828/madeleine-l-engle-345_want_but-we-know-that-just-because-we-want-so_2598521.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/828/madeleine-l-engle-345_want_but-we-know-that-just-because-we-want-so_2598521.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“But we know that just because we want something does not mean that we will get what we want,” — Madeleine L'Engle",
                "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": "Madeleine L'Engle",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“But we know that just because...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/but-we-know-that-just-because-we-want-something-does-not-mean-that-we/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/but-we-know-that-just-because-we-want-something-does-not-mean-that-we/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
