---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But this same dilemma comes up again and…"
description: "\"“But this same dilemma comes up again and again in our own lives, and often we don't choose so wisely. The inverted-U curve reminds us that there is a ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8f/malcolm-gladwell-348_art-making_but-this-same-dilemma-comes-up-again-and_835825.png"
---

#  But this same dilemma comes up again and again in our own…

![“But this same dilemma comes up again and again in our own lives, and often we don't choose so wisely. The inverted-U curve reminds us that there is a point at which money and resources stop making our lives better and start making them worse.” quote by Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8f/malcolm-gladwell-348_art-making_but-this-same-dilemma-comes-up-again-and_835825.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8f/malcolm-gladwell-348_art-making_but-this-same-dilemma-comes-up-again-and_835825.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8f/malcolm-gladwell-348_art-making_but-this-same-dilemma-comes-up-again-and_835825.png)

> ““But this same dilemma comes up again and again in our own lives, and often we don't choose so wisely. The inverted-U curve reminds us that there is a point at which money and resources stop making our lives better and start making them worse.””

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

## About This Quote

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

The quote warns that after a certain point, more money or resources cease to improve life and can even harm it, illustrating the inverted‑U relationship between wealth and wellbeing.

**In simple terms:** Too much money can hurt happiness.

Key Takeaway

Recognize when more is no longer better.

Themes

wealth wellbeing diminishing returns decision making

Mood

reflective cautious

Type

advice analytical

When to use this quote

- personal finance
- public policy
- career advancement
- healthcare budgeting

Key Concepts

economics psychology behavioral science

Questions to Reflect On

- When have you felt excess resources becoming a burden?
- How do you balance growth with quality of life?

A Different Perspective

It may overlook individual differences in how people experience wealth.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Art making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-making/) [Choose wisely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choose-wisely/) [Counterintuitive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/counterintuitive/) [Dilemma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dilemma/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Informational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/informational/) [Life choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-choices/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/)

## Related quotes

> [“the logic of the inverted-U curve is that the same strategies that work really well at first stop working past a certain point,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-logic-of-the-inverted-u-curve-is-that-the-same-strategies-that/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [“with his trademark counterintuitive logic how the habits of highly successful people pale in”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/with-his-trademark-counterintuitive-logic-how-the-habits-of-highly/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [“Sifa kubwa ya Murphy ni udadisi lakini kubwa zaidi ni unyamaume. Haogopi kitu. Anaheshimu sheria.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enock-maregesi/sifa-kubwa-ya-murphy-ni-udadisi-lakini-kubwa-zaidi-ni-unyamaume/)

[Enock Maregesi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enock-maregesi/)

> [“Jealousy & Zeal were the split personalities of Zelos. Just as Eros & Himeros were uncoupled in the Big Bang, so were Jealousy &…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-chong/jealousy-zeal-were-the-split-personalities-of-zelos-just-as-eros/)

[Nicholas Chong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-chong/)

> [I live on my phone: I have a bunch of news and informational apps on there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-ellis/i-live-on-my-phone-i-have-a-bunch-of-news-and-informational-apps-on/)

[Warren Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-ellis/)

> [“Kolonia Santita ni kitabu cha Kiswahili. Si Kingereza wala Kihispania. Lazima tujifunze kuipenda na kuitetea lugha yetu kwa manufaa ya vizazi vijavyo.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enock-maregesi/kolonia-santita-ni-kitabu-cha-kiswahili-si-kingereza-wala-kihispania/)

[Enock Maregesi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enock-maregesi/)

> [“For just as the Milesians believed in Oracles, Malesians believed in Bomohs. Malesian Bomohs or Dukuns, just as the Sibyls, went into convulsions or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-chong/for-just-as-the-milesians-believed-in-oracles-malesians-believed-in/)

[Nicholas Chong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-chong/)

> [“Joram Kiango ni mpelelezi maarufu nchini Tanzania. Willy Gamba ni mpelelezi maarufu katika bara la Afrika. John Murphy ni mpelelezi maarufu duniani. Ni watu…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enock-maregesi/joram-kiango-ni-mpelelezi-maarufu-nchini-tanzania-willy-gamba-ni/)

[Enock Maregesi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enock-maregesi/)

> [“Falsafa ya Usawa kwa Watu na Vitu Vyote ya Yin-Yang ya Kichina ni falsafa inayotumiwa na Wachina, kujifunza sanaa ya mapigano na kutengeneza madawa…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enock-maregesi/falsafa-ya-usawa-kwa-watu-na-vitu-vyote-ya-yin-yang-ya-kichina-ni/)

[Enock Maregesi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enock-maregesi/)

> [“Vichwa vitatu vya sururu na chembe tatu za bunduki za Kalashnikov; na alama ya bahati, mafanikio, udhalimu na mwanzo mpya ya msalaba wa swastika,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enock-maregesi/vichwa-vitatu-vya-sururu-na-chembe-tatu-za-bunduki-za-kalashnikov-na/)

[Enock Maregesi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enock-maregesi/)

> [“And thus, the men won the Battle of the Sexes in Milesian times, so that from the Golden Age of Athens until the Golden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-chong/and-thus-the-men-won-the-battle-of-the-sexes-in-milesian-times-so/)

[Nicholas Chong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-chong/)

> [“Denying the facts is what enables people to hate and to persecute marginalized and threatened minority groups. Labeling the advocacy, educational and informational initiatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-engela/denying-the-facts-is-what-enables-people-to-hate-and-to-persecute/)

[Christina Engela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-engela/)

> [“We do not inherit the Earth from our parents. We borrow her from our children.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-david-henry/we-do-not-inherit-the-earth-from-our-parents-we-borrow-her-from-our/)

Keith David henry

> [“Kujenga urafiki na wanasiasa wakati mwingine ni kitu kizuri. Wanasaidia kurahisisha mambo.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enock-maregesi/kujenga-urafiki-na-wanasiasa-wakati-mwingine-ni-kitu-kizuri/)

[Enock Maregesi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enock-maregesi/)

> [“Kolonia Santita ni tofauti na hadithi zingine kwa sababu ya wapelelezi wake. Wapelelezi wake ni makomandoo-wapelelezi-wanajeshi.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enock-maregesi/kolonia-santita-ni-tofauti-na-hadithi-zingine-kwa-sababu-ya/)

[Enock Maregesi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enock-maregesi/)

## More by Malcolm Gladwell

> [When I go to my health club, and it's in the basement, you have to take the elevator down. And this drives me crazy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/when-i-go-to-my-health-club-and-it-s-in-the-basement-you-have-to-take/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-tipping-point-is-that-magic-moment-when-an-idea-trend-or-social/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [“The scholars who research happiness suggest that more money stops making people happier at a family income of around seventy-five thousand dollars a year.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-scholars-who-research-happiness-suggest-that-more-money-stops/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [We need to be clear when we venerate entrepreneurs what we are venerating.They are not moral leaders. If they were moral leaders, they wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/we-need-to-be-clear-when-we-venerate-entrepreneurs-what-we-are/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [“Some people look like they sound better than they actually sound, because they look confident and have good posture," once musician, a veteran of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/some-people-look-like-they-sound-better-than-they-actually-sound/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [A handicap is like trying to race and you have a ten pound weight stuck to your waist. That is a handicap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/a-handicap-is-like-trying-to-race-and-you-have-a-ten-pound-weight/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [“neighborhood was filled with engineers from Hewlett-Packard, then as now one of”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/neighborhood-was-filled-with-engineers-from-hewlett-packard-then-as/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [“People are ruined by challenged economic lives. But they are ruined by wealth as well because they lose their ambition and they lose their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/people-are-ruined-by-challenged-economic-lives-but-they-are-ruined-by/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [The single most important thing a city can do is provide a community where interesting, smart people want to live with their families.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-single-most-important-thing-a-city-can-do-is-provide-a-community/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [ \[Norden\] said, with the Mark 15 Norden bombsight, he could drop a bomb into a pickle barrel at 20,000 feet. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/norden-said-with-the-mark-15-norden-bombsight-he-could-drop-a-bomb/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [The willingness to be self-critical in England is much greater than the willingness to be self-critical in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-willingness-to-be-self-critical-in-england-is-much-greater-than/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [The conventional explanation for Jewish success, of course, is that Jews come from a literate, intellectual culture. They are famously "the people of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-conventional-explanation-for-jewish-success-of-course-is-that/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [“An archway to one side leads to a church, the Madonna del Carmine—Our Lady of Mount Carmine. Narrow”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/an-archway-to-one-side-leads-to-a-church-the-madonna-del-carmine-our/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [People are experience-rich and theory-poor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/people-are-experience-rich-and-theory-poor/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [“Most psychologists believe that nature—genetics—accounts for about half of the reason why we tend to act the way we do. His point is simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/most-psychologists-believe-that-nature-genetics-accounts-for-about/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

[Explore all 647 Malcolm Gladwell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

## More Art making quotes

> [Russia and the USA are two largest nuclear powers in the world; it's a really important relationship. How do we start making this work?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rex-w-tillerson/russia-and-the-usa-are-two-largest-nuclear-powers-in-the-world-it-s-a/)

[Rex W. Tillerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rex-w-tillerson/)

> [“Someone’s coming.” Terry McCaleb looked at his wife and then followed her eyes down to the winding road below. He could see the golf…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/someone-s-coming-terry-mccaleb-looked-at-his-wife-and-then-followed/)

[Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/)

> [“Yeah, I'm just trying to figure out what it means. I've never heard of bonds sharing languages either, and yet...' I pull her even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-messenger/yeah-i-m-just-trying-to-figure-out-what-it-means-i-ve-never-heard-of/)

[Shannon Messenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-messenger/)

> [Whenever we start making a 'Devil May Cry' game, one thing we think about is, 'What new weapons are we going to have for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hideaki-itsuno/whenever-we-start-making-a-devil-may-cry-game-one-thing-we-think/)

[Hideaki Itsuno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hideaki-itsuno/)

> [Before we start making blanket statements about abolishing the IRS, I think it's important to focus on what the tax code for the 21st…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-boustany/before-we-start-making-blanket-statements-about-abolishing-the-irs-i/)

[Charles Boustany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-boustany/)

> [I grew up watching monster movies and horror movies, which I felt were like fairy tales and I think this always spoke to me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-burton/i-grew-up-watching-monster-movies-and-horror-movies-which-i-felt-were/)

[Tim Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-burton/)

> [“Should we start making preparations here? (Tory) Punk-ass won’t come to my island! He knows better. You don’t tap on the Devil’s shoulder unless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/should-we-start-making-preparations-here-tory-punk-ass-won-t-come-to/)

[Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/)

> [In a way, to have whatever people talk about as "crossover success," I think it means you start making bad music. I mean, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/in-a-way-to-have-whatever-people-talk-about-as-crossover-success-i/)

[Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/)

> [“Strong Mercy: My desires are many and my cry is pitiful, but ever didst thou save me by hard refusals; and this strong mercy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/strong-mercy-my-desires-are-many-and-my-cry-is-pitiful-but-ever-didst/)

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

> [“Where did this whole thing begin? If what we think of as reality is just a pattern that somebody brought Outside, and the universe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/where-did-this-whole-thing-begin-if-what-we-think-of-as-reality-is/)

[Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/)

> [We never sit down before we start making a record and talk about this new sonic palette that we are going to try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-gibbard/we-never-sit-down-before-we-start-making-a-record-and-talk-about-this/)

[Ben Gibbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-gibbard/)

> [I think it killed my sister as the times she was living in were so conformist. This is a subject I really want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nan-goldin/i-think-it-killed-my-sister-as-the-times-she-was-living-in-were-so/)

[Nan Goldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nan-goldin/)

> [It's kind of true that they just start making the same movie over and over again. It's also true that the times dictate what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jane/it-s-kind-of-true-that-they-just-start-making-the-same-movie-over-and/)

[Thomas Jane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jane/)

> [“One of the advantages of no longer being young is that you're expected to start making up your mind about certain things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-teachout/one-of-the-advantages-of-no-longer-being-young-is-that-you-re/)

[Terry Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-teachout/)

> [The art is not in making money, but in keeping it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/proverb/the-art-is-not-in-making-money-but-in-keeping-it/)

Proverb

[Browse all 415 Art making quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-making/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“But this same dilemma comes up again and again in our own lives, and often we don't choose so wisely. The inverted-U curve reminds us that there is a point at which money and resources stop making our lives better and start making them worse.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Malcolm Gladwell"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/but-this-same-dilemma-comes-up-again-and-again-in-our-own-lives-and/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Art making"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/but-this-same-dilemma-comes-up-again-and-again-in-our-own-lives-and/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8f/malcolm-gladwell-348_art-making_but-this-same-dilemma-comes-up-again-and_835825.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8f/malcolm-gladwell-348_art-making_but-this-same-dilemma-comes-up-again-and_835825.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8f/malcolm-gladwell-348_art-making_but-this-same-dilemma-comes-up-again-and_835825.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“But this same dilemma comes up again and again in our own lives, and often we don't choose so wisely. The…” — Malcolm Gladwell",
                "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": "Malcolm Gladwell",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“But this same dilemma comes up...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/but-this-same-dilemma-comes-up-again-and-again-in-our-own-lives-and/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/but-this-same-dilemma-comes-up-again-and-again-in-our-own-lives-and/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```