--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is not how much money we make that…" description: "\"“It is not how much money we make that ultimately makes us happy between nine and five. It’s whether our work fulfills us. If I offered you a choice be..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a29/malcolm-gladwell-348_creative-work_it-is-not-how-much-money-we-make-that-ul_2681803.jpg" --- # It is not how much money we make that ultimately makes us… ![“It is not how much money we make that ultimately makes us happy between nine and five. It’s whether our work fulfills us. If I offered you a choice between being an architect for $75,000 a year and working in a tollbooth every day for the rest of your life for $100,000 a year, which would you…” quote by Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a29/malcolm-gladwell-348_creative-work_it-is-not-how-much-money-we-make-that-ul_2681803.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a29/malcolm-gladwell-348_creative-work_it-is-not-how-much-money-we-make-that-ul_2681803.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a29/malcolm-gladwell-348_creative-work_it-is-not-how-much-money-we-make-that-ul_2681803.jpg) > ““It is not how much money we make that ultimately makes us happy between nine and five. It’s whether our work fulfills us. If I offered you a choice between being an architect for $75,000 a year and working in a tollbooth every day for the rest of your life for $100,000 a year, which would you take? I’m guessing the former, because there is complexity, autonomy, and a relationship between effort and reward in doing creative work, and that’s worth more to most of us than money.”” [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. Work fulfillment matters more than salary; purpose and creativity outweigh higher pay. **In simple terms:** Doing meaningful work is more rewarding than more money. Key Takeaway Choose work that aligns with your values. Themes purpose career satisfaction money vs fulfillment Mood thoughtful inspirational Type philosophical career‑advice When to use this quote - career planning - job interviews - life decisions Key Concepts intrinsic motivation autonomy effort‑reward relationship Questions to Reflect On - What aspects of your job give you purpose? - Can you trade higher salary for more autonomy? A Different Perspective Higher pay may not compensate for lack of meaning. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Architect 75](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/architect-75-2586282/) [Choice Architect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice-architect-2586281/) [Creative work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative-work/) [Every day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-day/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Rest of your life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rest-of-your-life/) [Work Worth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-worth-755409/) [Year Working](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/year-working/) ## Related quotes > [“If I offered you a choice between being an architect for $75,000 a year and working in a tollbooth every day for the rest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/if-i-offered-you-a-choice-between-being-an-architect-for-75-000-a/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“there is complexity, autonomy, and a relationship between effort and reward in doing creative work, and that’s worth more to most of us than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/there-is-complexity-autonomy-and-a-relationship-between-effort-and/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“A choice architect has the responsibility for organizing the context in which people make decisions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-h-thaler/a-choice-architect-has-the-responsibility-for-organizing-the-context/) [Richard H. Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-h-thaler/) > [“because there is complexity, autonomy, and a relationship between effort and reward in doing creative work,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/because-there-is-complexity-autonomy-and-a-relationship-between/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [There were very depressing days when the whole year everyone was working, and you were sitting at home because half of the people weren't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-sadh/there-were-very-depressing-days-when-the-whole-year-everyone-was/) [Amit Sadh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-sadh/) > [Every year of my working life, I have been fortunate enough to earn more money than I have spent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-andreae/every-year-of-my-working-life-i-have-been-fortunate-enough-to-earn/) [Giles Andreae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-andreae/) > [I've always invested in myself, whether it was marketing or putting an album together and paying for radio. Spending eight months to a year…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-j/i-ve-always-invested-in-myself-whether-it-was-marketing-or-putting-an/) [Ray J](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-j/) > [In the early 1980s, I spent a year working as an assistant at the Elaine Markson Literary Agency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-scott/in-the-early-1980s-i-spent-a-year-working-as-an-assistant-at-the/) [Joanna Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-scott/) > [I moved to London when I was 21 and I needed a job. I'd just done a year working in Waterstones in Manchester and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-widdicombe/i-moved-to-london-when-i-was-21-and-i-needed-a-job-i-d-just-done-a/) [Josh Widdicombe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-widdicombe/) > [I've been getting publishing royalties and stuff like that. I have just been lucky. They come in at the right time. Sometimes they don't,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pharoah-sanders/i-ve-been-getting-publishing-royalties-and-stuff-like-that-i-have/) [Pharoah Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pharoah-sanders/) > [“I have a friend who is a very successful writer. Early in his career, he wrote a script that I thought was terrible, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/i-have-a-friend-who-is-a-very-successful-writer-early-in-his-career/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [As an actor you want time at home, what amounts to half a year of working and half a year at home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zooey-deschanel/as-an-actor-you-want-time-at-home-what-amounts-to-half-a-year-of/) [Zooey Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zooey-deschanel/) > [I wore combat boots for two albums, then I went into more of the sparkle and glamour. The older that I've become, I've felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/selena-gomez/i-wore-combat-boots-for-two-albums-then-i-went-into-more-of-the/) [Selena Gomez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/selena-gomez/) > [2021 is my 40th year working in the industry and I can't think of a better way to celebrate than directing 'Holding.' It's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-burke/2021-is-my-40th-year-working-in-the-industry-and-i-can-t-think-of-a/) [Kathy Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-burke/) > [Right now, America doesn't ask us to do anything besides pay taxes. We don't even have to vote. But as psychologists will tell you,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/right-now-america-doesn-t-ask-us-to-do-anything-besides-pay-taxes-we/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) ## 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 Creative work quotes > [“… ya can't please everyone, so ya got to please yourself Ricky Nelson (Referring to creative works, not other things)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/ya-can-t-please-everyone-so-ya-got-to-please-yourself-ricky-nelson/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The impresario function is about intervening with the company's more administrative management structure. It is about trying to establish a sense of boundaries and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kao/the-impresario-function-is-about-intervening-with-the-company-s-more/) [John Kao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kao/) > [As I've indicated, most books go out of print within one year. The same is true of music and film. Commercial culture is sharklike.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/as-i-ve-indicated-most-books-go-out-of-print-within-one-year-the-same/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) > [ If \[people\] place such things as friendship and family ties above their own productive work, yes, then they are immoral. Friendship, family life and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/if-people-place-such-things-as-friendship-and-family-ties-above-their/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [“What we call creative work, Ought not to be called work at all because it isn't. I imagine that Thomas Edison never did a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-we-call-creative-work-ought-not-to-be-called-work-at-all-because/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Let us guide our students over the road of discipline from materials, through function, to creative work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/let-us-guide-our-students-over-the-road-of-discipline-from-materials/) [Ludwig Mies van der Rohe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/) > [Creativity is not a solitary movement. That is its power. Whatever is touched by it, whoever hears it, sees it, senses it, knows it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarissa-pinkola-estes/creativity-is-not-a-solitary-movement-that-is-its-power-whatever-is/) [Clarissa Pinkola Estes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarissa-pinkola-estes/) > [“One thing about creative work is that it’s never done. In different words, every person we interviewed said that it was equally true that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-henry/one-thing-about-creative-work-is-that-it-s-never-done-in-different/) [Todd Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-henry/) > [I believe in creative work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demian-bichir/i-believe-in-creative-work/) [Demian Bichir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demian-bichir/) > [“The only legitimate basis of creative work lies in the courageous recognition of all the irreconcilable antagonisms that make our life so enigmatic, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/the-only-legitimate-basis-of-creative-work-lies-in-the-courageous/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) > [ We pride ourselves at Natrona - I mean, pride {ironically\] - on developing a noncompetitive community. That's very important. The values that can come… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-waldman/we-pride-ourselves-at-natrona-i-mean-pride-ironically-on-developing-a/) [Anne Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-waldman/) > [“Most agree that a useful definition of creative work is that it includes a combination of novelty and value. Creativity requires novelty because tried-and-true…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-w-flaherty/most-agree-that-a-useful-definition-of-creative-work-is-that-it/) [Alice W. Flaherty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-w-flaherty/) > [At this point in my life, I like the security of a job, while still having time for my young son and to pursue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-noth/at-this-point-in-my-life-i-like-the-security-of-a-job-while-still/) [Chris Noth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-noth/) > [“The point of dreams was never to be the affordable option, it was the one everyone else saw as a mistake and every creative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anastasia-bolinder/the-point-of-dreams-was-never-to-be-the-affordable-option-it-was-the/) [Anastasia Bolinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anastasia-bolinder/) > [I try to live right. I always try to adhere to what I think is right, and that, to me, is the most important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-maloof/i-try-to-live-right-i-always-try-to-adhere-to-what-i-think-is-right/) [Sam Maloof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-maloof/) [Browse all 323 Creative work quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative-work/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It is not how much money we make that ultimately makes us happy between nine and five. It’s whether our work fulfills us. If I offered you a choice between being an architect for $75,000 a year and working in a tollbooth every day for the rest of your life for $100,000 a year, which would you take? 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