--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In your life, it shouldn’t matter what…" description: "\"“In your life, it shouldn’t matter what anyone else is doing, or what anyone else thinks. You are the only person keeping score of your life. All that ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/428/maria-murnane-40482_approval-of-others_in-your-life-it-shouldn-t-matter-what-an_826322.jpg" --- # In your life, it shouldn’t matter what anyone else is… ![“In your life, it shouldn’t matter what anyone else is doing, or what anyone else thinks. You are the only person keeping score of your life. All that should matter to you is what is important to you. If you make major life choices based on what other people expect from you, or what will earn the…” quote by Maria Murnane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/428/maria-murnane-40482_approval-of-others_in-your-life-it-shouldn-t-matter-what-an_826322.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/428/maria-murnane-40482_approval-of-others_in-your-life-it-shouldn-t-matter-what-an_826322.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/428/maria-murnane-40482_approval-of-others_in-your-life-it-shouldn-t-matter-what-an_826322.jpg) > ““In your life, it shouldn’t matter what anyone else is doing, or what anyone else thinks. You are the only person keeping score of your life. All that should matter to you is what is important to you. If you make major life choices based on what other people expect from you, or what will earn the approval of others, you’ll never be happy.”” [Maria Murnane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-murnane/) ## 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 urges focusing on personal values and self‑assessment rather than external approval, suggesting true happiness comes from aligning actions with what truly matters to you. **In simple terms:** Prioritize your own goals over others’ expectations. Key Takeaway Live according to your own standards. Themes self‑esteem authenticity happiness Mood reflective determined Type advice motivational When to use this quote - career decisions - relationship choices - creative projects - health goals Key Concepts personal values intrinsic motivation self‑validation Questions to Reflect On - What personal values are you neglecting for others’ approval? - How would your life change if you measured success by your own standards? A Different Perspective External validation can be compelling and may lead to conformity, limiting personal growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Approval of others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approval-of-others/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-choice/) [Life choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-choices/) ## Related quotes > [“In fact, time teaches us that the musical score of life oscillates between that of Psycho and that of The Sound of Music, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/in-fact-time-teaches-us-that-the-musical-score-of-life-oscillates/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [The individual who knows the score about life sees difficulties as opportunities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/the-individual-who-knows-the-score-about-life-sees-difficulties-as/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [Money is just a way of keeping score.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-hunt/money-is-just-a-way-of-keeping-score/) [H. L. Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-hunt/) > [“Relationships are about give and take; not tit-for-tat. If you’re keeping score, you’ll lose at your own game.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faydra-d-fields/relationships-are-about-give-and-take-not-tit-for-tat-if-you-re/) [Faydra D. Fields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faydra-d-fields/) > [Money is a lousy way of keeping score.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/money-is-a-lousy-way-of-keeping-score/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The right person when he comes, he will not be keeping score.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehwish-younus/the-right-person-when-he-comes-he-will-not-be-keeping-score/) Mehwish Younus > [Being generous without keeping score strengthens your spirit, keeps you focused on the people who make your business what it is, and helps breed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-steiner/being-generous-without-keeping-score-strengthens-your-spirit-keeps/) Brandon Steiner > [“life. It gives you vision. But you can’t acquire it if you’re afraid of keeping score.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-summitt/life-it-gives-you-vision-but-you-can-t-acquire-it-if-you-re-afraid-of/) [Pat Summitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-summitt/) > [Grace cannot prevail...until our lifelong certainty that someone is keeping score has run out of steam and collapsed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-farrar-capon/grace-cannot-prevail-until-our-lifelong-certainty-that-someone-is/) [Robert Farrar Capon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-farrar-capon/) > [Keeping score of old scores and scars, getting even and one-upping, always makes you less than you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/keeping-score-of-old-scores-and-scars-getting-even-and-one-upping/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [Money. The ultimate motivation. The ultimate way of keeping score.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/money-the-ultimate-motivation-the-ultimate-way-of-keeping-score/) [Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/) > [We're all constantly keeping score. You can't help it. But trying to pit ourselves against other people in some measurable way is largely a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-howard/we-re-all-constantly-keeping-score-you-can-t-help-it-but-trying-to/) [Ron Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-howard/) > [To me, it’s always what’s next and I think that’s what drives most very successful people. It’s never about the money. I mean that’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donny-deutsch/to-me-it-s-always-what-s-next-and-i-think-that-s-what-drives-most/) [Donny Deutsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donny-deutsch/) > [Keeping score is for games, not friendships.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/keeping-score-is-for-games-not-friendships/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [I have concluded through careful empirical analysis and much thought that somebody is looking out for me, keeping track of what I think about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-savage/i-have-concluded-through-careful-empirical-analysis-and-much-thought/) [Adam Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-savage/) ## More by Maria Murnane > [“you a question,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-murnane/you-a-question/) [Maria Murnane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-murnane/) > [“She’s very good at saying no, but she never learned how to say yes. Yes to new experiences. Yes to friendly yet unfamiliar faces.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-murnane/she-s-very-good-at-saying-no-but-she-never-learned-how-to-say-yes-yes/) [Maria Murnane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-murnane/) > [“like Shane had done at Morton’s.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-murnane/like-shane-had-done-at-morton-s/) [Maria Murnane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-murnane/) > [“I think my FAVORITE part of being an author is reading all the wonderful emails I get from fans. It makes me so happy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-murnane/i-think-my-favorite-part-of-being-an-author-is-reading-all-the/) [Maria Murnane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-murnane/) > [“night of the tequila shots. She remembered how”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-murnane/night-of-the-tequila-shots-she-remembered-how/) [Maria Murnane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-murnane/) > [“Everything’s focused on the next step, and before they know it, they’ve spent all their best years always aiming for the future and never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-murnane/everything-s-focused-on-the-next-step-and-before-they-know-it-they-ve/) [Maria Murnane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-murnane/) > [“I believe if we focus on the things that make us happy, then happiness will find us in return.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-murnane/i-believe-if-we-focus-on-the-things-that-make-us-happy-then-happiness/) [Maria Murnane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-murnane/) > [“If you aren’t happy, do something about it. When you know what you want, don’t give up until you get it. Only you know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-murnane/if-you-aren-t-happy-do-something-about-it-when-you-know-what-you-want/) [Maria Murnane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-murnane/) > [“You know you’re a real grown-up when nothing but Oreos is black and white.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-murnane/you-know-you-re-a-real-grown-up-when-nothing-but-oreos-is-black-and/) [Maria Murnane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-murnane/) > [“Do your married friends tell you that you’re too picky? Honey, they settled. Either that or they’re not really your friends.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-murnane/do-your-married-friends-tell-you-that-you-re-too-picky-honey-they/) [Maria Murnane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-murnane/) [Explore all 11 Maria Murnane quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-murnane/) ## More Approval of others quotes > [Some people lower their own self esteem simply by seeking approval of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/some-people-lower-their-own-self-esteem-simply-by-seeking-approval-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Lord help me to work on giving, praying and fasting without seeking approval of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/lord-help-me-to-work-on-giving-praying-and-fasting-without-seeking/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A man doesn't require the approval of others. He's willing to follow his heart wherever it leads him. When a man is following his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-pavlina/a-man-doesn-t-require-the-approval-of-others-he-s-willing-to-follow/) [Steve Pavlina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-pavlina/) > [No effective guidance will ever be achieved by seeking approval of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-effective-guidance-will-ever-be-achieved-by-seeking-approval-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Self-approval is acquired mainly from the approval of other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/self-approval-is-acquired-mainly-from-the-approval-of-other-people/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“It seemed so natural, receiving it, watching others receive it, assuming that the approval of others determined our worth. Then one day we found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-goff/it-seemed-so-natural-receiving-it-watching-others-receive-it-assuming/) [Lee Goff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-goff/) > [“My thoughts are my own—I will not modify them to receive the approval of others. My feelings are my own—I will not silence them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-lynn-reilly/my-thoughts-are-my-own-i-will-not-modify-them-to-receive-the-approval/) [Patricia Lynn Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-lynn-reilly/) > [Embrace fanaticism. Harness joie de vivre by pursuing insane interests, consuming passions, and constant sources of gratification that do not depend on the approval…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-wurtzel/embrace-fanaticism-harness-joie-de-vivre-by-pursuing-insane-interests/) [Elizabeth Wurtzel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-wurtzel/) > [“The dismal fact is that self-respect has nothing to do with the approval of others — who are, after all, deceived easily enough; has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/the-dismal-fact-is-that-self-respect-has-nothing-to-do-with-the/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [“A balanced inner calmness radiates from a peaceful centre. It neither craves others' approval nor rejects others' presence. It neither pulls towards nor pushes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-goddard/a-balanced-inner-calmness-radiates-from-a-peaceful-centre-it-neither/) [Donna Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-goddard/) > [Seeking approval of others is away to avoid how deeply we disapprove of ourselves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/seeking-approval-of-others-is-away-to-avoid-how-deeply-we-disapprove/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Too many people base their worth and value on what other people think of them. They worry if others like them, approve of them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/too-many-people-base-their-worth-and-value-on-what-other-people-think/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [Happiness means loving yourself and being less concerned with the approval of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karina-barton/happiness-means-loving-yourself-and-being-less-concerned-with-the/) [Karina Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karina-barton/) > [“To be mad is to feel with excruciating intensity the sadness and joy of a time which has not arrived or has already been.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/to-be-mad-is-to-feel-with-excruciating-intensity-the-sadness-and-joy/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) > [Funny how my world improved immediately when I stopped seeking approval of others and began approving of myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/funny-how-my-world-improved-immediately-when-i-stopped-seeking/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 97 Approval of others quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approval-of-others/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“In your life, it shouldn’t matter what anyone else is doing, or what anyone else thinks. You are the only person keeping score of your life. All that should matter to you is what is important to you. If you make major life choices based on what other people expect from you, or what will earn the approval of others, you’ll never be happy.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Maria Murnane" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-murnane/in-your-life-it-shouldn-t-matter-what-anyone-else-is-doing-or-what/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Approval of others" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-murnane/in-your-life-it-shouldn-t-matter-what-anyone-else-is-doing-or-what/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/428/maria-murnane-40482_approval-of-others_in-your-life-it-shouldn-t-matter-what-an_826322.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/428/maria-murnane-40482_approval-of-others_in-your-life-it-shouldn-t-matter-what-an_826322.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/428/maria-murnane-40482_approval-of-others_in-your-life-it-shouldn-t-matter-what-an_826322.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In your life, it shouldn’t matter what anyone else is doing, or what anyone else thinks. You are the only…” — Maria Murnane", "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": "Maria Murnane", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-murnane/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“In your life, it shouldn’t matter...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-murnane/in-your-life-it-shouldn-t-matter-what-anyone-else-is-doing-or-what/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-murnane/in-your-life-it-shouldn-t-matter-what-anyone-else-is-doing-or-what/#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 } } ] } ```