--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Because the other way wasn’t working. The…" description: "\"“Because the other way wasn’t working. The waking up just to get the day over with until it was time for bed. The grinding it out was a disgrace, an af..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f0/maria-semple-2954_art-of-life_because-the-other-way-wasn-t-working-the_2197159.png" --- # Because the other way wasn’t working. The waking up just… ![“Because the other way wasn’t working. The waking up just to get the day over with until it was time for bed. The grinding it out was a disgrace, an affront to the honor and long shot of being alive at all. The ghost-walking, the short-tempered distraction, the hurried fog. (All of this I’m just…” quote by Maria Semple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f0/maria-semple-2954_art-of-life_because-the-other-way-wasn-t-working-the_2197159.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f0/maria-semple-2954_art-of-life_because-the-other-way-wasn-t-working-the_2197159.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f0/maria-semple-2954_art-of-life_because-the-other-way-wasn-t-working-the_2197159.png) > ““Because the other way wasn’t working. The waking up just to get the day over with until it was time for bed. The grinding it out was a disgrace, an affront to the honor and long shot of being alive at all. The ghost-walking, the short-tempered distraction, the hurried fog. (All of this I’m just assuming, because I have no idea how I come across, my consciousness is that underground, like a toad in winter.) The leaving the world a worse place just by being in it. The blindness to the destruction in my wake. The Mr. Magoo. If I’m forced to be honest, here’s an account of how I left the world last week: worse, worse, better, worse, same, worse, same. Not an inventory to make one swell with pride. I don’t necessarily need to make the world a better place, mind you. Today, I will live by the Hippocratic oath: first do no harm. How hard can it be? Dropping off Timby, having my poetry lesson (my favorite part of life!), taking a yoga class, eating lunch with Sydney Madsen, whom I can’t stand but at least I can check her off the list (more on that later), picking up Timby, and giving back to Joe, the underwriter of all this mad abundance. You’re trying to figure out, why the agita surrounding one normal day of white-people problems? Because there’s me and there’s the beast in me.”” [Maria Semple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-semple/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator reflects on daily monotony, self‑criticism, and a desire to avoid harming others while navigating mundane tasks and personal relationships. **In simple terms:** Feeling stuck yet trying to do no harm. Key Takeaway Live mindfully, avoid harming others. Themes self‑reflection mundane life ethical intent Mood reflective conflicted hopeful Type philosophical personal When to use this quote - commuting - poetry class - yoga session - social interaction - personal errands Key Concepts existential dread self‑awareness daily routine Questions to Reflect On - How can you practice “first do no harm” in small daily actions? - What does “the beast in me” represent? A Different Perspective The narrative may romanticize suffering, overlooking systemic issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-of-life/) [Better place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-place/) [Eating lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eating-lunch/) [First Do No Harm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-do-no-harm/) [Long Shot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-shot/) [Part of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/part-of-life/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Yoga Class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yoga-class/) ## Related quotes > [If there is a worse place than Hell, I am in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/if-there-is-a-worse-place-than-hell-i-am-in-it/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [The world does not get to be a better or a worse place; it just gets more senescent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-bloom/the-world-does-not-get-to-be-a-better-or-a-worse-place-it-just-gets/) [Harold Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-bloom/) > [“Writers live within their mind for their flesh and bones are stuck in a far worse place.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-e-hodges/writers-live-within-their-mind-for-their-flesh-and-bones-are-stuck-in/) [Jason E. Hodges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-e-hodges/) > [“First do no harm!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-e-tallis/first-do-no-harm/) Sophie E. Tallis > [“First Do No Harm,24”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-j-nance/first-do-no-harm-24/) John J. Nance > [“Doctors generally adhere to the Hippocratic oath, where they swear to abide by an ethical code, where they swear to act, always, in their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roxane-gay/doctors-generally-adhere-to-the-hippocratic-oath-where-they-swear-to/) [Roxane Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roxane-gay/) > [Doctors and nurses take an oath to first do no harm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-dubrow/doctors-and-nurses-take-an-oath-to-first-do-no-harm/) [Terry Dubrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-dubrow/) > [“First do no harm. -Hippocrates Second, do some good. -Anne M. Lipton, M.D., Ph.D.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-m-lipton/first-do-no-harm-hippocrates-second-do-some-good-anne-m-lipton-m-d-ph/) Anne M. Lipton > [“Doctors are supposed to first do no harm, but when it comes to fat bodies, most doctors seem fundamentally incapable of heeding their oath.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roxane-gay/doctors-are-supposed-to-first-do-no-harm-but-when-it-comes-to-fat/) [Roxane Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roxane-gay/) > [“Original Statement by Hunger Strikers to Psychiatric Association, National Alliance for the Mentally Ill and the U.S. Office of the Surgeon General 1. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-farber/original-statement-by-hunger-strikers-to-psychiatric-association/) [Seth Farber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-farber/) > [“Primum non nocere. First do no harm.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-bain/primum-non-nocere-first-do-no-harm/) Donald Bain > [Primum non nocerum. (First do no harm)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hippocrates/primum-non-nocerum-first-do-no-harm/) [Hippocrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hippocrates/) > [“Dead and still in the world was worse than dead and in the ground. Dead in the ground at least gave you the hope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-rash/dead-and-still-in-the-world-was-worse-than-dead-and-in-the-ground/) [Ron Rash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-rash/) > [You've always got to be happy and realize that there are people in the world who have it worse than you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-chung/you-ve-always-got-to-be-happy-and-realize-that-there-are-people-in/) [Patrick Chung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-chung/) > [I'm not convinced that the world is in any worse shape than it ever was. It's just that in this age of almost instantaneous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-vaughan/i-m-not-convinced-that-the-world-is-in-any-worse-shape-than-it-ever/) [Bill Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-vaughan/) ## More by Maria Semple > [“The drivers here are horrible. 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Not thoughts of sadness and wonder, mind you, because thoughts require a thinker,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-semple/every-single-iceberg-filled-me-with-feelings-of-sadness-and-wonder/) [Maria Semple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-semple/) > [“The sight of Elgie flat on the slimy dock, groaning "My wife, my wife", with a gun pointed at him, and me jumping up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-semple/the-sight-of-elgie-flat-on-the-slimy-dock-groaning-my-wife-my-wife/) [Maria Semple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-semple/) > [Maggie Shipstead's prose is so graceful and muscular, so dazzling, so sure-handed and fearless, that at times I had to remind myself to breathe.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-semple/maggie-shipstead-s-prose-is-so-graceful-and-muscular-so-dazzling-so/) [Maria Semple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-semple/) > [When your eyes are softly focused on the horizon for sustained periods, your brain releases endorphins. It's the same as a runner's high. These…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-semple/when-your-eyes-are-softly-focused-on-the-horizon-for-sustained/) [Maria Semple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-semple/) > [My strength as a TV writer was my total lack of interest in television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-semple/my-strength-as-a-tv-writer-was-my-total-lack-of-interest-in-television/) [Maria Semple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-semple/) > [Breezy, sophisticated, hilarious, rude and aching with sweetness: LOVE, NINA might be the most charming book I've ever read.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-semple/breezy-sophisticated-hilarious-rude-and-aching-with-sweetness-love/) [Maria Semple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-semple/) [Explore all 144 Maria Semple quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-semple/) ## More Art of life quotes > [Failure is a part of life and you have to learn to deal with it. Failure is something that is part of life's cycle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/failure-is-a-part-of-life-and-you-have-to-learn-to-deal-with-it/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [Part of life is doing stuff that you don't want to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/one-who-does-not-wish-to-be-named/part-of-life-is-doing-stuff-that-you-don-t-want-to-do/) One Who Does Not Wish To Be Named > [Having depression is tough, but surviving every day and telling yourself to go one more day longer is truly courageous. Amidst, all the pain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/having-depression-is-tough-but-surviving-every-day-and-telling/) [Jeremy Limn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-limn/) > [“The mistaken and unhappy notion that a man is an enduring unity is known to you. It is also known to you that a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/the-mistaken-and-unhappy-notion-that-a-man-is-an-enduring-unity-is/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [The art of life is to know how to enjoy a little and to endure very much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/the-art-of-life-is-to-know-how-to-enjoy-a-little-and-to-endure-very/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [“Learning what to want is the most radical, the most painful and the most creative art of life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-vickers/learning-what-to-want-is-the-most-radical-the-most-painful-and-the/) Geoffrey Vickers > [New teachers were just a part of life, for a few days after one arrived, squawks of interest were emitted from various corners, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-wolitzer/new-teachers-were-just-a-part-of-life-for-a-few-days-after-one/) [Meg Wolitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-wolitzer/) > [“Everywhere you go you'll see highs and lows These things are just part of life and its flows It helps to understand that no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-marques/everywhere-you-go-you-ll-see-highs-and-lows-these-things-are-just/) [Joan Marques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-marques/) > [I need someone...to be half of myself...to carry my 2nd part of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/singu/i-need-someone-to-be-half-of-myself-to-carry-my-2nd-part-of-life/) [SINGU](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/singu/) > [The easy part of life is finding someone to love you. The hard part of life is finding some to love you back!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-easy-part-of-life-is-finding-someone-to-love-you-the-hard-part-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It's a part of life. You never know what you are going to get; you just have to be strong enough to deal with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-hill/it-s-a-part-of-life-you-never-know-what-you-are-going-to-get-you-just/) [Melissa Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-hill/) > [Experience is the only real teacher and if you keep a diary you get three bites at educating yourself - when it happens, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/experience-is-the-only-real-teacher-and-if-you-keep-a-diary-you-get/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [“You didn’t get it. Sacrifice is a part of life. It’s supposed to be. It’s not something to regret. 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Nobody really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/what-advice-would-you-give-to-a-smart-driven-college-student-about-to/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) [Browse all 957 Art of life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-of-life/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Because the other way wasn’t working. The waking up just to get the day over with until it was time for bed. The grinding it out was a disgrace, an affront to the honor and long shot of being alive at all. The ghost-walking, the short-tempered distraction, the hurried fog. (All of this I’m just assuming, because I have no idea how I come across, my consciousness is that underground, like a toad in winter.) The leaving the world a worse place just by being in it. The blindness to the destruction in my wake. The Mr. Magoo. If I’m forced to be honest, here’s an account of how I left the world last week: worse, worse, better, worse, same, worse, same. Not an inventory to make one swell with pride. I don’t necessarily need to make the world a better place, mind you. Today, I will live by the Hippocratic oath: first do no harm. How hard can it be? Dropping off Timby, having my poetry lesson (my favorite part of life!), taking a yoga class, eating lunch with Sydney Madsen, whom I can’t stand but at least I can check her off the list (more on that later), picking up Timby, and giving back to Joe, the underwriter of all this mad abundance. You’re trying to figure out, why the agita surrounding one normal day of white-people problems? 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