--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The wise person doesn't ask, \"What have I…" description: "\"The wise person doesn't ask, \"What have I achieved?\" but rather, \"What have I contributed?\"\" — Marianne Williamson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f6/marianne-williamson-90_achieved_the-wise-person-doesn-t-ask-what-have-i_1990609.png" --- # The wise person doesn't ask, "What have I achieved?" but… ![“The wise person doesn't ask, "What have I achieved?" but rather, "What have I contributed?"” quote by Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f6/marianne-williamson-90_achieved_the-wise-person-doesn-t-ask-what-have-i_1990609.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f6/marianne-williamson-90_achieved_the-wise-person-doesn-t-ask-what-have-i_1990609.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f6/marianne-williamson-90_achieved_the-wise-person-doesn-t-ask-what-have-i_1990609.png) > “The wise person doesn't ask, "What have I achieved?" but rather, "What have I contributed?"” [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True fulfillment comes from focusing on what you give, not what you receive. **In simple terms:** Measure success by contribution, not accolades. Key Takeaway Prioritize service over personal achievement. Themes service humility purpose Mood inspirational reflective Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - volunteering - career choices - leadership decisions - personal goals Key Concepts self‑actualization altruism psychology Questions to Reflect On - What can you give today? - How do you balance contribution with self‑care? A Different Perspective May overlook personal well‑being or lead to burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Contribution to society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contribution-to-society/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Lecturer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lecturer/) [Lifetime achievement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lifetime-achievement/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) [Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise/) ## Related quotes > [“Always ask yourself what you have achieved within a given time and the product of your life”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/always-ask-yourself-what-you-have-achieved-within-a-given-time-and/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [No one ever contributed anything to my designs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-day/no-one-ever-contributed-anything-to-my-designs/) [Robin Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-day/) > [I've contributed a lot to country music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-evans/i-ve-contributed-a-lot-to-country-music/) [Sara Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-evans/) > [And as you said, everyone contributed; certain areas of material came from certain individuals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-sherwood/and-as-you-said-everyone-contributed-certain-areas-of-material-came/) [Billy Sherwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-sherwood/) > [At the end of my life I want to be able to say I contributed more than I criticized.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/at-the-end-of-my-life-i-want-to-be-able-to-say-i-contributed-more/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [My upbringing in Rampur has contributed a lot to what I am today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raza-murad/my-upbringing-in-rampur-has-contributed-a-lot-to-what-i-am-today/) [Raza Murad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raza-murad/) > [“contributed to “making things in a set.” I have many”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takehiko-harada/contributed-to-making-things-in-a-set-i-have-many/) Takehiko Harada > [“help but think that perhaps the girls had somehow contributed”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marybeth-mayhew-whalen/help-but-think-that-perhaps-the-girls-had-somehow-contributed/) [Marybeth Mayhew Whalen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marybeth-mayhew-whalen/) > [“individuals who contributed their time and energy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-n-davidson/individuals-who-contributed-their-time-and-energy/) [Cathy N. Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-n-davidson/) > [You can blame the other guy for saying it, or you can look at yourself and say, 'I must have contributed to this.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/you-can-blame-the-other-guy-for-saying-it-or-you-can-look-at-yourself/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [All my achievements - even if they may seem small - are mine. No one has contributed to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/koena-mitra/all-my-achievements-even-if-they-may-seem-small-are-mine-no-one-has/) [Koena Mitra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/koena-mitra/) > [I'm somebody who's really contributed to culture. Popular culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-guttenberg/i-m-somebody-who-s-really-contributed-to-culture-popular-culture/) [Steve Guttenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-guttenberg/) > [“There are two powerful fuels, two forces; motivation and inspiration. To be motivated you need to know what your motives are. Over time -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rasheed-ogunlaru/there-are-two-powerful-fuels-two-forces-motivation-and-inspiration-to/) [Rasheed Ogunlaru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rasheed-ogunlaru/) > [The future will be in the hands of those of you who belong to the 21st century. You have the opportunity and responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/the-future-will-be-in-the-hands-of-those-of-you-who-belong-to-the/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [Of course, corporations and governments have a right to something for their money. They pay the wages. But they don't have the ethical right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/of-course-corporations-and-governments-have-a-right-to-something-for/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) ## More by Marianne Williamson > [The goal of spiritual practice is full recovery, and the only thing you need to recover from is a fractured sense of self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-goal-of-spiritual-practice-is-full-recovery-and-the-only-thing/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [I can't say that there are 'things' that make me come alive. There are thoughts that make me come alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/i-can-t-say-that-there-are-things-that-make-me-come-alive-there-are/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [The reason so many of us are obsessed with becoming stars is because we are not yet starring in our own lives. The cosmic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-reason-so-many-of-us-are-obsessed-with-becoming-stars-is-because/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [Great people are not people who have never fallen down. Greatness has to do with how you get back up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/great-people-are-not-people-who-have-never-fallen-down-greatness-has/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [I feel that if your soul was branded by the sixties, you never lost the brand. It's like going into a nightclub and having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/i-feel-that-if-your-soul-was-branded-by-the-sixties-you-never-lost/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [Until we have met the monsters in ourselves, we keep trying to slay them in the outer world. And we find that we cannot.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/until-we-have-met-the-monsters-in-ourselves-we-keep-trying-to-slay/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [No matter how sad we might be, the universe is still planning our happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/no-matter-how-sad-we-might-be-the-universe-is-still-planning-our/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [Love is who we are, and when we deviate from that love we're deviating from our ultimate, essential, eternal reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/love-is-who-we-are-and-when-we-deviate-from-that-love-we-re-deviating/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [For many, many people, getting married is one of the most important things they will ever do in the pursuit of happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/for-many-many-people-getting-married-is-one-of-the-most-important/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [As all of us are only too aware, the loud and frantic voices of the outer world easily drown out the small, still loving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/as-all-of-us-are-only-too-aware-the-loud-and-frantic-voices-of-the/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [It is not too late. You are not too old. You are right on time-And you are better than you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/it-is-not-too-late-you-are-not-too-old-you-are-right-on-time-and-you/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [I tell my mother I went to God in spite of my religious education. I feel that my religious education was inadequate, but that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/i-tell-my-mother-i-went-to-god-in-spite-of-my-religious-education-i/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [You don't have to be a spiritual seeker, you can be a businessman dealing with the revolution in computers. You could be a congressman,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/you-don-t-have-to-be-a-spiritual-seeker-you-can-be-a-businessman/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [Dear God, I surrender this thought to you, for I would see the miracle that lies behind it. Amen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/dear-god-i-surrender-this-thought-to-you-for-i-would-see-the-miracle/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [Sex is not the ultimate high, but the ultimate high hangs out around sex. The ultimate high is the dance with another person, played…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/sex-is-not-the-ultimate-high-but-the-ultimate-high-hangs-out-around/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) [Explore all 1,347 Marianne Williamson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) ## More Achieved quotes > [By the time you have no difficulties in your life, you have achieved Heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brown/by-the-time-you-have-no-difficulties-in-your-life-you-have-achieved/) [Charles Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brown/) > [To achieve something you've never achieved before, you must become someone you've never been before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shubham-joshi/to-achieve-something-you-ve-never-achieved-before-you-must-become/) [Shubham Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shubham-joshi/) > [My decision was that after nearly three years at Celtic - with everything we'd achieved and the success we'd had on the pitch, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-rodgers/my-decision-was-that-after-nearly-three-years-at-celtic-with/) [Brendan Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-rodgers/) > [Now when I watch my films after 10 years, I realise what have I achieved? Nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rimi-sen/now-when-i-watch-my-films-after-10-years-i-realise-what-have-i/) [Rimi Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rimi-sen/) > [Justice is not cheap. Justice is not quick. It is not ever finally achieved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/justice-is-not-cheap-justice-is-not-quick-it-is-not-ever-finally/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [No doubt the ridiculous politicians are right to like politics. They have found careers in which success can be achieved by being ridiculous. Imagine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/no-doubt-the-ridiculous-politicians-are-right-to-like-politics-they/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [If I can achieve for Celtic what I have achieved for Hibs, then I feel I will have done well for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jock-stein/if-i-can-achieve-for-celtic-what-i-have-achieved-for-hibs-then-i-feel/) [Jock Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jock-stein/) > [I can only thank Manchester City for everything they have done for me. What we have achieved in such a short space of time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-duggan/i-can-only-thank-manchester-city-for-everything-they-have-done-for-me/) [Toni Duggan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-duggan/) > [The victory will be only entirely and finally achieved when the whole world is free of Jews.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-streicher/the-victory-will-be-only-entirely-and-finally-achieved-when-the-whole/) [Julius Streicher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-streicher/) > [Nothing great is ever achieved without much enduring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-catherine-of-siena/nothing-great-is-ever-achieved-without-much-enduring/) [St. Catherine of Siena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-catherine-of-siena/) > [You've got to admire Sir Richard Branson. He is a completely different style of businessman to me, but you have got to admire what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-sugar/you-ve-got-to-admire-sir-richard-branson-he-is-a-completely-different/) [Alan Sugar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-sugar/) > [In the end, individual titles are achieved with the help of all your team-mates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergio-ramos/in-the-end-individual-titles-are-achieved-with-the-help-of-all-your/) [Sergio Ramos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergio-ramos/) > [Success is not found in what you have achieved but rather in who you have become](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ziad-k-abdelnour/success-is-not-found-in-what-you-have-achieved-but-rather-in-who-you/) [Ziad K. Abdelnour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ziad-k-abdelnour/) > [Gender equality cannot be achieved by cutting programs that allow girls to get the same chance to compete, learn, and play. The United States…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-sanchez/gender-equality-cannot-be-achieved-by-cutting-programs-that-allow/) [Linda Sanchez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-sanchez/) > [It is only through religion that communism can be achieved, and has been achieved over and over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/it-is-only-through-religion-that-communism-can-be-achieved-and-has/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) Browse all 410 Achieved quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The wise person doesn't ask, \"What have I achieved?\" but rather, \"What have I contributed?\"", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Marianne Williamson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-wise-person-doesn-t-ask-what-have-i-achieved-but-rather-what-have/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Achieved" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-wise-person-doesn-t-ask-what-have-i-achieved-but-rather-what-have/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f6/marianne-williamson-90_achieved_the-wise-person-doesn-t-ask-what-have-i_1990609.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f6/marianne-williamson-90_achieved_the-wise-person-doesn-t-ask-what-have-i_1990609.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f6/marianne-williamson-90_achieved_the-wise-person-doesn-t-ask-what-have-i_1990609.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The wise person doesn't ask, \"What have I achieved?\" but rather, \"What have I contributed?\"” — Marianne Williamson", "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": "Marianne Williamson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The wise person doesn't ask, \"What...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-wise-person-doesn-t-ask-what-have-i-achieved-but-rather-what-have/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-wise-person-doesn-t-ask-what-have-i-achieved-but-rather-what-have/#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 } } ] } ```