--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'd rather be like Odysseus than someone…" description: "\"I'd rather be like Odysseus than someone who was handed everything.\" — Mindy Kaling" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dad/mindy-kaling-672_handed_i-d-rather-be-like-odysseus-than-someone_872310.png" --- # I'd rather be like Odysseus than someone who was handed… ![“I'd rather be like Odysseus than someone who was handed everything.” quote by Mindy Kaling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dad/mindy-kaling-672_handed_i-d-rather-be-like-odysseus-than-someone_872310.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dad/mindy-kaling-672_handed_i-d-rather-be-like-odysseus-than-someone_872310.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dad/mindy-kaling-672_handed_i-d-rather-be-like-odysseus-than-someone_872310.png) > “I'd rather be like Odysseus than someone who was handed everything.” [Mindy Kaling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-kaling/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Choosing a challenging, self-made path is more rewarding than receiving unearned advantages. **In simple terms:** Prefer struggle over easy gifts. Key Takeaway Embrace challenges, earn your success. Themes ambition self-reliance adventure Mood motivational thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career decisions - education choices - entrepreneurship - personal goals Key Concepts mythology personal growth Questions to Reflect On - What challenges have you chosen? - Do you value effort over outcome? A Different Perspective Risk of burnout if challenges are pursued without balance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Handed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/handed/) [Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like/) [Like Odysseus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-odysseus-626405/) [Odysseus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/odysseus/) [Odysseus Handed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/odysseus-handed-964164/) ## Related quotes > [The true artist plays mad with his soul, labors at the very lip of the volcano, but remembers and clings to his purpose, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gardner/the-true-artist-plays-mad-with-his-soul-labors-at-the-very-lip-of-the/) [John Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gardner/) > [“You are like Odysseus, who could go out onto the great sea, lose all his goods and his friends, come to the boundaries of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-bradshaw/you-are-like-odysseus-who-could-go-out-onto-the-great-sea-lose-all/) [Gillian Bradshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-bradshaw/) > [Like Odysseus, the President looked wiser when he was seated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-maynard-keynes/like-odysseus-the-president-looked-wiser-when-he-was-seated/) [John Maynard Keynes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-maynard-keynes/) > [“Socrates and Phaedrus, like Odysseus, must sail by the Sirens without being enchanted: instead of listening to their voices, they will outdo them with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silvia-montiglio/socrates-and-phaedrus-like-odysseus-must-sail-by-the-sirens-without/) [Silvia Montiglio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silvia-montiglio/) > [“...much of poetry in the making is the fiddle with a few items. You lay a word against another and wait. You try another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-raine/much-of-poetry-in-the-making-is-the-fiddle-with-a-few-items-you-lay-a/) [Craig Raine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-raine/) > [“This is what you should teach me, how to be like Odysseus—how to love my country, wife and father, and how, even after suffering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holiday/this-is-what-you-should-teach-me-how-to-be-like-odysseus-how-to-love/) [Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) > [I was really, really stagnating and getting bored in the steady work of television and didn't really know what movies I would be making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-graves/i-was-really-really-stagnating-and-getting-bored-in-the-steady-work/) [Alex Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-graves/) > [“But when Odysseus rose, that man of many devices, fixing his down-cast eyes on the ground he stood: nor his scepter swayed, either this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer/but-when-odysseus-rose-that-man-of-many-devices-fixing-his-down-cast/) [Homer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer/) > [It's the quintessential Greek sport: harmonious, competitive, agonizing, nautical, and above all, intelligent. It combines Odysseus's brains and brawn and love of the sea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-s-strauss/it-s-the-quintessential-greek-sport-harmonious-competitive-agonizing/) [Barry S. Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-s-strauss/) > [Across the gulf of centuries, the blind smile of Homer is turned upon our age. Along the echoing corridors of time, the roar of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/across-the-gulf-of-centuries-the-blind-smile-of-homer-is-turned-upon/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [“What could you possibly write at Gates of Hades?” Cadmus asked. “Keep your spirits up.” Lycon sheathed the dagger he’d used to chisel the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sulari-gentill/what-could-you-possibly-write-at-gates-of-hades-cadmus-asked-keep/) [Sulari Gentill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sulari-gentill/) > [To find anything comparable with our forthcoming ventures into space, we must go back far beyond Columbus, far beyond Odysseus-far, indeed, beyond the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/to-find-anything-comparable-with-our-forthcoming-ventures-into-space/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [Odysseus inclines his head. "True. But fame is a strange thing. Some men gain glory after they die, while others fade. What is admired…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/odysseus-inclines-his-head-true-but-fame-is-a-strange-thing-some-men/) [Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/) > ['The Odyssey' is a great poem to refugee-dom... Odysseus is not entirely a refugee... he's somebody who's blown off course. The entire book is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-osborne/the-odyssey-is-a-great-poem-to-refugee-dom-odysseus-is-not-entirely-a/) [Lawrence Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-osborne/) > [But you, Achilles,/ There is not a man in the world more blest than you--/ There never has been, never will be one./ Time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-you-achilles-there-is-not-a-man-in-the-world-more-blest-than-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Mindy Kaling > [I think women in general like men that don't give them the thing that we want. We want a chase.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-kaling/i-think-women-in-general-like-men-that-don-t-give-them-the-thing-that/) [Mindy Kaling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-kaling/) > [When you're "East Coast" person, you are so insufferable, and you have no idea. And I was. One, because I was miserable, and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-kaling/when-you-re-east-coast-person-you-are-so-insufferable-and-you-have-no/) [Mindy Kaling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-kaling/) > [..I find it incredible impossible not to cry when I hear Stevie Nicks's "Landslide," especially the lyric: "I've been afraid of changing, because I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-kaling/i-find-it-incredible-impossible-not-to-cry-when-i-hear-stevie-nicks-s/) [Mindy Kaling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-kaling/) > [I must have been 10 or 11, but anything Dana Carvey ever did, I just really loved. He was on for a long time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-kaling/i-must-have-been-10-or-11-but-anything-dana-carvey-ever-did-i-just/) [Mindy Kaling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-kaling/) > [“As it is, I guess I find “Jack & Diane” a little disgusting. As a child of immigrant professionals, I can’t help but notice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-kaling/as-it-is-i-guess-i-find-jack-diane-a-little-disgusting-as-a-child-of/) [Mindy Kaling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-kaling/) > [“As it is, I guess I find "Jack and Diane" a little disgusting. As a child of immigrant professionals, I can't help but notice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-kaling/as-it-is-i-guess-i-find-jack-and-diane-a-little-disgusting-as-a-child/) [Mindy Kaling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-kaling/) > [True love is singing karaoke 'under pressure' and letting the other person sing the Freddie Mercury part.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-kaling/true-love-is-singing-karaoke-under-pressure-and-letting-the-other/) [Mindy Kaling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-kaling/) > [I had these kind of unrealistic expectations that were fueled by romantic comedies, and it has both helped me and hurt me in many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-kaling/i-had-these-kind-of-unrealistic-expectations-that-were-fueled-by/) [Mindy Kaling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-kaling/) > [There's a female writer-performer thing going on in TV right now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-kaling/there-s-a-female-writer-performer-thing-going-on-in-tv-right-now/) [Mindy Kaling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-kaling/) > [Almost every college playwright or sketch or improv comedian was sort of aware of Christopher Durang - even kids in high school. His short…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-kaling/almost-every-college-playwright-or-sketch-or-improv-comedian-was-sort/) [Mindy Kaling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-kaling/) > [More than half the questions I am asked are about the politics of the way I look](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-kaling/more-than-half-the-questions-i-am-asked-are-about-the-politics-of-the/) [Mindy Kaling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-kaling/) > [“Even though Mavis was my secret friend, she is the only one I hope I see again. She’s the only one I wonder about.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-kaling/even-though-mavis-was-my-secret-friend-she-is-the-only-one-i-hope-i/) [Mindy Kaling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-kaling/) > [I regard romantic comedies as a subgenre of sci-fi, in which the world operates according to different rules than my regular human world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-kaling/i-regard-romantic-comedies-as-a-subgenre-of-sci-fi-in-which-the-world/) [Mindy Kaling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-kaling/) > [“Be like Allan Pearl. Sit next to the class clown and study him. Then grow up, take everything you learned, and get paid to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-kaling/be-like-allan-pearl-sit-next-to-the-class-clown-and-study-him-then/) [Mindy Kaling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-kaling/) > [“Don’t be closer to twice a friend’s weight than to her actual weight,” I told myself. This little mantra has helped me stave off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-kaling/don-t-be-closer-to-twice-a-friend-s-weight-than-to-her-actual-weight/) [Mindy Kaling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-kaling/) [Explore all 415 Mindy Kaling quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-kaling/) ## More Handed quotes > [I was really, really stagnating and getting bored in the steady work of television and didn't really know what movies I would be making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-graves/i-was-really-really-stagnating-and-getting-bored-in-the-steady-work/) [Alex Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-graves/) > [If I had a choice, I'd say I'm right-handed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-conley-jr/if-i-had-a-choice-i-d-say-i-m-right-handed/) [Mike Conley Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-conley-jr/) > [After all, crime is only a left-handed form of human endeavor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/after-all-crime-is-only-a-left-handed-form-of-human-endeavor/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I never had a belt handed to me as a gift.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricio-freire/i-never-had-a-belt-handed-to-me-as-a-gift/) [Patricio Freire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricio-freire/) > [When a grown man reaches forty, we change him for an old one. He has completely disappeared. There's only the most superficial resemblance between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-giraudoux/when-a-grown-man-reaches-forty-we-change-him-for-an-old-one-he-has/) [Jean Giraudoux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-giraudoux/) > [We have a core value here at Twitter that says we want to defend and respect the user's voice. And that's important to us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-costolo/we-have-a-core-value-here-at-twitter-that-says-we-want-to-defend-and/) [Dick Costolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-costolo/) > [As far as I am concerned, Don Quixote is the most metal fictional character that I know. Single handed, he is trying to change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-lee/as-far-as-i-am-concerned-don-quixote-is-the-most-metal-fictional/) [Christopher Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-lee/) > [Yet thousands of slaves throughout the southern states are thus handed over by the masters who own them to masters who do not; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fanny-kemble/yet-thousands-of-slaves-throughout-the-southern-states-are-thus/) [Fanny Kemble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fanny-kemble/) > [85 percent of people are right handed 15 percent makes me different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-mcafee/85-percent-of-people-are-right-handed-15-percent-makes-me-different/) [Leonard Mcafee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-mcafee/) > [I can punch, I'm heavy-handed, and I can box.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rocky-fielding/i-can-punch-i-m-heavy-handed-and-i-can-box/) [Rocky Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rocky-fielding/) > ['Showgirls' was a critical point in my life. I had my head handed to me. At 21 years old, I had to find my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berkley/showgirls-was-a-critical-point-in-my-life-i-had-my-head-handed-to-me/) [Elizabeth Berkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berkley/) > [Respect is earned and not handed on a platter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-moores/respect-is-earned-and-not-handed-on-a-platter/) [Sarah Moores](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-moores/) > [I'm right-handed, whereas the fellow in my mirror is left-handed. I start shaving from the left; he starts from the right. Differences only in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/i-m-right-handed-whereas-the-fellow-in-my-mirror-is-left-handed-i/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [Writing has been handed to me on a plate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/writing-has-been-handed-to-me-on-a-plate/) [Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/) > [I punch left-handed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-weir/i-punch-left-handed/) [Mike Weir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-weir/) [Browse all 114 Handed quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/handed/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'd rather be like Odysseus than someone who was handed everything.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mindy Kaling" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-kaling/i-d-rather-be-like-odysseus-than-someone-who-was-handed-everything/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Handed" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-kaling/i-d-rather-be-like-odysseus-than-someone-who-was-handed-everything/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dad/mindy-kaling-672_handed_i-d-rather-be-like-odysseus-than-someone_872310.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dad/mindy-kaling-672_handed_i-d-rather-be-like-odysseus-than-someone_872310.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dad/mindy-kaling-672_handed_i-d-rather-be-like-odysseus-than-someone_872310.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I'd rather be like Odysseus than someone who was handed everything.” — Mindy Kaling", "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": "Mindy Kaling", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-kaling/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I'd rather be like Odysseus than...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-kaling/i-d-rather-be-like-odysseus-than-someone-who-was-handed-everything/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-kaling/i-d-rather-be-like-odysseus-than-someone-who-was-handed-everything/#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 } } ] } ```