--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It seems to take a lifetime for us to…" description: "\"It seems to take a lifetime for us to learn that wisdom consists largely in a graceful acceptance of things that do not immediately concern us.\" — Myrt..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fad/myrtle-reed-5134_acceptance_it-seems-to-take-a-lifetime-for-us-to-le_1974966.png" --- # It seems to take a lifetime for us to learn that wisdom… ![“It seems to take a lifetime for us to learn that wisdom consists largely in a graceful acceptance of things that do not immediately concern us.” quote by Myrtle Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fad/myrtle-reed-5134_acceptance_it-seems-to-take-a-lifetime-for-us-to-le_1974966.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fad/myrtle-reed-5134_acceptance_it-seems-to-take-a-lifetime-for-us-to-le_1974966.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fad/myrtle-reed-5134_acceptance_it-seems-to-take-a-lifetime-for-us-to-le_1974966.png) > “It seems to take a lifetime for us to learn that wisdom consists largely in a graceful acceptance of things that do not immediately concern us.” [Myrtle Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myrtle-reed/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Accepting what doesn’t affect us frees mental energy for what truly matters. **In simple terms:** Accept what doesn’t affect you. Key Takeaway Prioritize personal concerns. Themes mindfulness acceptance focus Mood calm reflective Type mindful practical When to use this quote - workplace - personal relationships - media consumption Key Concepts Emotional intelligence boundary setting stress reduction Questions to Reflect On - What can you let go of? - How does acceptance improve focus? A Different Perspective Some may misinterpret as indifference. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acceptance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance/) [Concern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concern/) [Graceful Acceptance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/graceful-acceptance-1588286/) [Interference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interference/) [Largely Graceful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/largely-graceful-3337700/) [Learn Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learn-wisdom/) [Lifetime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lifetime/) [Seems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seems/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) [Wisdom Consists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom-consists-753437/) ## Related quotes > [Senescence is an inevitability. All we can do is try to strike the balance between graceful acceptance and raging against the dying light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-nemko/senescence-is-an-inevitability-all-we-can-do-is-try-to-strike-the/) [Marty Nemko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-nemko/) > [It is personal vanity of the most flagrant type which intrudes itself, unasked, into other people's affairs. There are few of us who do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myrtle-reed/it-is-personal-vanity-of-the-most-flagrant-type-which-intrudes-itself/) [Myrtle Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myrtle-reed/) > [Wisdom consists of knowing how to distinguish the nature of trouble, and in choosing the lesser evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/wisdom-consists-of-knowing-how-to-distinguish-the-nature-of-trouble/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [I believe that all wisdom consists in caring immensely for a few right things, and not caring a straw about the rest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-buchan/i-believe-that-all-wisdom-consists-in-caring-immensely-for-a-few/) [John Buchan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-buchan/) > [“Trie and sound wisdom consists of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/trie-and-sound-wisdom-consists-of-two-parts-the-knowledge-of-god-and/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [True wisdom consists of tracing effects to their causes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/true-wisdom-consists-of-tracing-effects-to-their-causes/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [“My wisdom consists in my having been many things and in many places in order to become one person—in order to be able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/my-wisdom-consists-in-my-having-been-many-things-and-in-many-places/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Wisdom consists in being able to distinguish among dangers and make a choice of the least harmful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/wisdom-consists-in-being-able-to-distinguish-among-dangers-and-make-a/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [“True and sound wisdom consists of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/true-and-sound-wisdom-consists-of-two-parts-the-knowledge-of-god-and/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [Wisdom consists of the anticipation of consequences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/wisdom-consists-of-the-anticipation-of-consequences/) [Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) > [True wisdom consists in two things: Knowledge of God and Knowledge of Self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/true-wisdom-consists-in-two-things-knowledge-of-god-and-knowledge-of/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [Wisdom consists not so much in knowing what to do in the ultimate as in knowing what to do next.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/wisdom-consists-not-so-much-in-knowing-what-to-do-in-the-ultimate-as/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [“I find a naturalistic understanding of human nature to be indispensable to leading a wise and mature life, and it is often exhilarating. Wisdom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/i-find-a-naturalistic-understanding-of-human-nature-to-be/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [“Nearly all the wisdom we possess, that is to say, true and sound wisdom, consists of two parts: the knowledge of God and of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/nearly-all-the-wisdom-we-possess-that-is-to-say-true-and-sound-wisdom/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [Spiritual wisdom consists in finding out the subtleties, policies, and depths of any indwelling sin... to trace this serpent in all its turnings and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-owen/spiritual-wisdom-consists-in-finding-out-the-subtleties-policies-and/) [John Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-owen/) ## More by Myrtle Reed > [When a little pleasure has flashed for a moment against the dark, I have made that jewel mine. I have hundreds of them ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myrtle-reed/when-a-little-pleasure-has-flashed-for-a-moment-against-the-dark-i/) [Myrtle Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myrtle-reed/) > [marriage is a great strain upon love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myrtle-reed/marriage-is-a-great-strain-upon-love/) [Myrtle Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myrtle-reed/) > [The appointed thing comes at the appointed time in the appointed way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myrtle-reed/the-appointed-thing-comes-at-the-appointed-time-in-the-appointed-way/) [Myrtle Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myrtle-reed/) > [Revolution is obstructed evolution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myrtle-reed/revolution-is-obstructed-evolution/) [Myrtle Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myrtle-reed/) > [Pedestals are always lonely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myrtle-reed/pedestals-are-always-lonely/) [Myrtle Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myrtle-reed/) > [When we get civilised, I believe children will go by number until they get old enough to choose their own names.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myrtle-reed/when-we-get-civilised-i-believe-children-will-go-by-number-until-they/) [Myrtle Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myrtle-reed/) > [Love is an orchid which thrives principally on hot air.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myrtle-reed/love-is-an-orchid-which-thrives-principally-on-hot-air/) [Myrtle Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myrtle-reed/) > [Lots of people think they're charitable if they give away their old clothes and things they don't want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myrtle-reed/lots-of-people-think-they-re-charitable-if-they-give-away-their-old/) [Myrtle Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myrtle-reed/) > [All we can do in this world is the thing that seems to us the best. We have no concern with the results, except…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myrtle-reed/all-we-can-do-in-this-world-is-the-thing-that-seems-to-us-the-best-we/) [Myrtle Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myrtle-reed/) > [Sins of commission are far more productive of happiness than the sins of omission.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myrtle-reed/sins-of-commission-are-far-more-productive-of-happiness-than-the-sins/) [Myrtle Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myrtle-reed/) > [Legislation may at times be disobeyed, but never law, for the breaking brings swift punishment of its own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myrtle-reed/legislation-may-at-times-be-disobeyed-but-never-law-for-the-breaking/) [Myrtle Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myrtle-reed/) > [Home is a place where we all do as we please - usually regardless of the others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myrtle-reed/home-is-a-place-where-we-all-do-as-we-please-usually-regardless-of/) [Myrtle Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myrtle-reed/) > [The things that are ours cannot be given away, or taken away, or lost. We break our hearts, all of us, trying to keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myrtle-reed/the-things-that-are-ours-cannot-be-given-away-or-taken-away-or-lost/) [Myrtle Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myrtle-reed/) > [Womankind suffers from three delusions: marriage will reform a man, a rejected lover is heartbroken for life, and if the other women were only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myrtle-reed/womankind-suffers-from-three-delusions-marriage-will-reform-a-man-a/) [Myrtle Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myrtle-reed/) > [I've always thought my flowers had souls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myrtle-reed/i-ve-always-thought-my-flowers-had-souls/) [Myrtle Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myrtle-reed/) [Explore all 103 Myrtle Reed quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myrtle-reed/) ## More Acceptance quotes > [We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/we-only-enter-into-the-full-life-if-our-faith-gives-thanks-because/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Losing someone is easy, but accepting it is hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/losing-someone-is-easy-but-accepting-it-is-hard/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When one fib becomes due as it were, you must forge another to take up the old acceptance; and so the stock of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/when-one-fib-becomes-due-as-it-were-you-must-forge-another-to-take-up/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Acceptance of death when it arrives is one thing, but to allow it to upstage the joys of living is ingratitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-blythe/acceptance-of-death-when-it-arrives-is-one-thing-but-to-allow-it-to/) [Ronald Blythe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-blythe/) > [“Loving someone who does not love you back hurts, alot, i know. It is liking seeing these pair of shoes at the retail store…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nomthandazo-tsembeni/loving-someone-who-does-not-love-you-back-hurts-alot-i-know-it-is/) [Nomthandazo Tsembeni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nomthandazo-tsembeni/) > [Take responsibily for your past, the bad memories of poor decisions you took were your choices once, and you liked them for the moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aruho-marvin/take-responsibily-for-your-past-the-bad-memories-of-poor-decisions/) [Aruho Marvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aruho-marvin/) > [Let us learn to accept and appreciate things now, and we'll find more happiness in every moment we live. Happiness comes when we stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/let-us-learn-to-accept-and-appreciate-things-now-and-we-ll-find-more/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [“Love first; ask questions later.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-courtney/love-first-ask-questions-later/) [Jeremy Courtney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-courtney/) > [“There was beauty in chaos, she'd just never known it before.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-linsmeier/there-was-beauty-in-chaos-she-d-just-never-known-it-before/) [Amanda Linsmeier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-linsmeier/) > [Accepting the challenges in life makes it interesting and overcoming them makes it eloquent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/accepting-the-challenges-in-life-makes-it-interesting-and-overcoming/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Acceptance is the only thing you should teach. Be it Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Dalit, you must inculcate acceptance, not tolerance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamal-haasan/acceptance-is-the-only-thing-you-should-teach-be-it-christian-muslim/) [Kamal Haasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamal-haasan/) > [There just seems to be more acceptance now of other kinds of British films, than the picture-postcard ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-roth/there-just-seems-to-be-more-acceptance-now-of-other-kinds-of-british/) [Tim Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-roth/) > [You should never hate anyone, even your worst enemies. Everyone has something good about them. You have to find the redeeming quality and love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/you-should-never-hate-anyone-even-your-worst-enemies-everyone-has/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [The sense that in this universe we are treated as strangers, the longing to be acknowledged, to meet with some response, to bridge some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-sense-that-in-this-universe-we-are-treated-as-strangers-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 3,960 Acceptance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It seems to take a lifetime for us to learn that wisdom consists largely in a graceful acceptance of things that do not immediately concern us.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Myrtle Reed" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myrtle-reed/it-seems-to-take-a-lifetime-for-us-to-learn-that-wisdom-consists/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acceptance" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myrtle-reed/it-seems-to-take-a-lifetime-for-us-to-learn-that-wisdom-consists/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fad/myrtle-reed-5134_acceptance_it-seems-to-take-a-lifetime-for-us-to-le_1974966.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fad/myrtle-reed-5134_acceptance_it-seems-to-take-a-lifetime-for-us-to-le_1974966.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fad/myrtle-reed-5134_acceptance_it-seems-to-take-a-lifetime-for-us-to-le_1974966.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It seems to take a lifetime for us to learn that wisdom consists largely in a graceful acceptance of things…” — Myrtle Reed", "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": "Myrtle Reed", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myrtle-reed/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It seems to take a lifetime...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myrtle-reed/it-seems-to-take-a-lifetime-for-us-to-learn-that-wisdom-consists/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myrtle-reed/it-seems-to-take-a-lifetime-for-us-to-learn-that-wisdom-consists/#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 } } ] } ```