--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: After a lifetime of deep thought, I've…" description: "\"After a lifetime of deep thought, I've decided that life is a distraction, but probably not from anything important.\" — Robert Breault" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/792/robert-breault-304_decided_after-a-lifetime-of-deep-thought-i-ve-de_2314560.png" --- # After a lifetime of deep thought, I've decided that life… ![“After a lifetime of deep thought, I've decided that life is a distraction, but probably not from anything important.” quote by Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/792/robert-breault-304_decided_after-a-lifetime-of-deep-thought-i-ve-de_2314560.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/792/robert-breault-304_decided_after-a-lifetime-of-deep-thought-i-ve-de_2314560.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/792/robert-breault-304_decided_after-a-lifetime-of-deep-thought-i-ve-de_2314560.png) > “After a lifetime of deep thought, I've decided that life is a distraction, but probably not from anything important.” [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker sees life as a side effect that diverts attention from truly important matters. **In simple terms:** Life distracts from what matters. Key Takeaway Prioritize what truly matters. Themes distraction purpose focus Mood contemplative serious Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - personal reflection - career planning - relationship decisions - time management Key Concepts existentialism value hierarchy Questions to Reflect On - What truly matters to you? - How can you reduce distractions? A Different Perspective The statement may overgeneralize the significance of life for everyone. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Decided](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decided/) [Decided Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decided-life-1170179/) [Deep thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deep-thought/) [Distraction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distraction/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Distraction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-distraction-2384757/) [Life is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-is/) [Lifetime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lifetime/) [Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought/) ## Related quotes > [Life is not entertainment. Life is not distraction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/life-is-not-entertainment-life-is-not-distraction/) [Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/) > [The earlier you know yourself, the easier life will be. After that, distraction is gone, and you can focus on everything else](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-earlier-you-know-yourself-the-easier-life-will-be-after-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Anyone who has tried to build something that changes people's lives sometimes finds life to be a distraction, and finds people who don't care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashton-kutcher/anyone-who-has-tried-to-build-something-that-changes-people-s-lives/) [Ashton Kutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashton-kutcher/) > [I decided to have a life: to become - pardon the expression - a soccer mom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcia-clark/i-decided-to-have-a-life-to-become-pardon-the-expression-a-soccer-mom/) [Marcia Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcia-clark/) > [At 24 I decided that my life is enough for me, and I stopped looking for some other piece to complete it. I also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/at-24-i-decided-that-my-life-is-enough-for-me-and-i-stopped-looking/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) > [It was the tiniest thing I ever decided to put my whole life into.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terri-guillemets/it-was-the-tiniest-thing-i-ever-decided-to-put-my-whole-life-into/) [Terri Guillemets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terri-guillemets/) > [“Nonsense! I have merely come to terms with the fact that I am perfect, and I have decided life must go on, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-n-faust/nonsense-i-have-merely-come-to-terms-with-the-fact-that-i-am-perfect/) [C.N. Faust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-n-faust/) > [I started making choices based on what I wanted, and didn’t feel like I needed to justify them. If I wanted to cut my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/i-started-making-choices-based-on-what-i-wanted-and-didn-t-feel-like/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) > [I decided in my life that I would do nothing that did not reflect positively on my father's life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-poitier/i-decided-in-my-life-that-i-would-do-nothing-that-did-not-reflect/) [Sidney Poitier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-poitier/) > [I could easily have decided that life was cruel, that being black meant everything was stacked against me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-carson/i-could-easily-have-decided-that-life-was-cruel-that-being-black/) [Benjamin Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-carson/) > [“I had never really stopped thinking of how the smartest person I knew had, after much thought, decided that life was not worth it—that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-lacey/i-had-never-really-stopped-thinking-of-how-the-smartest-person-i-knew/) [Catherine Lacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-lacey/) > [I've decided that if I had my life to live over again, I would not only climb more mountains, swim more rivers, and watch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brennan-manning/i-ve-decided-that-if-i-had-my-life-to-live-over-again-i-would-not/) [Brennan Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brennan-manning/) > [I have never decided anything in my life for money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-valdes/i-have-never-decided-anything-in-my-life-for-money/) [Victor Valdes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-valdes/) > [“Everything has been a disaster since I decided my life as it was wasn't good enough." "It wasn't good enough," she said. "It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/everything-has-been-a-disaster-since-i-decided-my-life-as-it-was-wasn/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) > [So long as we do not blow our brains out, we have decided life is worth living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/so-long-as-we-do-not-blow-our-brains-out-we-have-decided-life-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Robert Breault > [You will not find a soulmate in the quiet of your room. You must go to a noisy place and look in the quiet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/you-will-not-find-a-soulmate-in-the-quiet-of-your-room-you-must-go-to/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [Never mind the odds against you. If you doubled your effort, what would the odds against you do — send for reinforcements?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/never-mind-the-odds-against-you-if-you-doubled-your-effort-what-would/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [Of course I doubt. I do not practice a certainty. I practice a faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/of-course-i-doubt-i-do-not-practice-a-certainty-i-practice-a-faith/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [Retirement is having nothing to do and someone always keeping you from it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/retirement-is-having-nothing-to-do-and-someone-always-keeping-you/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [There is in art the notion of less is more, which is to say, you don't torture a painting that has already confessed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/there-is-in-art-the-notion-of-less-is-more-which-is-to-say-you-don-t/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [One's dream is defeated not by unsolvable problems, but by all the more-or-less satisfactory solutions that kill it forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/one-s-dream-is-defeated-not-by-unsolvable-problems-but-by-all-the/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [I cultivate my garden, and my garden cultivates me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/i-cultivate-my-garden-and-my-garden-cultivates-me/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [In the end you regret less the things you believed that weren't true than the things that never came true because you didn't believe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/in-the-end-you-regret-less-the-things-you-believed-that-weren-t-true/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [The trick to getting ahead is to give it the same effort you give to getting even.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/the-trick-to-getting-ahead-is-to-give-it-the-same-effort-you-give-to/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [Man will have replicated his own intelligence not when he teaches a computer to reason but when he teaches a computer to have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/man-will-have-replicated-his-own-intelligence-not-when-he-teaches-a/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [To hurt someone you know will forgive you is the unkindiest thing of all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/to-hurt-someone-you-know-will-forgive-you-is-the-unkindiest-thing-of/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [For every person who atones, a hundred others find regret sufficient.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/for-every-person-who-atones-a-hundred-others-find-regret-sufficient/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [As a means to success, determination has this advantage over talent - that it does not have to be recognized by others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/as-a-means-to-success-determination-has-this-advantage-over-talent/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [As a gardener, I wonder if flowers really can't speak or just exercise unfailing good judgment in the matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/as-a-gardener-i-wonder-if-flowers-really-can-t-speak-or-just-exercise/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [Genius is a plodding intellect, incapable of dreaming up the obstacles that stop the rest of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/genius-is-a-plodding-intellect-incapable-of-dreaming-up-the-obstacles/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) [Explore all 710 Robert Breault quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) ## More Decided quotes > [My first ever job after college was as a flight attendant. I wanted to travel and could not afford it, so I decided to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-winspear/my-first-ever-job-after-college-was-as-a-flight-attendant-i-wanted-to/) [Jacqueline Winspear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-winspear/) > [The only thing I try to watch carefully is that I never lose the love for the instrument. That's also why I decided against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nils-frahm/the-only-thing-i-try-to-watch-carefully-is-that-i-never-lose-the-love/) [Nils Frahm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nils-frahm/) > [As a professional athlete and someone who has spent almost his entire life in boxing, not a day goes by when I don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-de-la-hoya/as-a-professional-athlete-and-someone-who-has-spent-almost-his-entire/) [Oscar De La Hoya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-de-la-hoya/) > [One day I decided I would like to put a record into my system. So I picked up a record that was lying on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-oliveros/one-day-i-decided-i-would-like-to-put-a-record-into-my-system-so-i/) [Pauline Oliveros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-oliveros/) > [I'm truly, 100% guided by the characters and my Muse. If one of the characters suddenly decided to do something very different, I'd just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-foster/i-m-truly-100-guided-by-the-characters-and-my-muse-if-one-of-the/) [Lori Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-foster/) > [I just decided to take some time off. I've been modeling since '93, '92, and that's a pretty long time. I'm a single mother…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-murphy/i-just-decided-to-take-some-time-off-i-ve-been-modeling-since-93-92/) [Carolyn Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-murphy/) > [When I became 21, I decided that nobody learned anything about politics after the age of 21.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-norquist/when-i-became-21-i-decided-that-nobody-learned-anything-about/) [Grover Norquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-norquist/) > [Before I started doing the film and when I found out I was going to be doing it, I just decided to pump up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parminder-nagra/before-i-started-doing-the-film-and-when-i-found-out-i-was-going-to/) [Parminder Nagra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parminder-nagra/) > [In a personal way, to do with family and the father-son relationship, in a kind of artistic way with regard to him being an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-serkis/in-a-personal-way-to-do-with-family-and-the-father-son-relationship/) [Andy Serkis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-serkis/) > [You've decided to love me for eternity, I'm still deciding who I want to be today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ani-difranco/you-ve-decided-to-love-me-for-eternity-i-m-still-deciding-who-i-want/) [Ani DiFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ani-difranco/) > [I turned to my mom and said, 'I'm going to be a martial arts movie star.' She didn't believe me, and neither did my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adkins/i-turned-to-my-mom-and-said-i-m-going-to-be-a-martial-arts-movie-star/) [Scott Adkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adkins/) > [He decided then that he would love her forever no matter what came to pass. It was not so much a matter of deciding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-guterson/he-decided-then-that-he-would-love-her-forever-no-matter-what-came-to/) [David Guterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-guterson/) > [At age 28, I had no retail experience, no consumer marketing experience and no real Internet experience. But I decided I wanted to work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariam-naficy/at-age-28-i-had-no-retail-experience-no-consumer-marketing-experience/) [Mariam Naficy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariam-naficy/) > [Work hard on each opinion, but once the case is decided, don't look back; go on to the next case and give it your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/work-hard-on-each-opinion-but-once-the-case-is-decided-don-t-look/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [You see, years ago I was just an ordinary bee minding my own business, smelling flowers all day, and occasionally picking up part-time work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norton-juster/you-see-years-ago-i-was-just-an-ordinary-bee-minding-my-own-business/) [Norton Juster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norton-juster/) [Browse all 3,155 Decided quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decided/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "After a lifetime of deep thought, I've decided that life is a distraction, but probably not from anything important.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robert Breault" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/after-a-lifetime-of-deep-thought-i-ve-decided-that-life-is-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Decided" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/after-a-lifetime-of-deep-thought-i-ve-decided-that-life-is-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/792/robert-breault-304_decided_after-a-lifetime-of-deep-thought-i-ve-de_2314560.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/792/robert-breault-304_decided_after-a-lifetime-of-deep-thought-i-ve-de_2314560.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/792/robert-breault-304_decided_after-a-lifetime-of-deep-thought-i-ve-de_2314560.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“After a lifetime of deep thought, I've decided that life is a distraction, but probably not from anything…” — Robert Breault", "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": "Robert Breault", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "After a lifetime of deep thought,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/after-a-lifetime-of-deep-thought-i-ve-decided-that-life-is-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/after-a-lifetime-of-deep-thought-i-ve-decided-that-life-is-a/#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 } } ] } ```