--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: BE RUTHLESS TO THE THINGS THAT DON’T…" description: "\"“BE RUTHLESS TO THE THINGS THAT DON’T MATTER “How many have laid waste to your life when you weren’t aware of what you were losing, how much was wasted..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bce/ryan-holiday-514_brevity-of-life_be-ruthless-to-the-things-that-don-t-mat_2652390.jpg" --- # BE RUTHLESS TO THE THINGS THAT DON’T MATTER “How many have… ![“BE RUTHLESS TO THE THINGS THAT DON’T MATTER “How many have laid waste to your life when you weren’t aware of what you were losing, how much was wasted in pointless grief, foolish joy, greedy desire, and social amusements—how little of your own was left to you. You will realize you are dying before…” quote by Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bce/ryan-holiday-514_brevity-of-life_be-ruthless-to-the-things-that-don-t-mat_2652390.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bce/ryan-holiday-514_brevity-of-life_be-ruthless-to-the-things-that-don-t-mat_2652390.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bce/ryan-holiday-514_brevity-of-life_be-ruthless-to-the-things-that-don-t-mat_2652390.jpg) > ““BE RUTHLESS TO THE THINGS THAT DON’T MATTER “How many have laid waste to your life when you weren’t aware of what you were losing, how much was wasted in pointless grief, foolish joy, greedy desire, and social amusements—how little of your own was left to you. You will realize you are dying before your time!” —SENECA, ON THE BREVITY OF LIFE, 3.3b”” [Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Ruthlessness toward trivial matters frees energy for what truly matters, warning against wasted grief and idle pursuits. **In simple terms:** Ignore the insignificant. Key Takeaway Focus on essentials. Themes stoicism priorities time management Mood urgent reflective Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - daily planning - minimalism - career focus Key Concepts philosophy self‑discipline efficiency Questions to Reflect On - What “things” are you over‑investing in? - How can you practice selective ruthlessness? A Different Perspective Neglecting small joys can be harmful. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brevity of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brevity-of-life/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) ## Related quotes > [it is the brevity of life which makes it tolerable; its experiences have value because they have an end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winifred-holtby/it-is-the-brevity-of-life-which-makes-it-tolerable-its-experiences/) [Winifred Holtby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winifred-holtby/) > [“Feel the brevity of life, and it will make you fully alive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-reinke/feel-the-brevity-of-life-and-it-will-make-you-fully-alive/) [Tony Reinke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-reinke/) > [The greatest surprise in life to me is the brevity of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/the-greatest-surprise-in-life-to-me-is-the-brevity-of-life/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [“The brevity of life is to be yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/the-brevity-of-life-is-to-be-yourself/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“us to realize the brevity of life,        so that we may grow in wisdom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-rikkers/us-to-realize-the-brevity-of-life-so-that-we-may-grow-in-wisdom/) [Doris Rikkers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-rikkers/) > [“Look back in memory and consider when you ever had a fixed plan, how few days have passed as you had intended, when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca/look-back-in-memory-and-consider-when-you-ever-had-a-fixed-plan-how/) [Seneca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca/) > [“I don’t know exactly what’s happened to me, and for the first time today, I don’t really care. I shouldn’t have to care. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gayle-forman/i-don-t-know-exactly-what-s-happened-to-me-and-for-the-first-time/) [Gayle Forman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gayle-forman/) > [I don't really care. I shouldn't have to care. I shouldn't have to work this hard. I realize now that dying is easy. Living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gayle-forman/i-don-t-really-care-i-shouldn-t-have-to-care-i-shouldn-t-have-to-work/) [Gayle Forman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gayle-forman/) > [I realize now that dying is easy. Living is hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gayle-forman/i-realize-now-that-dying-is-easy-living-is-hard/) [Gayle Forman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gayle-forman/) > [The biggest surprise for most people in dying is to realize that dying does not end life. Whether darkness or light comes next, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-m-h-atwater-2/the-biggest-surprise-for-most-people-in-dying-is-to-realize-that/) P. M. H. Atwater > [“The brevity of his life makes the sky a dark lid against which he will forever crack his head, to fall back onto earth,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-brevity-of-his-life-makes-the-sky-a-dark-lid-against-which-he/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Filter your pain through the brevity of this life and the unending beauty of the next.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/filter-your-pain-through-the-brevity-of-this-life-and-the-unending/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [Each of us is here for a brief sojourn; for what purpose he knows not, though he sometimes thinks he senses it. But without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/each-of-us-is-here-for-a-brief-sojourn-for-what-purpose-he-knows-not/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [“Meditate upon what you ought to be in body and soul when death overtakes you; meditate on the brevity of life, and the measureless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/meditate-upon-what-you-ought-to-be-in-body-and-soul-when-death/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [“Et in Arcadia Ego”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/numerous-evelyn-waugh/et-in-arcadia-ego/) Numerous Evelyn Waugh ## More by Ryan Holiday > [“If we can focus on making clear what parts of our day are within our control and what parts are not, we will not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holiday/if-we-can-focus-on-making-clear-what-parts-of-our-day-are-within-our/) [Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) > [“The areas of great interest to the Stoics all make an appearance here: virtue, mortality, emotions, self-awareness, fortitude, right action, problem solving, acceptance, mental…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holiday/the-areas-of-great-interest-to-the-stoics-all-make-an-appearance-here/) [Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) > [“With a business, we take most failures less personally and understand they’re part of the process.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holiday/with-a-business-we-take-most-failures-less-personally-and-understand/) [Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) > [“Many creatives want to be just the creator, or only “the idea guy.” They like that because it’s sexy and because that’s what comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holiday/many-creatives-want-to-be-just-the-creator-or-only-the-idea-guy-they/) [Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) > [Pretty much everyone's career starts the same way: with grunt work. Not just the cliched fetching of coffee, but other lowly tasks: taking notes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holiday/pretty-much-everyone-s-career-starts-the-same-way-with-grunt-work-not/) [Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) > [The greats - they protect their sleep because it's where the best work comes from. They say no to things. They turn in when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holiday/the-greats-they-protect-their-sleep-because-it-s-where-the-best-work/) [Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) > [“Where little danger is apprehended, the more the enemy will be unprepared and consequently there is the fairest prospect of success.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holiday/where-little-danger-is-apprehended-the-more-the-enemy-will-be/) [Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) > [We often learn the hard way that our world is ruled by external factors. We don't always get what is rightfully ours, even if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holiday/we-often-learn-the-hard-way-that-our-world-is-ruled-by-external/) [Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) > [“From Rusticus … I learned to read carefully and not be satisfied with a rough understanding of the whole, and not to agree too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holiday/from-rusticus-i-learned-to-read-carefully-and-not-be-satisfied-with-a/) [Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) > [I wholeheartedly agree that many media 'standards' can feel disingenuous or, in fact, be a cover for less-than-honest behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holiday/i-wholeheartedly-agree-that-many-media-standards-can-feel/) [Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) > [“Remember: even what we get for free has a cost, if only in what we pay to store it—in our garages and in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holiday/remember-even-what-we-get-for-free-has-a-cost-if-only-in-what-we-pay/) [Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) > [It's your job to find a release and an outlet for the stress and the feelings. Never forget: the crazy stays at home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holiday/it-s-your-job-to-find-a-release-and-an-outlet-for-the-stress-and-the/) [Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) > [Where the head goes, the body follows. Perception precedes action. Right action follows the right perspective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holiday/where-the-head-goes-the-body-follows-perception-precedes-action-right/) [Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) > [The risks of speaking extemporaneously are apparent the first time you wing it and promptly put your foot in your mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holiday/the-risks-of-speaking-extemporaneously-are-apparent-the-first-time/) [Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) > [“The tools of the Internet and social media have made it possible to track, test, iterate, and improve marketing to the point where these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holiday/the-tools-of-the-internet-and-social-media-have-made-it-possible-to/) [Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) [Explore all 504 Ryan Holiday quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) ## More Brevity of life quotes > [it is the brevity of life which makes it tolerable; its experiences have value because they have an end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winifred-holtby/it-is-the-brevity-of-life-which-makes-it-tolerable-its-experiences/) [Winifred Holtby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winifred-holtby/) > [“Et in Arcadia Ego”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/numerous-evelyn-waugh/et-in-arcadia-ego/) Numerous Evelyn Waugh > [“Meditate upon what you ought to be in body and soul when death overtakes you; meditate on the brevity of life, and the measureless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/meditate-upon-what-you-ought-to-be-in-body-and-soul-when-death/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [Each of us is here for a brief sojourn; for what purpose he knows not, though he sometimes thinks he senses it. But without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/each-of-us-is-here-for-a-brief-sojourn-for-what-purpose-he-knows-not/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [“For those who are not hungry, it is easy to palaver about the degradation of charity, and so on: but they forget the brevity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/for-those-who-are-not-hungry-it-is-easy-to-palaver-about-the/) [Charlotte Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [“The dusty tombs of long-dead exorcist priests lay in the alcoves below, surmounted by stone effigies, the features eroded by the passing of time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ash/the-dusty-tombs-of-long-dead-exorcist-priests-lay-in-the-alcoves/) Sarah Ash > [There comes a moment when we all must realize that life is short, and in the end the only thing that really counts is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/there-comes-a-moment-when-we-all-must-realize-that-life-is-short-and/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [The greatest surprise in life to me is the brevity of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/the-greatest-surprise-in-life-to-me-is-the-brevity-of-life/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [“Yeah shorten it. The original had an urgency that if you don’t practice creation, time will run out.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lee/yeah-shorten-it-the-original-had-an-urgency-that-if-you-don-t/) Dustin Lee > [“The brevity of life is to be yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/the-brevity-of-life-is-to-be-yourself/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [When we fully understand the brevity of life, its fleeting joys and unavoidable pains; when we accept the facts that all men and women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-darrow/when-we-fully-understand-the-brevity-of-life-its-fleeting-joys-and/) [Clarence Darrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-darrow/) > [“We do not converse. She visits me to talk. My task to murmur. She talks about her grandsons, her daughter who lives in Delphi,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-gass/we-do-not-converse-she-visits-me-to-talk-my-task-to-murmur-she-talks/) [William H. Gass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-gass/) > [Let those who thoughtfully consider the brevity of life remember the length of eternity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-ken/let-those-who-thoughtfully-consider-the-brevity-of-life-remember-the/) [Thomas Ken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-ken/) > [“us to realize the brevity of life,        so that we may grow in wisdom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-rikkers/us-to-realize-the-brevity-of-life-so-that-we-may-grow-in-wisdom/) [Doris Rikkers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-rikkers/) > [A great many people who spend their time mourning over the brevity of life could make it seem longer if they did a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-marquis/a-great-many-people-who-spend-their-time-mourning-over-the-brevity-of/) [Don Marquis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-marquis/) [Browse all 28 Brevity of life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brevity-of-life/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“BE RUTHLESS TO THE THINGS THAT DON’T MATTER “How many have laid waste to your life when you weren’t aware of what you were losing, how much was wasted in pointless grief, foolish joy, greedy desire, and social amusements—how little of your own was left to you. 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