--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We seldom learn the true want of what we…" description: "\"We seldom learn the true want of what we have till it is discovered that we can have no more.\" — Samuel Johnson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81d/samuel-johnson-50_discovered_we-seldom-learn-the-true-want-of-what-we_190424.png" --- # We seldom learn the true want of what we have till it is… ![“We seldom learn the true want of what we have till it is discovered that we can have no more.” quote by Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81d/samuel-johnson-50_discovered_we-seldom-learn-the-true-want-of-what-we_190424.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81d/samuel-johnson-50_discovered_we-seldom-learn-the-true-want-of-what-we_190424.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81d/samuel-johnson-50_discovered_we-seldom-learn-the-true-want-of-what-we_190424.png) > “We seldom learn the true want of what we have till it is discovered that we can have no more.” [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We often fail to appreciate what we have until we lose it or realize we cannot obtain more. **In simple terms:** Appreciate what you have before it's gone. Key Takeaway Value and protect what you have. Themes appreciation loss gratitude Mood reflective melancholic Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - relationships - health - possessions - career - financial security Key Concepts impermanence contentment Questions to Reflect On - What do you take for granted? - How can you express gratitude daily? A Different Perspective It may overlook the joy of striving for improvement. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Discovered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discovered/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Seldom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seldom/) [Seldom Learn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seldom-learn-2013409/) [True Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-want-476010/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) ## Related quotes > [People seldom learn from the mistakes of others-not because they deny the value of the past, but because they are faced with new problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilya-ehrenburg/people-seldom-learn-from-the-mistakes-of-others-not-because-they-deny/) [Ilya Ehrenburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilya-ehrenburg/) > [“We often want to hear, not what is true, but what we want to hear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/we-often-want-to-hear-not-what-is-true-but-what-we-want-to-hear/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [Kobe's journey really was the entire dream for him. 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I want to know that when you're with me, it's because you want to be, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-hocking/what-i-told-you-before-is-still-true-i-want-to-know-that-when-you-re/) [Amanda Hocking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-hocking/) > [It very seldom happens to a man that his business is his pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/it-very-seldom-happens-to-a-man-that-his-business-is-his-pleasure/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [What is easy is seldom excellent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/what-is-easy-is-seldom-excellent/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Advice is seldom welcome. Those who need it most, like it least.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/advice-is-seldom-welcome-those-who-need-it-most-like-it-least/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) ## More by Samuel Johnson > [The size of a man's understanding might always be justly measured by his mirth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-size-of-a-man-s-understanding-might-always-be-justly-measured-by/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Pound St. Paul's Church into atoms, and consider any single atom; it is to be sure, good for nothing; but put all these atoms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/pound-st-paul-s-church-into-atoms-and-consider-any-single-atom-it-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [You can never be wise unless you love reading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/you-can-never-be-wise-unless-you-love-reading/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [If our aim is to praise, we should forget to criticize; if our aim is to criticize, we should remember to praise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/if-our-aim-is-to-praise-we-should-forget-to-criticize-if-our-aim-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [All theory is against free will; all experience is for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/all-theory-is-against-free-will-all-experience-is-for-it/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Had I learned to fiddle, I should have done nothing else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/had-i-learned-to-fiddle-i-should-have-done-nothing-else/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [It is as foolish to make experiments upon the constancy of a friend, as upon the chastity of a wife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/it-is-as-foolish-to-make-experiments-upon-the-constancy-of-a-friend/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Resolve not to be poor: whatever you have, spend less. Poverty is a great enemy to human happiness; it certainly destroys liberty, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/resolve-not-to-be-poor-whatever-you-have-spend-less-poverty-is-a/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The basis of all excellence is truth: he that professes love ought to feel its power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-basis-of-all-excellence-is-truth-he-that-professes-love-ought-to/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Words are daughters of earth but ideas are sons of heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/words-are-daughters-of-earth-but-ideas-are-sons-of-heaven/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“The composition of Shakespeare is a forest, in which oaks extend in the air, interspersed sometimes with weeds and brambles, and sometimes giving shelting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-composition-of-shakespeare-is-a-forest-in-which-oaks-extend-in/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“The cherubim were never intended as an object of worship, because they were only the appendices to another thing. But a thing is then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-cherubim-were-never-intended-as-an-object-of-worship-because-they/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Nobody has the right to put another under such a difficulty that he must either hurt the person by telling the truth or hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/nobody-has-the-right-to-put-another-under-such-a-difficulty-that-he/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [That kind of life is most happy which affords us most opportunities of gaining our own self-esteem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/that-kind-of-life-is-most-happy-which-affords-us-most-opportunities/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The time will come to every human being when it must be known how well he can bear to die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-time-will-come-to-every-human-being-when-it-must-be-known-how/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) [Explore all 1,998 Samuel Johnson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) ## More Discovered quotes > [When I discovered drama, I felt a connection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-fearon/when-i-discovered-drama-i-felt-a-connection/) [Ray Fearon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-fearon/) > [Music is almost like a therapy for me. It helps keep me centered and think straight. Before I discovered it, I was walking around,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banks/music-is-almost-like-a-therapy-for-me-it-helps-keep-me-centered-and/) [Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banks/) > [Especially for those of us who lived in single cells, you had the time to sit down and think, and we discovered that sitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/especially-for-those-of-us-who-lived-in-single-cells-you-had-the-time/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [I can't really remember, but I think my life must have been a lot more productive before I discovered Facebook...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-can-t-really-remember-but-i-think-my-life-must-have-been-a-lot-more/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The first time I went to Abbey Road and put those headphones on, I discovered I had two voices. I no longer had to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cilla-black/the-first-time-i-went-to-abbey-road-and-put-those-headphones-on-i/) [Cilla Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cilla-black/) > [My singing led into acting, and that is how I discovered acting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lalaine/my-singing-led-into-acting-and-that-is-how-i-discovered-acting/) [Lalaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lalaine/) > [At Ungaro, I discovered the flou and the language of Paris.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giambattista-valli/at-ungaro-i-discovered-the-flou-and-the-language-of-paris/) [Giambattista Valli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giambattista-valli/) > [“I discovered windows one afternoon and after that, nothing was ever the same.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-spollen/i-discovered-windows-one-afternoon-and-after-that-nothing-was-ever/) [Anne Spollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-spollen/) > [After years of research, I discovered 25 differences in the work-life choices of men and women. All 25 lead to men earning more money,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-farrell/after-years-of-research-i-discovered-25-differences-in-the-work-life/) [Warren Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-farrell/) > [The big problem is just this kind of gigantic piece, of kids reading less and liking it less and so getting worse at it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-scieszka/the-big-problem-is-just-this-kind-of-gigantic-piece-of-kids-reading/) [Jon Scieszka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-scieszka/) > [“I discovered race in America and it fascinated me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/i-discovered-race-in-america-and-it-fascinated-me/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [All my words are sort of shaped, all my words, my voice, my gestures, my imagination, are shaped by centuries, really. They are educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-rohrwacher/all-my-words-are-sort-of-shaped-all-my-words-my-voice-my-gestures-my/) [Alice Rohrwacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-rohrwacher/) > [I first discovered YouTube while browsing the web, and then I found people just talking into their cameras. I never even knew it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-oakley/i-first-discovered-youtube-while-browsing-the-web-and-then-i-found/) [Tyler Oakley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-oakley/) > [I'm a perceptive person. I know what's good and I don't venture into what's not good. I've discovered my own khazana. Everybody should.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rekha/i-m-a-perceptive-person-i-know-what-s-good-and-i-don-t-venture-into/) [Rekha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rekha/) > [When I discovered acting, I decided that's what I wanted to do above everything else. 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