--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You cannot live with intent if you don’t…" description: "\"“You cannot live with intent if you don’t know what your own intentions are.”\" — Shawn Wells" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/561/shawn-wells-79976_intention_you-cannot-live-with-intent-if-you-don-t_1693698.jpg" --- # You cannot live with intent if you don’t know what your… ![“You cannot live with intent if you don’t know what your own intentions are.” quote by Shawn Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/561/shawn-wells-79976_intention_you-cannot-live-with-intent-if-you-don-t_1693698.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/561/shawn-wells-79976_intention_you-cannot-live-with-intent-if-you-don-t_1693698.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/561/shawn-wells-79976_intention_you-cannot-live-with-intent-if-you-don-t_1693698.jpg) > ““You cannot live with intent if you don’t know what your own intentions are.”” [Shawn Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-wells/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Understanding one's own intentions is essential before acting purposefully; without self‑knowledge, actions lack direction. **In simple terms:** Know your intentions before acting. Key Takeaway Clarify your motives first. Themes self‑awareness intentionality personal growth Mood reflective introspective Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - career planning - relationship building - creative projects - decision making Key Concepts psychology mindfulness identity Questions to Reflect On - What are your hidden motives? - How can you discover them? A Different Perspective If you misinterpret your intentions, you may act inconsistently. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Intent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intent/) [Intent Don](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intent-don-1080718/) [Intention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intention/) [Intentional-living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intentional-living/) [Intentionality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intentionality/) [Intentions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intentions/) [Know Intentions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-intentions-533242/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life lessons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-lessons/) [Life quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-quotes/) [Live Intent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/live-intent-1080717/) ## Related quotes > [“If you are not consciously building your habits, they are unconsciously building you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-not-consciously-building-your-habits-they-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Narratives, stories, help create a deeper sense of shared identity. They generate meaning and foster cooperative actions through neurochemical correlates that kick into motion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-amerland/narratives-stories-help-create-a-deeper-sense-of-shared-identity-they/) [David Amerland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-amerland/) > [“Our desire for a cause that will allow us to commit ourselves mind and body to its banner is a cry for clarity in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-amerland/our-desire-for-a-cause-that-will-allow-us-to-commit-ourselves-mind/) [David Amerland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-amerland/) > [“For anyone who says we’re culturally and technologically advanced beings not held in thrall by our environment consider how we start each year afresh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-amerland/for-anyone-who-says-we-re-culturally-and-technologically-advanced/) [David Amerland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-amerland/) > [“Goals without a sense of hope often fail to be reached. Hope without a set of goals materializes nothing of value. We need both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-amerland/goals-without-a-sense-of-hope-often-fail-to-be-reached-hope-without-a/) [David Amerland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-amerland/) > [“Fill everything, but own nothing. We are vessels, not containers”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/fill-everything-but-own-nothing-we-are-vessels-not-containers/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Unconscious neural activity cannot be made conscious no matter how hard one tries. Part of ourselves is always hidden to us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-amerland/unconscious-neural-activity-cannot-be-made-conscious-no-matter-how/) [David Amerland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-amerland/) > [“It is intent which establishes one's consequential outcomes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-f-hodge/it-is-intent-which-establishes-one-s-consequential-outcomes/) [T.F. Hodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-f-hodge/) > [“Intentional living is the art of making our own choices before others' choices make us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richie-norton/intentional-living-is-the-art-of-making-our-own-choices-before-others/) [Richie Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richie-norton/) > [You know you might know your intentions, but these are strangers who don't know you, never even met you in person. So you gotta…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/latto/you-know-you-might-know-your-intentions-but-these-are-strangers-who/) [Latto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/latto/) > [Sometimes we see or hear from someone in our past as it may be good or it might just get us into trouble. People…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mccarty/sometimes-we-see-or-hear-from-someone-in-our-past-as-it-may-be-good/) [Kevin McCarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mccarty/) > [You just met them and you're already giving them everything that you've got? You don't know them or their intentions yet. Slow down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/you-just-met-them-and-you-re-already-giving-them-everything-that-you/) [Sonya Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [It is not for human judgment to dive into the heart of man, to know whether his intentions are good or evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lloyd-kenyon-1st-baron-kenyon/it-is-not-for-human-judgment-to-dive-into-the-heart-of-man-to-know/) [Lloyd Kenyon, 1st Baron Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lloyd-kenyon-1st-baron-kenyon/) > [People in my inner circle of loved ones - we're tight and I've never misjudged someone as far as I know; I can feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-mendes/people-in-my-inner-circle-of-loved-ones-we-re-tight-and-i-ve-never/) [Eva Mendes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-mendes/) > [“Less stuff means more freedom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anastasia-pash/less-stuff-means-more-freedom/) [Anastasia Pash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anastasia-pash/) ## More by Shawn Wells > [“The amount of stress on the mind and body is known as allostatic load, of which we have different individual capacities for.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-wells/the-amount-of-stress-on-the-mind-and-body-is-known-as-allostatic-load/) [Shawn Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-wells/) > [“From the violence on TV to the over-stimulation from our phones, we are constantly fueled by fight-or-flight energy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-wells/from-the-violence-on-tv-to-the-over-stimulation-from-our-phones-we/) [Shawn Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-wells/) [Explore all 3 Shawn Wells quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-wells/) ## More Intent quotes > [My intent was to gain experience for fiction I eventually hoped to write. But there's no question I was drawn in by the hope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-rachman/my-intent-was-to-gain-experience-for-fiction-i-eventually-hoped-to/) [Tom Rachman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-rachman/) > [Intent is what can make a man succeed when his thoughts tell him that he is defeated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/intent-is-what-can-make-a-man-succeed-when-his-thoughts-tell-him-that/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [When you're an artist, you can't write with the intent of affecting anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/when-you-re-an-artist-you-can-t-write-with-the-intent-of-affecting/) [Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/) > [“Real love' is not just instinct, but intent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/real-love-is-not-just-instinct-but-intent/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [“Powerful words come with powerful intent. Where you have passion, strength, courage, and determination you can accomplish anything!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-l-toth/powerful-words-come-with-powerful-intent-where-you-have-passion/) [K.L. Toth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-l-toth/) > [“I live not with the intent of leaving my mark in this world, but rather with the intent of leaving my imprint on your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-ferreira/i-live-not-with-the-intent-of-leaving-my-mark-in-this-world-but/) [Rick Ferreira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-ferreira/) > [“Always assume positive intent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indra-nooyi/always-assume-positive-intent/) [Indra Nooyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indra-nooyi/) > [“Intentional living is the art of making our own choices before others' choices make us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richie-norton/intentional-living-is-the-art-of-making-our-own-choices-before-others/) [Richie Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richie-norton/) > [“It is important that when we make a resolution, or establish a goal, that we take the ACTION necessary to accomplish that goal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-maraboli/it-is-important-that-when-we-make-a-resolution-or-establish-a-goal/) [Steve Maraboli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-maraboli/) > [“Be intent on the action, not on the fruits of action.2”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gurcharan-das/be-intent-on-the-action-not-on-the-fruits-of-action-2/) [Gurcharan Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gurcharan-das/) > [The intent of Slayer's musical and lyrical content has always been selfish. We feel very strongly about the importance of staying true to ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-hanneman/the-intent-of-slayer-s-musical-and-lyrical-content-has-always-been/) [Jeff Hanneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-hanneman/) > [A person's current personality of love, hatred, jealousy, rage or a murderous intent and so on is formed upon genetic elements, education, the environment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-ki-duk/a-person-s-current-personality-of-love-hatred-jealousy-rage-or-a/) [Kim Ki-duk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-ki-duk/) > [The intent to preserve and capture something is very different from the urge to share, but they had become intertwined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-spiegel/the-intent-to-preserve-and-capture-something-is-very-different-from/) [Evan Spiegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-spiegel/) > [There can be no criminal intent in resisting injustice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/there-can-be-no-criminal-intent-in-resisting-injustice/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [We were orbiting around the idea of intent and context. We would take the bus into work, and if you said, 'Here's a shirt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-reed/we-were-orbiting-around-the-idea-of-intent-and-context-we-would-take/) [Harper Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-reed/) [Browse all 266 Intent quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intent/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“You cannot live with intent if you don’t know what your own intentions are.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Shawn Wells" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-wells/you-cannot-live-with-intent-if-you-don-t-know-what-your-own/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Intent" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-wells/you-cannot-live-with-intent-if-you-don-t-know-what-your-own/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/561/shawn-wells-79976_intention_you-cannot-live-with-intent-if-you-don-t_1693698.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/561/shawn-wells-79976_intention_you-cannot-live-with-intent-if-you-don-t_1693698.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/561/shawn-wells-79976_intention_you-cannot-live-with-intent-if-you-don-t_1693698.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You cannot live with intent if you don’t know what your own intentions are.” — Shawn Wells", "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": "Shawn Wells", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-wells/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“You cannot live with intent if...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-wells/you-cannot-live-with-intent-if-you-don-t-know-what-your-own/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-wells/you-cannot-live-with-intent-if-you-don-t-know-what-your-own/#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 } } ] } ```