--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think the thing that is meaningful is…" description: "\"I think the thing that is meaningful is when I can tell that someone's been affected by the movie or by anything I made.\" — Spike Jonze" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73f/spike-jonze-3309_affected_i-think-the-thing-that-is-meaningful-is_1541008.jpg" --- # I think the thing that is meaningful is when I can tell… ![“I think the thing that is meaningful is when I can tell that someone's been affected by the movie or by anything I made.” quote by Spike Jonze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73f/spike-jonze-3309_affected_i-think-the-thing-that-is-meaningful-is_1541008.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73f/spike-jonze-3309_affected_i-think-the-thing-that-is-meaningful-is_1541008.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73f/spike-jonze-3309_affected_i-think-the-thing-that-is-meaningful-is_1541008.jpg) > “I think the thing that is meaningful is when I can tell that someone's been affected by the movie or by anything I made.” [Spike Jonze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-jonze/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He finds meaning when his work impacts others, showing that artistic value lies in emotional resonance with the audience. **In simple terms:** Impact on others makes work meaningful. Key Takeaway Create work that moves people. Themes art impact meaningfulness Mood thoughtful creative Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - film directing - creative projects - media production Key Concepts emotional connection audience response Questions to Reflect On - What emotions do you hope to evoke? - How do you measure lasting influence? A Different Perspective Impact can be fleeting or misunderstood. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Affected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affected/) [Affected Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affected-movie-5062495/) [Anything](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anything/) [Been](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/been/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [I can](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-can/) [I think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-think/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Meaningful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meaningful/) [Meaningful Tell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meaningful-tell-5739799/) [Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie/) [Someone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/someone/) [Tell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tell/) [Tell Affected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tell-affected-5389384/) [Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing/) [Thing Meaningful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-meaningful-3286867/) [Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think/) ## Related quotes > [I just think it's really funny and entertaining. I mean, I don't necessarily take them really seriously - I don't even think a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-tyler/i-just-think-it-s-really-funny-and-entertaining-i-mean-i-don-t/) [Liv Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-tyler/) > [“How was I supposed to tell him how he affected me and how that any other time before this moment meant absolutely nothing, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peggy-martinez/how-was-i-supposed-to-tell-him-how-he-affected-me-and-how-that-any/) [Peggy Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peggy-martinez/) > [You can only make so much money in life and only enjoy so many creature comforts. The important thing is to do something meaningful-to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roone-arledge/you-can-only-make-so-much-money-in-life-and-only-enjoy-so-many/) [Roone Arledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roone-arledge/) > [Meeting a stranger can be totally fleeting and meaningless, for example, unless you enter the individual’s world by finding out at least one thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/meeting-a-stranger-can-be-totally-fleeting-and-meaningless-for/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Then, the other thing that affected my interest in choices growing up was the fact that I was going blind and that meant that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/then-the-other-thing-that-affected-my-interest-in-choices-growing-up/) [Sheena Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/) > [I have wondered why is it that some people are less affected and torn by the verities of life and death that others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-have-wondered-why-is-it-that-some-people-are-less-affected-and-torn/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [Who what am I? My answer: I am the sum total of everything that went before me, of all I have been seen done,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/who-what-am-i-my-answer-i-am-the-sum-total-of-everything-that-went/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [Don't be intimidated by people who seem to be experts. Hear their points of view and get their judgements. But at the end of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/don-t-be-intimidated-by-people-who-seem-to-be-experts-hear-their/) [Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/) > [I wish we could go back to the time when the private lives of our public figures were relevant only if they directly affected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-wish-we-could-go-back-to-the-time-when-the-private-lives-of-our/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [Don't show them that you are affected.. Instead, show them that you are happy even without them.. To put a sad face on your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharlene05/don-t-show-them-that-you-are-affected-instead-show-them-that-you-are/) [Sharlene05](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharlene05/) > [Every culture, if its natural development is not too much affected by political restrictions, experiences a perpetual renewal of the formative urge, and out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-rocker/every-culture-if-its-natural-development-is-not-too-much-affected-by/) [Rudolf Rocker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-rocker/) > [At first I thought I would have to put on an English accent and try a sort of affected Shakespeare thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/at-first-i-thought-i-would-have-to-put-on-an-english-accent-and-try-a/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [Be a pattern to others, and then all will go well; for as a whole city is affected by the licentious passions and vices…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/be-a-pattern-to-others-and-then-all-will-go-well-for-as-a-whole-city/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [First, climate change is the greatest long-term threat faced by humanity. It could cause more human and financial suffering than the two world wars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-miliband/first-climate-change-is-the-greatest-long-term-threat-faced-by/) [David Miliband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-miliband/) > [To tell you the truth I am hard put to think of anyone who's career was affected significantly by making all those phone calls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dabney-coleman/to-tell-you-the-truth-i-am-hard-put-to-think-of-anyone-who-s-career/) [Dabney Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dabney-coleman/) ## More by Spike Jonze > [When I'm making stuff, the thing that excites me most is not the result, but the process and trying to do something I've never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-jonze/when-i-m-making-stuff-the-thing-that-excites-me-most-is-not-the/) [Spike Jonze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-jonze/) > [“Falling in love is kind of like a form of socially acceptable insanity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-jonze/falling-in-love-is-kind-of-like-a-form-of-socially-acceptable-insanity/) [Spike Jonze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-jonze/) > [On set, there's a lot of pressure. But it sort of heightens the moments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-jonze/on-set-there-s-a-lot-of-pressure-but-it-sort-of-heightens-the-moments/) [Spike Jonze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-jonze/) > [There was definitely a point in my thirties when I thought, 'Oh, wow, I'm not the youngest person on the set anymore.' But I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-jonze/there-was-definitely-a-point-in-my-thirties-when-i-thought-oh-wow-i-m/) [Spike Jonze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-jonze/) > [I think there's a knee-jerk reaction to things from parents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-jonze/i-think-there-s-a-knee-jerk-reaction-to-things-from-parents/) [Spike Jonze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-jonze/) > [I feel like you only have so much time to make stuff. I'm definitely aware of that. I'm also excited about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-jonze/i-feel-like-you-only-have-so-much-time-to-make-stuff-i-m-definitely/) [Spike Jonze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-jonze/) > [Obviously technology has become such a big presence in our lives and, I definitely know, in my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-jonze/obviously-technology-has-become-such-a-big-presence-in-our-lives-and/) [Spike Jonze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-jonze/) > [As creatives, it's a hard thing to push, to make something you're truly excited about, especially if you've written 100 different concepts and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-jonze/as-creatives-it-s-a-hard-thing-to-push-to-make-something-you-re-truly/) [Spike Jonze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-jonze/) > [I definitely check my phone for texts a lot - like, 'Did anyone text me? Is anyone thinking about me? Does anyone love me?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-jonze/i-definitely-check-my-phone-for-texts-a-lot-like-did-anyone-text-me/) [Spike Jonze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-jonze/) > [Be willing to get fired for a good idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-jonze/be-willing-to-get-fired-for-a-good-idea/) [Spike Jonze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-jonze/) > [Emotions are messy and hard to figure out. Hard to know where you start and the next person stops. Even as an adult, that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-jonze/emotions-are-messy-and-hard-to-figure-out-hard-to-know-where-you/) [Spike Jonze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-jonze/) > [There's great food everywhere, and even McDonald's uses nice wood now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-jonze/there-s-great-food-everywhere-and-even-mcdonald-s-uses-nice-wood-now/) [Spike Jonze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-jonze/) > [There's a difference between stress and pressure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-jonze/there-s-a-difference-between-stress-and-pressure/) [Spike Jonze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-jonze/) > [Kids are so fiercely opinionated, that if they love the Harry Potter books and they go see the movie, they'll be the first to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-jonze/kids-are-so-fiercely-opinionated-that-if-they-love-the-harry-potter/) [Spike Jonze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-jonze/) > [The strengths and failings of a relationship depend entirely on your ability to talk about your feelings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-jonze/the-strengths-and-failings-of-a-relationship-depend-entirely-on-your/) [Spike Jonze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-jonze/) [Explore all 134 Spike Jonze quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-jonze/) ## More Affected quotes > [To tell you the truth I am hard put to think of anyone who's career was affected significantly by making all those phone calls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dabney-coleman/to-tell-you-the-truth-i-am-hard-put-to-think-of-anyone-who-s-career/) [Dabney Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dabney-coleman/) > [First, climate change is the greatest long-term threat faced by humanity. It could cause more human and financial suffering than the two world wars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-miliband/first-climate-change-is-the-greatest-long-term-threat-faced-by/) [David Miliband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-miliband/) > [Be a pattern to others, and then all will go well; for as a whole city is affected by the licentious passions and vices…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/be-a-pattern-to-others-and-then-all-will-go-well-for-as-a-whole-city/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [At first I thought I would have to put on an English accent and try a sort of affected Shakespeare thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/at-first-i-thought-i-would-have-to-put-on-an-english-accent-and-try-a/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [Every culture, if its natural development is not too much affected by political restrictions, experiences a perpetual renewal of the formative urge, and out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-rocker/every-culture-if-its-natural-development-is-not-too-much-affected-by/) [Rudolf Rocker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-rocker/) > [Don't show them that you are affected.. Instead, show them that you are happy even without them.. To put a sad face on your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharlene05/don-t-show-them-that-you-are-affected-instead-show-them-that-you-are/) [Sharlene05](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharlene05/) > [I wish we could go back to the time when the private lives of our public figures were relevant only if they directly affected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-wish-we-could-go-back-to-the-time-when-the-private-lives-of-our/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [Don't be intimidated by people who seem to be experts. Hear their points of view and get their judgements. But at the end of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/don-t-be-intimidated-by-people-who-seem-to-be-experts-hear-their/) [Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/) > [Who what am I? My answer: I am the sum total of everything that went before me, of all I have been seen done,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/who-what-am-i-my-answer-i-am-the-sum-total-of-everything-that-went/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [I have wondered why is it that some people are less affected and torn by the verities of life and death that others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-have-wondered-why-is-it-that-some-people-are-less-affected-and-torn/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [Then, the other thing that affected my interest in choices growing up was the fact that I was going blind and that meant that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/then-the-other-thing-that-affected-my-interest-in-choices-growing-up/) [Sheena Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/) > [I don't think Wayne Rooney would be affected if you booed him, that's just how he is, but others go under. They really suffer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-lampard/i-don-t-think-wayne-rooney-would-be-affected-if-you-booed-him-that-s/) [Frank Lampard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-lampard/) > [I'm not good at standing on platforms and persuading people to my political point of view. Nor would I seek to. My gift is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hare/i-m-not-good-at-standing-on-platforms-and-persuading-people-to-my/) [David Hare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hare/) > [I was trying to hold up a mirror to this country, to reflect the past years or so, and the varying degrees in which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/said-sayrafiezadeh/i-was-trying-to-hold-up-a-mirror-to-this-country-to-reflect-the-past/) [Said Sayrafiezadeh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/said-sayrafiezadeh/) > [We know COVID-19 hasn't affected communities equally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-cooper/we-know-covid-19-hasn-t-affected-communities-equally/) [Roy Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-cooper/) [Browse all 1,050 Affected quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affected/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think the thing that is meaningful is when I can tell that someone's been affected by the movie or by anything I made.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Spike Jonze" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-jonze/i-think-the-thing-that-is-meaningful-is-when-i-can-tell-that-someone/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Affected" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-jonze/i-think-the-thing-that-is-meaningful-is-when-i-can-tell-that-someone/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73f/spike-jonze-3309_affected_i-think-the-thing-that-is-meaningful-is_1541008.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73f/spike-jonze-3309_affected_i-think-the-thing-that-is-meaningful-is_1541008.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73f/spike-jonze-3309_affected_i-think-the-thing-that-is-meaningful-is_1541008.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think the thing that is meaningful is when I can tell that someone's been affected by the movie or by…” — Spike Jonze", "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": "Spike Jonze", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-jonze/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think the thing that is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-jonze/i-think-the-thing-that-is-meaningful-is-when-i-can-tell-that-someone/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-jonze/i-think-the-thing-that-is-meaningful-is-when-i-can-tell-that-someone/#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 } } ] } ```