--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If I don't make it, I'll be very sad that…" description: "\"If I don't make it, I'll be very sad that there are things I didn't do, but I'm happy that I've done what I have.\" — Stephen Jay Gould" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f4/stephen-jay-gould-885_done_if-i-don-t-make-it-i-ll-be-very-sad-that_2671304.png" --- # If I don't make it, I'll be very sad that there are things… ![“If I don't make it, I'll be very sad that there are things I didn't do, but I'm happy that I've done what I have.” quote by Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f4/stephen-jay-gould-885_done_if-i-don-t-make-it-i-ll-be-very-sad-that_2671304.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f4/stephen-jay-gould-885_done_if-i-don-t-make-it-i-ll-be-very-sad-that_2671304.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f4/stephen-jay-gould-885_done_if-i-don-t-make-it-i-ll-be-very-sad-that_2671304.png) > “If I don't make it, I'll be very sad that there are things I didn't do, but I'm happy that I've done what I have.” [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Regret stems from missed opportunities; satisfaction comes from doing what one can. **In simple terms:** Do what you can, avoid regret. Key Takeaway Act now, accept limits. Themes regret fulfillment action Mood contemplative thoughtful Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career choices - life planning - creative pursuits Key Concepts existential philosophy personal agency Questions to Reflect On - What would you do differently? - How do you measure fulfillment? A Different Perspective Unrealized goals may persist despite effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Sad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sad/) [Sad things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sad-things/) ## Related quotes > [I definitely didn't have a happy childhood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-somerville/i-definitely-didn-t-have-a-happy-childhood/) [Jimmy Somerville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-somerville/) > [“If I didn't, would you be happy with someone like me? If we met under different circumstances, would you?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristine-pierce/if-i-didn-t-would-you-be-happy-with-someone-like-me-if-we-met-under/) Kristine Pierce > [I didn't have a happy childhood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giorgio-armani/i-didn-t-have-a-happy-childhood/) [Giorgio Armani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giorgio-armani/) > [If you only knew what it did to me to have lived in that house where the police were bursting in to take everyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/if-you-only-knew-what-it-did-to-me-to-have-lived-in-that-house-where/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [“The past is only making you to spill tears, tears of joy or tears pain. But anyway they are making you sad, for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-a/the-past-is-only-making-you-to-spill-tears-tears-of-joy-or-tears-pain/) T.A > [I miss all the good things, not the bad things or the sad things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolann-centeno/i-miss-all-the-good-things-not-the-bad-things-or-the-sad-things/) [Carolann Centeno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolann-centeno/) > [It was a sad thing. I don't know how he learned that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-sands/it-was-a-sad-thing-i-don-t-know-how-he-learned-that/) [Julian Sands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-sands/) > [I'm happy that we've won a lot of games. I don't think about it. I don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-boeheim/i-m-happy-that-we-ve-won-a-lot-of-games-i-don-t-think-about-it-i-don-t/) [Jim Boeheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-boeheim/) > [You can either take it as a way to motivate yourself or be happy with what you've got.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-bonderman/you-can-either-take-it-as-a-way-to-motivate-yourself-or-be-happy-with/) [Jeremy Bonderman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-bonderman/) > [I think I've been happy because I've been able to do what I believe in, and on my own terms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-lauren/i-think-i-ve-been-happy-because-i-ve-been-able-to-do-what-i-believe/) [Ralph Lauren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-lauren/) > [“i have what i have and i am happy i’ve lost what i’ve lost and i am still happy”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupi-kaur/i-have-what-i-have-and-i-am-happy-i-ve-lost-what-i-ve-lost-and-i-am/) [Rupi Kaur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupi-kaur/) > [If you spare yourself from those people who would do anything to make you happy I've got some news for you There's always someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tshepo-koos-maluleke/if-you-spare-yourself-from-those-people-who-would-do-anything-to-make/) [Tshepo Koos Maluleke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tshepo-koos-maluleke/) > [How would you know what happy is if you've never been otherwise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/how-would-you-know-what-happy-is-if-you-ve-never-been-otherwise/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [You don't have to add anything in order to be happy; you've got to drop something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/you-don-t-have-to-add-anything-in-order-to-be-happy-you-ve-got-to/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [I'm always happy. 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"The need to survive by reaching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/in-his-anti-darwinian-book-and-eponymously-named-the-neck-of-the/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [... many folks take them seriously because they just 'know' that evolution can never be seen in the immediate here and now. 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