--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our best work is done, our greatest…" description: "\"Our best work is done, our greatest influence is exerted, when we are without thought of self.\" — Swami Vivekananda" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3a/swami-vivekananda-53_best-work_our-best-work-is-done-our-greatest-influ_639653.jpg" --- # Our best work is done, our greatest influence is exerted… ![“Our best work is done, our greatest influence is exerted, when we are without thought of self.” quote by Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3a/swami-vivekananda-53_best-work_our-best-work-is-done-our-greatest-influ_639653.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3a/swami-vivekananda-53_best-work_our-best-work-is-done-our-greatest-influ_639653.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3a/swami-vivekananda-53_best-work_our-best-work-is-done-our-greatest-influ_639653.jpg) > “Our best work is done, our greatest influence is exerted, when we are without thought of self.” [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True impact arises when we act selflessly, focusing on service rather than ego. **In simple terms:** Selfless action creates greatest influence. Key Takeaway Serve without seeking credit. Themes selflessness influence service Mood inspirational reflective Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - volunteer work - team projects - community service - leadership roles Key Concepts spirituality altruism leadership Questions to Reflect On - How can you recognize hidden ego in your actions? - What practices help maintain self‑less focus? A Different Perspective Self‑interest can still subtly shape motives, limiting pure selflessness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Best work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-work/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Exerted Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exerted-thought-5137456/) [Greatest Influence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatest-influence-602895/) [Influence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence/) [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Thought Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought-self-538358/) ## Related quotes > [“‎But he still thought it self-evident that one had to do what was right; he had never learned how people could want to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/but-he-still-thought-it-self-evident-that-one-had-to-do-what-was/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [“In what act or thought of his has there ever been self? What was his aim in life? Greatness - in other people's eyes.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/in-what-act-or-thought-of-his-has-there-ever-been-self-what-was-his/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [“For Persons are selves and, in one respect at least, I was now a Not- self, simultaneously perceiving and being the Not-self of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/for-persons-are-selves-and-in-one-respect-at-least-i-was-now-a-not/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [Worry lives a long way from rational thought."---Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/worry-lives-a-long-way-from-rational-thought-self/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [The Self is not in the realm of thought. The Self is in the gap between our thoughts. The cosmic psyche whispers to us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/the-self-is-not-in-the-realm-of-thought-the-self-is-in-the-gap/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [“He was a man. He should have acted more like one - thought about how all that self-indulgence might affect his daughter, if not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-lael-miller/he-was-a-man-he-should-have-acted-more-like-one-thought-about-how-all/) [Linda Lael Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-lael-miller/) > [The essence of true nobility is neglect of self. Let the thought of self pass in, and the beauty of a great action is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-anthony-froude/the-essence-of-true-nobility-is-neglect-of-self-let-the-thought-of/) [James Anthony Froude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-anthony-froude/) > [Unconsciousness of self is not so much unselfishness as it is the mental ability to extinguish all thought of one's self - exactly as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-post/unconsciousness-of-self-is-not-so-much-unselfishness-as-it-is-the/) [Emily Post](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-post/) > [“He's paying the price and wondering for what sin and telling himself that he's been too selfish. In what act or thought of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/he-s-paying-the-price-and-wondering-for-what-sin-and-telling-himself/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [In conclusion we may say, in view of the confirmation that our study has given of the parallelism between individual and racial thought of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-conclusion-we-may-say-in-view-of-the-confirmation-that-our-study/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I just thought to my self, all of a sudden, that we had something in common. A natural chemistry, if you will. And I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/i-just-thought-to-my-self-all-of-a-sudden-that-we-had-something-in/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [Catching myself in the moment. Then I remember facts are just facts, circumstances are merely circumstances. Whenever I can catch myself having a negative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-shiels/catching-myself-in-the-moment-then-i-remember-facts-are-just-facts/) [Graham Shiels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-shiels/) > [When I look back what he use to say to me. I thought to my self that I will never love again since he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author-name/when-i-look-back-what-he-use-to-say-to-me-i-thought-to-my-self-that-i/) [Author Name](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/author-name/) > [People ask me all the time what or who my influences are. To be honest, it would take a decent set of encyclopedias to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-taylor/people-ask-me-all-the-time-what-or-who-my-influences-are-to-be-honest/) [Corey Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-taylor/) > [Our parents have, by far, the greatest influence on shaping who we are and how we deal with the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mamie-gummer/our-parents-have-by-far-the-greatest-influence-on-shaping-who-we-are/) [Mamie Gummer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mamie-gummer/) ## More by Swami Vivekananda > [Every action that helps us manifest our divine nature more and more is good; every action that retards it is evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/every-action-that-helps-us-manifest-our-divine-nature-more-and-more/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [Holiness sincerity, and faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/holiness-sincerity-and-faith/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [The Hindus have a peculiar slovenliness in business matters, not being sufficiently methodical and strict in keeping accounts etc.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/the-hindus-have-a-peculiar-slovenliness-in-business-matters-not-being/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [Renunciation is in our blood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/renunciation-is-in-our-blood/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [Let positive, strong, helpful thoughts enter into your brains from very childhood. Lay yourselves open to these thoughts, and not to weakening and paralysing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/let-positive-strong-helpful-thoughts-enter-into-your-brains-from-very/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [Where can we go to find God if we cannot see Him in our own hearts and in every living being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/where-can-we-go-to-find-god-if-we-cannot-see-him-in-our-own-hearts/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [It is the free alone which never changes, and the unchangeable alone which is free; for change is produced by something exterior to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/it-is-the-free-alone-which-never-changes-and-the-unchangeable-alone/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [Above all, India is the land of religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/above-all-india-is-the-land-of-religion/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [The awakening of the soul to its bondage and its effort to stand up and assert itself - this is called life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/the-awakening-of-the-soul-to-its-bondage-and-its-effort-to-stand-up/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [It is the Prana that is manifesting as motion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/it-is-the-prana-that-is-manifesting-as-motion/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [Though an atom is invisible, unthinkable, yet in it are the whole power and potency of the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/though-an-atom-is-invisible-unthinkable-yet-in-it-are-the-whole-power/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [Nothing can be produced without a cause, and the effect is but the cause reproduced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/nothing-can-be-produced-without-a-cause-and-the-effect-is-but-the/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [All the strength and succour you want is within yourselves. Therefore make your own future. "Let the dead past bury its dead." The infinite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/all-the-strength-and-succour-you-want-is-within-yourselves-therefore/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [Be brave! Be strong! Be fearless! Once you have taken up the spiritual life, fight as long as there is any life in you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/be-brave-be-strong-be-fearless-once-you-have-taken-up-the-spiritual/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [“there is a continuity of mind, as the Yogis call it. The mind is universal. Your mind, my mind, all these little minds, are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/there-is-a-continuity-of-mind-as-the-yogis-call-it-the-mind-is/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) [Explore all 1,889 Swami Vivekananda quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) ## More Best work quotes > [I do my best work when I am in pain and turmoil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sting/i-do-my-best-work-when-i-am-in-pain-and-turmoil/) [Sting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sting/) > [The only features I've done have been on the lower-budget end, for what they were. It's really all about getting the best people aboard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-garris/the-only-features-i-ve-done-have-been-on-the-lower-budget-end-for/) [Mick Garris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-garris/) > [The books we enjoy as children stay with us forever -- they have a special impact. Paragraph after paragraph and page after page, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sid-fleischman/the-books-we-enjoy-as-children-stay-with-us-forever-they-have-a/) [Sid Fleischman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sid-fleischman/) > [“One's best work comes when we are fully alive, happy, and inspired.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-schiffer/one-s-best-work-comes-when-we-are-fully-alive-happy-and-inspired/) [Eric Schiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-schiffer/) > [To not be modest about it, you'll find that with only a couple of exceptions, most of the musicians that I've worked with have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/to-not-be-modest-about-it-you-ll-find-that-with-only-a-couple-of/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [I know some people say it's not the best to work with your family, but I have never understood that because it's always worked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-kardashian/i-know-some-people-say-it-s-not-the-best-to-work-with-your-family-but/) [Kim Kardashian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-kardashian/) > [We enjoy what we do and, for me, playing football is the best work in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joao-moutinho/we-enjoy-what-we-do-and-for-me-playing-football-is-the-best-work-in/) [Joao Moutinho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joao-moutinho/) > [You and I are stymied in our own creativity. We can only create as sub-creators, and even then our best work is only sub-creation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-chandler/you-and-i-are-stymied-in-our-own-creativity-we-can-only-create-as-sub/) [Matt Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-chandler/) > [There's no way a director can communicate with every single person on the set and yet they need to motivate and instill an ambition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-kennedy/there-s-no-way-a-director-can-communicate-with-every-single-person-on/) [Kathleen Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-kennedy/) > [Hope for the best and work for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deval-patrick/hope-for-the-best-and-work-for-it/) [Deval Patrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deval-patrick/) > [All I can do is focus on doing my best work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-ryder/all-i-can-do-is-focus-on-doing-my-best-work/) [Sam Ryder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-ryder/) > [I was wondering if the best was behind me, had the high point of my career already happened. Then I saw what Manolo had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cox/i-was-wondering-if-the-best-was-behind-me-had-the-high-point-of-my/) [Patrick Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cox/) > [The only thing I can do is wipe my arse, brush my teeth, turn up and do the best work I can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hardy/the-only-thing-i-can-do-is-wipe-my-arse-brush-my-teeth-turn-up-and-do/) [Tom Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hardy/) > [The best work for creative folks on the team is when the problem is big and the solution escapes everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-sinofsky/the-best-work-for-creative-folks-on-the-team-is-when-the-problem-is/) [Steven Sinofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-sinofsky/) > [There should always be that leeway because if you think of your character as sort of absolutely fixed, then you just try and find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-abrahamson/there-should-always-be-that-leeway-because-if-you-think-of-your/) [Lenny Abrahamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-abrahamson/) [Browse all 403 Best work quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-work/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Our best work is done, our greatest influence is exerted, when we are without thought of self.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Swami Vivekananda" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/our-best-work-is-done-our-greatest-influence-is-exerted-when-we-are/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Best work" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/our-best-work-is-done-our-greatest-influence-is-exerted-when-we-are/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3a/swami-vivekananda-53_best-work_our-best-work-is-done-our-greatest-influ_639653.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3a/swami-vivekananda-53_best-work_our-best-work-is-done-our-greatest-influ_639653.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3a/swami-vivekananda-53_best-work_our-best-work-is-done-our-greatest-influ_639653.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Our best work is done, our greatest influence is exerted, when we are without thought of self.” — Swami Vivekananda", "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": "Swami Vivekananda", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Our best work is done, our...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/our-best-work-is-done-our-greatest-influence-is-exerted-when-we-are/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/our-best-work-is-done-our-greatest-influence-is-exerted-when-we-are/#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 } } ] } ```