--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What was meaningful? What was…" description: "\"“What was meaningful? What was meaningless? What did it mean, to amount to something? What type of life, was worth living? Was it better, to make a ton..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74a/t-scott-mcleod-13148_enjoy-life_what-was-meaningful-what-was-meaningless_3140740.jpg" --- # What was meaningful? What was meaningless? What did it… ![“What was meaningful? What was meaningless? What did it mean, to amount to something? What type of life, was worth living? Was it better, to make a ton of money, and have a fucking goddamn Mercedes, or whatever the fuck kind of car it was, to be a lawyer with a ‘serious’ job, and to have ‘amounted…” quote by T. Scott McLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74a/t-scott-mcleod-13148_enjoy-life_what-was-meaningful-what-was-meaningless_3140740.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74a/t-scott-mcleod-13148_enjoy-life_what-was-meaningful-what-was-meaningless_3140740.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74a/t-scott-mcleod-13148_enjoy-life_what-was-meaningful-what-was-meaningless_3140740.jpg) > ““What was meaningful? What was meaningless? What did it mean, to amount to something? What type of life, was worth living? Was it better, to make a ton of money, and have a fucking goddamn Mercedes, or whatever the fuck kind of car it was, to be a lawyer with a ‘serious’ job, and to have ‘amounted to something,’ or was it better to just be a waiter, and work the evening shift, and have your days free to goof off with your roommates, your friends, to go to meditation, to take some time to reflect, and enjoy life, and to not always be in such a big goddamn rush to get somewhere?”” [T. Scott McLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-scott-mcleod/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote questions whether material success or a relaxed, reflective lifestyle gives life its true value. **In simple terms:** Weighing wealth against personal freedom and purpose. Key Takeaway Consider what truly fulfills you beyond status. Themes meaning purpose career freedom balance Mood contemplative questioning Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - Choosing a career - budgeting time for hobbies - practicing meditation - reflecting on personal goals Key Concepts Existentialism materialism well‑being Questions to Reflect On - What defines a life worth living for you? - How can you balance ambition with personal peace? A Different Perspective It ignores societal pressures that may limit options for some. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Enjoy life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enjoy-life/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Financial success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/financial-success/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Meaningful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meaningful/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Worth living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worth-living/) ## Related quotes > [“A life's meaning comes not from the manner in which one dies, but in the manner in which one lives.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-kalmbach/a-life-s-meaning-comes-not-from-the-manner-in-which-one-dies-but-in/) Mike Kalmbach > [“Maybe it’s something which can’t be defined,” Enso Roshi says. “Maybe it’s a question, to be lived.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-scott-mcleod/maybe-it-s-something-which-can-t-be-defined-enso-roshi-says-maybe-it/) [T. Scott McLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-scott-mcleod/) > [“If you go to war with your mind, you will always be at war.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-scott-mcleod/if-you-go-to-war-with-your-mind-you-will-always-be-at-war/) [T. Scott McLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-scott-mcleod/) > [To stay or to go, it amounted to the same thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/to-stay-or-to-go-it-amounted-to-the-same-thing/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [“Sex and a cocktail: they both lasted about as long, had the same effect, and amounted to about the same thing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence/sex-and-a-cocktail-they-both-lasted-about-as-long-had-the-same-effect-2/) [D. H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence/) > [“Sex and a cocktail: they both lasted about as long, had the same effect, and amounted to the same thing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence-2/sex-and-a-cocktail-they-both-lasted-about-as-long-had-the-same-effect/) [D.H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence-2/) > [“Life Has Two (2) Meaning -Meaningful & -Meaningless what is mine? Your's is up to you..”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-bataller/life-has-two-2-meaning-meaningful-meaningless-what-is-mine-your-s-is/) Billy Bataller > [It's not even a question of whether the universe is meaningful or meaningless. It's in what way could it be meaningful, or in what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/it-s-not-even-a-question-of-whether-the-universe-is-meaningful-or/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [“If you have something to say, make it meaningful, all else is meaningless.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-price-billy/if-you-have-something-to-say-make-it-meaningful-all-else-is/) [Ray Price Billy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-price-billy/) > [We have only the language for fun and miserable, and maybe we need language for deep and shallow, meaningful and meaningless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/we-have-only-the-language-for-fun-and-miserable-and-maybe-we-need/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [“The world is a confusing place, meaningful and meaningless at once.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-finkel/the-world-is-a-confusing-place-meaningful-and-meaningless-at-once/) [Michael Finkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-finkel/) > [“…what your life means depends on how you tell the story.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-stover/what-your-life-means-depends-on-how-you-tell-the-story/) [Matthew Stover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-stover/) > [“I live for sex. I celebrate it, and relish the electricity of it, with every fibre of my being. I can see no better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-thrust/i-live-for-sex-i-celebrate-it-and-relish-the-electricity-of-it-with/) [Fiona Thrust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-thrust/) > [“To feel aroused is to feel alive. Having great sex is like taking in huge lungfuls of fresh air, essential to your body, essential…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-thrust/to-feel-aroused-is-to-feel-alive-having-great-sex-is-like-taking-in/) [Fiona Thrust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-thrust/) > [“We are all just playing some stupid role in a stupid movie that we all wrote.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-freestone/we-are-all-just-playing-some-stupid-role-in-a-stupid-movie-that-we/) [Jack Freestone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-freestone/) ## More by T. Scott McLeod > [“My belief is the belief of no beliefs. That's my belief.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-scott-mcleod/my-belief-is-the-belief-of-no-beliefs-that-s-my-belief/) [T. Scott McLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-scott-mcleod/) > [“You had to break, to be unbroken. In the brokenness, I had found, that which was unbroken. That which was perfect, and beautiful, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-scott-mcleod/you-had-to-break-to-be-unbroken-in-the-brokenness-i-had-found-that/) [T. Scott McLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-scott-mcleod/) > [“There were so many beliefs which we had about the world, which then influenced everything, everything, about how we saw the world and interacted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-scott-mcleod/there-were-so-many-beliefs-which-we-had-about-the-world-which-then/) [T. Scott McLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-scott-mcleod/) > [“To hate the hate was just more hate; to reject the rejection was just more rejection; to judge the judging, just more judging.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-scott-mcleod/to-hate-the-hate-was-just-more-hate-to-reject-the-rejection-was-just/) [T. Scott McLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-scott-mcleod/) > [“You can't resent another person for not giving you what you didn't ask for.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-scott-mcleod/you-can-t-resent-another-person-for-not-giving-you-what-you-didn-t/) [T. Scott McLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-scott-mcleod/) > [“The way is not clear, and it is when you do not have clarity, when this is allowed, that you will finally have clarity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-scott-mcleod/the-way-is-not-clear-and-it-is-when-you-do-not-have-clarity-when-this/) [T. Scott McLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-scott-mcleod/) > [“Can you allow yourself to be impaled on the present moment?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-scott-mcleod/can-you-allow-yourself-to-be-impaled-on-the-present-moment/) [T. Scott McLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-scott-mcleod/) > [“And could you, from a place of love, actually stand up and, use force, to give someone back, the suffering, they were trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-scott-mcleod/and-could-you-from-a-place-of-love-actually-stand-up-and-use-force-to/) [T. Scott McLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-scott-mcleod/) > [“If you go to war with your mind, you will always be at war.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-scott-mcleod/if-you-go-to-war-with-your-mind-you-will-always-be-at-war/) [T. Scott McLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-scott-mcleod/) > [“Hatred never ceases with hatred, but with love alone is healed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-scott-mcleod/hatred-never-ceases-with-hatred-but-with-love-alone-is-healed/) [T. Scott McLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-scott-mcleod/) > [“The mind is limitless, in its creations.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-scott-mcleod/the-mind-is-limitless-in-its-creations/) [T. Scott McLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-scott-mcleod/) > [“It is the rub that polishes the jewel,” Enso Roshi says. “Nobody ever gets to nirvana without going through samsara. Nobody ever gets to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-scott-mcleod/it-is-the-rub-that-polishes-the-jewel-enso-roshi-says-nobody-ever/) [T. Scott McLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-scott-mcleod/) > [“Let whatever happens, be what needs to happen, so that I may awaken.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-scott-mcleod/let-whatever-happens-be-what-needs-to-happen-so-that-i-may-awaken/) [T. Scott McLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-scott-mcleod/) > [“Stand in your own two shoes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-scott-mcleod/stand-in-your-own-two-shoes/) [T. Scott McLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-scott-mcleod/) > [“This would be a secret that I would carry with me, until the day I died.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-scott-mcleod/this-would-be-a-secret-that-i-would-carry-with-me-until-the-day-i-died/) [T. Scott McLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-scott-mcleod/) [Explore all 51 T. Scott McLeod quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-scott-mcleod/) ## More Enjoy life quotes > [Enjoying life isn't about finding the answers, but living the questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-margolis/enjoying-life-isn-t-about-finding-the-answers-but-living-the-questions/) [Sue Margolis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-margolis/) > [“Our irises are galaxies; our pupils are black holes if we allow ourselves to bottle up everything inside us instead of allowing ourselves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaclyn-johnston/our-irises-are-galaxies-our-pupils-are-black-holes-if-we-allow/) Jaclyn Johnston > [“I enjoy life so much more now, and I try hard to appreciate each and every day, but deep down I am still afraid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaycee-dugard/i-enjoy-life-so-much-more-now-and-i-try-hard-to-appreciate-each-and/) [Jaycee Dugard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaycee-dugard/) > [“I soon saw, however, that Creed's obsession with death was typical of most of the children. This came out in their play. "Let's play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-marshall/i-soon-saw-however-that-creed-s-obsession-with-death-was-typical-of/) [Catherine Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-marshall/) > [Attempt to be creative for the joy it brings… Select something like music, dance, sculpture, or poetry. Being creative will help you enjoy life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-g-scott/attempt-to-be-creative-for-the-joy-it-brings-select-something-like/) [Richard G. Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-g-scott/) > [Marriages are always moving from one season to another. Sometimes we find ourselves in winter--discouraged, detached, and dissatisfied; other times we experience springtime, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-chapman/marriages-are-always-moving-from-one-season-to-another-sometimes-we/) [Gary Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-chapman/) > [It's hard no to work, so I find a way to put myself back to work. And I think it's important, in between projects,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelina-jolie/it-s-hard-no-to-work-so-i-find-a-way-to-put-myself-back-to-work-and-i/) [Angelina Jolie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelina-jolie/) > [Just have fun. Smile. And keep putting on lipstick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-keaton/just-have-fun-smile-and-keep-putting-on-lipstick/) [Diane Keaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-keaton/) > [Happiness is not about the trophy, or the finish line. It's the journey. If you enjoy your journey, you can enjoy your life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pharrell-williams/happiness-is-not-about-the-trophy-or-the-finish-line-it-s-the-journey/) [Pharrell Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pharrell-williams/) > [Enjoy life to the fulliest with out embarrassing your mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neijka-carty/enjoy-life-to-the-fulliest-with-out-embarrassing-your-mother/) [Neijka Carty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neijka-carty/) > [“Recognize and appreciate little things, and enjoy what Life has to offer”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-nikko-caharian-iii/recognize-and-appreciate-little-things-and-enjoy-what-life-has-to/) Cesar Nikko Caharian III > [“We have plenty of time to be gloom when we are dead we have plenty of time to laugh when we are alive…ENJOY LIFE!!!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-ramirez/we-have-plenty-of-time-to-be-gloom-when-we-are-dead-we-have-plenty-of/) Natalie Ramirez > [“We are perfect children. Mentally, physically, emotionally, we are wholesome, and godly in every way possible. We have as much right to live, love,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-c-andrews/we-are-perfect-children-mentally-physically-emotionally-we-are/) [V.C. Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-c-andrews/) > [Enjoy your own life without comparing it with that of another for there will always be others whose lives on the face of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-de-caritat-marquis-de-condorcet/enjoy-your-own-life-without-comparing-it-with-that-of-another-for/) [Nicolas de Caritat, marquis de Condorcet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-de-caritat-marquis-de-condorcet/) > [It is essential to learn to enjoy life. It really does not make sense to go through the motions of existence if one does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/it-is-essential-to-learn-to-enjoy-life-it-really-does-not-make-sense/) [Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/) [Browse all 1,078 Enjoy life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enjoy-life/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“What was meaningful? What was meaningless? What did it mean, to amount to something? What type of life, was worth living? Was it better, to make a ton of money, and have a fucking goddamn Mercedes, or whatever the fuck kind of car it was, to be a lawyer with a ‘serious’ job, and to have ‘amounted to something,’ or was it better to just be a waiter, and work the evening shift, and have your days free to goof off with your roommates, your friends, to go to meditation, to take some time to reflect, and enjoy life, and to not always be in such a big goddamn rush to get somewhere?”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "T. Scott McLeod" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-scott-mcleod/what-was-meaningful-what-was-meaningless-what-did-it-mean-to-amount/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Enjoy life" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-scott-mcleod/what-was-meaningful-what-was-meaningless-what-did-it-mean-to-amount/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74a/t-scott-mcleod-13148_enjoy-life_what-was-meaningful-what-was-meaningless_3140740.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74a/t-scott-mcleod-13148_enjoy-life_what-was-meaningful-what-was-meaningless_3140740.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74a/t-scott-mcleod-13148_enjoy-life_what-was-meaningful-what-was-meaningless_3140740.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“What was meaningful? What was meaningless? What did it mean, to amount to something? What type of life, was…” — T. Scott McLeod", "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": "T. Scott McLeod", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-scott-mcleod/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“What was meaningful? What was meaningless?...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-scott-mcleod/what-was-meaningful-what-was-meaningless-what-did-it-mean-to-amount/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-scott-mcleod/what-was-meaningful-what-was-meaningless-what-did-it-mean-to-amount/#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 } } ] } ```