--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Life's too short for anxious score-keeping" description: "\"Life's too short for anxious score-keeping\" — Teju Cole" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3a/teju-cole-2851_anxious_life-s-too-short-for-anxious-score-keepi_2899217.png" --- # Life's too short for anxious score-keeping ![“Life's too short for anxious score-keeping” quote by Teju Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3a/teju-cole-2851_anxious_life-s-too-short-for-anxious-score-keepi_2899217.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3a/teju-cole-2851_anxious_life-s-too-short-for-anxious-score-keepi_2899217.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3a/teju-cole-2851_anxious_life-s-too-short-for-anxious-score-keepi_2899217.png) > “Life's too short for anxious score-keeping” [Teju Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teju-cole/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Obsessing over scores wastes life’s limited time. **In simple terms:** Score‑keeping steals precious moments. Key Takeaway Live beyond metrics. Themes anxiety time evaluation life purpose Mood contemplative calm Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career planning - social media use - personal relationships - creative projects Key Concepts mindfulness existentialism Questions to Reflect On - What does success mean to you? - How can you measure fulfillment? A Different Perspective Metrics can provide useful feedback when balanced. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anxious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxious/) [Anxious Score](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxious-score-4114003/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life's too short](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-s-too-short/) [Score](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/score/) [Score Keeping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/score-keeping-4114004/) [Short](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/short/) [Short Anxious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/short-anxious-4114005/) [Too short](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-short/) ## Related quotes > [“Human beings- I've observed- are hot-wired for score keeping, and since they like to win, they're always going one better than the other fellow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/human-beings-i-ve-observed-are-hot-wired-for-score-keeping-and-since/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [Life's too short not to laugh about yourself and the cards you're dealt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zupan/life-s-too-short-not-to-laugh-about-yourself-and-the-cards-you-re/) [Mark Zupan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zupan/) > [And anyway, life's too short…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-anyway-life-s-too-short/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I believe life's too short for compromises and bad fitting jeans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lykke-li/i-believe-life-s-too-short-for-compromises-and-bad-fitting-jeans/) [Lykke Li](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lykke-li/) > [If you're not having fun - I don't care what you're doing - don't do it. Move on. Find something else, life's too short.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-doyle/if-you-re-not-having-fun-i-don-t-care-what-you-re-doing-don-t-do-it/) [Jerry Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-doyle/) > [Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would most likely be worth it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-mackay/nobody-said-life-would-be-easy-they-just-promised-it-would-most/) [Harvey Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-mackay/) > [Life's too short to eat anywhere else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-fertel/life-s-too-short-to-eat-anywhere-else/) [Ruth Fertel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-fertel/) > [There's no point regretting things. If you can't do the time, don't do the crime. 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But at the end of the day,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jada-pinkett-smith/i-ve-heard-all-the-things-their-marriage-is-not-real-he-s-gay-she-s/) [Jada Pinkett Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jada-pinkett-smith/) > [The only things you regret are the things you didn't do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-curtiz/the-only-things-you-regret-are-the-things-you-didn-t-do/) [Michael Curtiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-curtiz/) > [Life's too short to be shoehorned into a box that isn't for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-mayberry/life-s-too-short-to-be-shoehorned-into-a-box-that-isn-t-for-you/) [Lauren Mayberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-mayberry/) > [I still find each day too short..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/i-still-find-each-day-too-short/) [John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/) > [Because, life's too short, my friends. Let's squeeze in as many laughs as we can get.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-pasricha/because-life-s-too-short-my-friends-let-s-squeeze-in-as-many-laughs/) [Neil Pasricha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-pasricha/) > [Life's too short to deal with other people's insecurities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hopkins/life-s-too-short-to-deal-with-other-people-s-insecurities/) [Anthony Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hopkins/) ## More by Teju Cole > [One of the difficulties of photography is that it is much better at being explicit than at being reticent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teju-cole/one-of-the-difficulties-of-photography-is-that-it-is-much-better-at/) [Teju Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teju-cole/) > [Note-taking is important to me: a week's worth of reading notes (or "thoughts I had in the shower" notes) is cumulatively more interesting than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teju-cole/note-taking-is-important-to-me-a-week-s-worth-of-reading-notes-or/) [Teju Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teju-cole/) > [It's an Obama book, certainly. I was delighted, and astonished, to hear recently that he was reading it. It's a book about a new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teju-cole/it-s-an-obama-book-certainly-i-was-delighted-and-astonished-to-hear/) [Teju Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teju-cole/) > [Because I'm an art historian, I have some experience of writing that comes out of close attention. That's what really art history is. You're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teju-cole/because-i-m-an-art-historian-i-have-some-experience-of-writing-that/) [Teju Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teju-cole/) > [For purposes of marketing, writers are designated as poets, novelists, or something else. But writing is about matchmaking, an attempt to marry sensations with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teju-cole/for-purposes-of-marketing-writers-are-designated-as-poets-novelists/) [Teju Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teju-cole/) > [“Most of the people around me yesterday were middle-aged or old. I am used to it, but it never ceases to surprise me how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teju-cole/most-of-the-people-around-me-yesterday-were-middle-aged-or-old-i-am/) [Teju Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teju-cole/) > [“I look at his hands. In those hands is new knowledge.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teju-cole/i-look-at-his-hands-in-those-hands-is-new-knowledge/) [Teju Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teju-cole/) > [“The mind roams more widely in the dark than it does in light. It is no surprise, then, stepping out of the unlit house…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teju-cole/the-mind-roams-more-widely-in-the-dark-than-it-does-in-light-it-is-no/) [Teju Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teju-cole/) > [“Each person must, on some level, take himself as the calibration point for normalcy, must assume that the room of his own mind is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teju-cole/each-person-must-on-some-level-take-himself-as-the-calibration-point/) [Teju Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teju-cole/) > [Writing as writing. Writing as rioting. Writing as righting. On the best days, all three.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teju-cole/writing-as-writing-writing-as-rioting-writing-as-righting-on-the-best/) [Teju Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teju-cole/) > [“The site was a palimpsest, as was all the city, written, erased, rewritten...Generations rushed through the eye of the needle, and I, one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teju-cole/the-site-was-a-palimpsest-as-was-all-the-city-written-erased/) [Teju Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teju-cole/) > [“As I contemplated the silent world before me, I thought of the many romantic ideas attached to blindness. Ideas of unusual sensitivity and genius…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teju-cole/as-i-contemplated-the-silent-world-before-me-i-thought-of-the-many/) [Teju Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teju-cole/) > [Always say 'no pun intended' to draw attention to the intended pun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teju-cole/always-say-no-pun-intended-to-draw-attention-to-the-intended-pun/) [Teju Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teju-cole/) > [In a sense, Open City is a kind of Wunderkammer, one of those little rooms assembled with bric-a-brac by Renaissance scholars. I don't mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teju-cole/in-a-sense-open-city-is-a-kind-of-wunderkammer-one-of-those-little/) [Teju Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teju-cole/) > [One of the chief characteristics of a mob is its quickness. It is sudden. It pounces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teju-cole/one-of-the-chief-characteristics-of-a-mob-is-its-quickness-it-is/) [Teju Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teju-cole/) [Explore all 146 Teju Cole quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teju-cole/) ## More Anxious quotes > [Most people do surprisingly poorly when dealing with a relative who is hurting, depressed, or anxious - we get defensive and try to solve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-d-burns/most-people-do-surprisingly-poorly-when-dealing-with-a-relative-who/) [David D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-d-burns/) > [“Do Not Be Anxious 25 e “Therefore I tell you,  f do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-not-be-anxious-25-e-therefore-i-tell-you-f-do-not-be-anxious-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [According to Shakyamuni Buddha, it's normal for human beings to be anxious, because it's normal for human beings not to understand themselves. When you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reb-anderson/according-to-shakyamuni-buddha-it-s-normal-for-human-beings-to-be/) [Reb Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reb-anderson/) > [Be lamps unto yourselves. Be refuges unto yourselves. Take yourself no external refuge. Hold fast to the truth as a lamp. Hold fast to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/be-lamps-unto-yourselves-be-refuges-unto-yourselves-take-yourself-no/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [Even speed, when we are anxious, seems like delay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/publilius-syrus/even-speed-when-we-are-anxious-seems-like-delay/) [Publilius Syrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/publilius-syrus/) > [I'd like to be able to do complex math in my head. Any kind of adversity and I become very anxious, but if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-woods/i-d-like-to-be-able-to-do-complex-math-in-my-head-any-kind-of/) [Zach Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-woods/) > [There were times when depression, anxiety, whatever, would keep me from writing. I still get depressed and anxious, but I just don't let it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-st-john/there-were-times-when-depression-anxiety-whatever-would-keep-me-from/) [David St. John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-st-john/) > [The millennials were raised in a cocoon, their anxious parents afraid to let them go out in the park to play. So should we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/the-millennials-were-raised-in-a-cocoon-their-anxious-parents-afraid/) [Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/) > [He who believes in God is not careful for the morrow, but labors joyfully and with a great heart. "For He giveth His beloved,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/he-who-believes-in-god-is-not-careful-for-the-morrow-but-labors/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [I'm a very anxious, nervy kind of loser in many ways, and I get very stressed and a little tense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-weeks/i-m-a-very-anxious-nervy-kind-of-loser-in-many-ways-and-i-get-very/) [Ed Weeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-weeks/) > [Dogs seek attention from you. But by paying them that attention when they want it, you're reinforcing the bad or hyperactive or anxious behavior…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-millan/dogs-seek-attention-from-you-but-by-paying-them-that-attention-when/) [Cesar Millan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-millan/) > [I am not anxious to be the loudest voice or the most popular. But I would like to think that at a crucial moment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-am-not-anxious-to-be-the-loudest-voice-or-the-most-popular-but-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You simply can't be tentative in a startup. You have to go for it at every chance you get. And if the leader of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-wilson/you-simply-can-t-be-tentative-in-a-startup-you-have-to-go-for-it-at/) [Fred Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-wilson/) > [I - it's simply not for me to evaluate an independent rating agency's processes. But I will say that there was reason to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-carney/i-it-s-simply-not-for-me-to-evaluate-an-independent-rating-agency-s/) [Jay Carney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-carney/) > [I don't understand why gay people are so anxious to get married.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-margolyes/i-don-t-understand-why-gay-people-are-so-anxious-to-get-married/) [Miriam Margolyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-margolyes/) [Browse all 1,159 Anxious quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxious/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Life's too short for anxious score-keeping", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Teju Cole" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teju-cole/life-s-too-short-for-anxious-score-keeping/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Anxious" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teju-cole/life-s-too-short-for-anxious-score-keeping/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3a/teju-cole-2851_anxious_life-s-too-short-for-anxious-score-keepi_2899217.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3a/teju-cole-2851_anxious_life-s-too-short-for-anxious-score-keepi_2899217.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3a/teju-cole-2851_anxious_life-s-too-short-for-anxious-score-keepi_2899217.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Life's too short for anxious score-keeping” — Teju Cole", "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": "Teju Cole", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teju-cole/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Life's too short for anxious score-keeping", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teju-cole/life-s-too-short-for-anxious-score-keeping/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teju-cole/life-s-too-short-for-anxious-score-keeping/#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 } } ] } ```