--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It seems quite proper to fear…" description: "\"It seems quite proper to fear achievement, which, after all, is proof that you've successfully moved an experience from the delightfully anticipated fu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eec/terry-rossio-25016_achievement_it-seems-quite-proper-to-fear-achievemen_69382.png" --- # It seems quite proper to fear achievement, which, after… ![“It seems quite proper to fear achievement, which, after all, is proof that you've successfully moved an experience from the delightfully anticipated future into the forever and sadly lost past. Avoid as long as you can the ultimate indignity: a lifetime achievement award.” quote by Terry Rossio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eec/terry-rossio-25016_achievement_it-seems-quite-proper-to-fear-achievemen_69382.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eec/terry-rossio-25016_achievement_it-seems-quite-proper-to-fear-achievemen_69382.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eec/terry-rossio-25016_achievement_it-seems-quite-proper-to-fear-achievemen_69382.png) > “It seems quite proper to fear achievement, which, after all, is proof that you've successfully moved an experience from the delightfully anticipated future into the forever and sadly lost past. Avoid as long as you can the ultimate indignity: a lifetime achievement award.” [Terry Rossio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-rossio/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. It warns that achieving goals turns future excitement into a static past, and that celebrating that with awards can feel hollow. **In simple terms:** Achievement can feel like loss of future hope. Key Takeaway Success may diminish the anticipation that once drove you. Themes impermanence achievement anxiety nostalgia meaning of success psychology of awards Mood reflective melancholic thoughtful Type philosophical cautionary observational When to use this quote - career milestones - creative projects - personal goals - long‑term aspirations - award ceremonies Key Concepts temporal shift self-identity cultural validation Practical Applications - reframe success as ongoing growth - use milestones as motivation rather than finality Questions to Reflect On - How does celebrating past success affect future ambition? - Can you find value in achievement without external validation? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Achievement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achievement/) [Awards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awards/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Fear Achievement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear-achievement-916510/) [Forever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forever/) [Indignity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indignity/) [Indignity Lifetime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indignity-lifetime-916511/) [Lifetime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lifetime/) [Lifetime achievement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lifetime-achievement/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Lost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lost/) [Moved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moved/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Proof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proof/) [Seems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seems/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Ultimate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ultimate/) ## Related quotes > [The Country Music Awards were held Wednesday night at Universal City. 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I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-simon/the-sort-of-lifetime-achievement-stuff-that-i-m-getting-now-is-kind/) [Sam Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-simon/) > [Honorary degrees and lifetime achievement awards are very encouraging. I know that it might sound strange that a writer who has published many books…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/honorary-degrees-and-lifetime-achievement-awards-are-very-encouraging/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [It feels like a rash. It suddenly seems like I've got a contagion of diseases, I mean awards. 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Amal is a human rights lawyer who worked on the Enron case, was an advisor to Kofi…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/george-clooney-married-amal-alamuddin-this-year-amal-is-a-human/) [Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/) > [I have to put a business model together because certain businesses are approaching me as a legend, as if I'm on my way out.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krs-one/i-have-to-put-a-business-model-together-because-certain-businesses/) [KRS-One](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krs-one/) > [Someone like Roman Polanski comes with a lifetime of achievement, cinematically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierce-brosnan/someone-like-roman-polanski-comes-with-a-lifetime-of-achievement/) [Pierce Brosnan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierce-brosnan/) > [I'm not in the Lifetime Achievement area yet-I'm still battling it out in the trenches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/i-m-not-in-the-lifetime-achievement-area-yet-i-m-still-battling-it/) [Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/) > [Meeting Stevie Wonder was a massive, lifetime achievement for me. He's one of the sweetest people. I sense a kindred spirit in him, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-hayes/meeting-stevie-wonder-was-a-massive-lifetime-achievement-for-me-he-s/) [Hunter Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-hayes/) > [I totally enjoy what I'm doing and bringing joy into people's lives. To me, and if I can bring one second of joy into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jackson/i-totally-enjoy-what-i-m-doing-and-bringing-joy-into-people-s-lives/) [Michael Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jackson/) > [I've always believed that I could do whatever I set my mind to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-coachman/i-ve-always-believed-that-i-could-do-whatever-i-set-my-mind-to-do/) [Alice Coachman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-coachman/) ## More by Terry Rossio > [Once learned, the ability to disagree with a smile pays valuable dividends for a lifetime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-rossio/once-learned-the-ability-to-disagree-with-a-smile-pays-valuable/) [Terry Rossio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-rossio/) > [The resolve to diet is most easily summoned on a full stomach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-rossio/the-resolve-to-diet-is-most-easily-summoned-on-a-full-stomach/) [Terry Rossio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-rossio/) > [Mistakes are the byproduct of action - and thus an accurate gauge of effort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-rossio/mistakes-are-the-byproduct-of-action-and-thus-an-accurate-gauge-of/) [Terry Rossio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-rossio/) > [It is a rare man who can prevail in the face of comfort. Freedom is fragile and elusive, for rarely does the appreciation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-rossio/it-is-a-rare-man-who-can-prevail-in-the-face-of-comfort-freedom-is/) [Terry Rossio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-rossio/) > [In Hollywood, story content of movies follows a hierarchy of power, not the relative quality of various ideas. 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A blessed lack of imagination. There are enough real glories along any path…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-rossio/how-do-we-not-rue-the-many-unchosen-paths-in-life-a-blessed-lack-of/) [Terry Rossio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-rossio/) > [Human beings are compelled to adopt a belief system; some paradigm to provide meaning, purpose, and understanding to our lives. A quick survey of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-rossio/human-beings-are-compelled-to-adopt-a-belief-system-some-paradigm-to/) [Terry Rossio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-rossio/) > [Most will choose to leave someone who can't bear to see them go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-rossio/most-will-choose-to-leave-someone-who-can-t-bear-to-see-them-go/) [Terry Rossio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-rossio/) > [You should quit trying only after two conditions have been met: 1.) You've given yourself a legitimate shot. 2.) Trying is no longer fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-rossio/you-should-quit-trying-only-after-two-conditions-have-been-met-1-you/) [Terry Rossio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-rossio/) > [My lousy way of getting it done is better than your great way of not doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-rossio/my-lousy-way-of-getting-it-done-is-better-than-your-great-way-of-not/) [Terry Rossio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-rossio/) > [Self-esteem is the prize awarded by you to you for playing by your own rules - in which case, you'd think it would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-rossio/self-esteem-is-the-prize-awarded-by-you-to-you-for-playing-by-your/) [Terry Rossio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-rossio/) [Explore all 23 Terry Rossio quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-rossio/) ## More Achievement quotes > [You, of Canada, are building a magnificent record of achievement. My country rejoices in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/you-of-canada-are-building-a-magnificent-record-of-achievement-my/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [“If attempting to make the world a civilized one, makes you a bad woman in the eyes of the dumb patriarchal society, then, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/if-attempting-to-make-the-world-a-civilized-one-makes-you-a-bad-woman/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [One achieves true human dignity only when one serves. Only he is great who subjects himself to taking part in the achievement of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-antonio-primo-de-rivera/one-achieves-true-human-dignity-only-when-one-serves-only-he-is-great/) [Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-antonio-primo-de-rivera/) > [Needs cause motivation. Deep-rooted desires for esteem, affection, belonging, achievement, self-actualization, power, and control motivate us to push for what we want and need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorii-myers/needs-cause-motivation-deep-rooted-desires-for-esteem-affection/) [Lorii Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorii-myers/) > [Each man is capable of doing one thing well. If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [It's tragic what America has become because there is a great segment of society that now resents luxury and success and achievement by others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-leach/it-s-tragic-what-america-has-become-because-there-is-a-great-segment/) [Robin Leach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-leach/) > [To preserve an unclouded capacity for the enjoyment of life is an unusual moral and psychological achievement. Contrary to popular belief, it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/to-preserve-an-unclouded-capacity-for-the-enjoyment-of-life-is-an/) [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) > [Joel Lane documents a life we don’t quite live, in a city we can’t quite find: half glimpsed and half imagined, we know it’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaz-brenchley/joel-lane-documents-a-life-we-don-t-quite-live-in-a-city-we-can-t/) [Chaz Brenchley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaz-brenchley/) > [The main substantive achievement of neoliberalism has been to redistribute rather than to generate wealth and income.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harvey/the-main-substantive-achievement-of-neoliberalism-has-been-to/) [David Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harvey/) > [Every profession has an ideology and a drive for power that goes far beyond its achievements and it is the task of democracy to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feyerabend/every-profession-has-an-ideology-and-a-drive-for-power-that-goes-far/) [Paul Feyerabend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feyerabend/) > [We have Internet now and people are not stupid. 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Solitude will transmit the message better than the murmurs of crowds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-roerich/cease-speaking-of-enemies-when-an-achievement-can-kindle-a-great/) [Nicholas Roerich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-roerich/) > [Every scene is a challenge. There are technical challenges, but often it's the simplest challenge where you feel a sense of achievement when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-deakins/every-scene-is-a-challenge-there-are-technical-challenges-but-often/) [Roger Deakins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-deakins/) [Browse all 3,867 Achievement quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achievement/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It seems quite proper to fear achievement, which, after all, is proof that you've successfully moved an experience from the delightfully anticipated future into the forever and sadly lost past. 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