---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Do not look for rest in any pleasure…"
description: "\"Do not look for rest in any pleasure, because you were not created for pleasure: you were created for joy. And if you do not know the difference betwee..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf0/thomas-merton-231_differences_do-not-look-for-rest-in-any-pleasure-bec_2263589.jpg"
---

#  Do not look for rest in any pleasure, because you were not…

![“Do not look for rest in any pleasure, because you were not created for pleasure: you were created for joy. And if you do not know the difference between pleasure and joy you have not yet begun to live.” quote by Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf0/thomas-merton-231_differences_do-not-look-for-rest-in-any-pleasure-bec_2263589.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf0/thomas-merton-231_differences_do-not-look-for-rest-in-any-pleasure-bec_2263589.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf0/thomas-merton-231_differences_do-not-look-for-rest-in-any-pleasure-bec_2263589.jpg)

> “Do not look for rest in any pleasure, because you were not created for pleasure: you were created for joy. And if you do not know the difference between pleasure and joy you have not yet begun to live.”

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Merton distinguishes pleasure, fleeting enjoyment, from joy, a deeper purpose, urging pursuit of joy over mere pleasure.

**In simple terms:** Joy is deeper than pleasure; seek joy.

Key Takeaway

Prioritize joy over pleasure.

Themes

spirituality purpose joy

Mood

inspirational thoughtful

Type

spiritual motivational

When to use this quote

- daily life
- creative work
- relationships
- health habits

Key Concepts

contemplation psychology meaning

Questions to Reflect On

- What activities bring you lasting joy?
- How can you balance pleasure and joy?

A Different Perspective

Pleasure can sometimes be a healthy part of life.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Difference Pleasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difference-pleasure-305151/) [Differences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/differences/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Journey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journey/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Look Rest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/look-rest-3536139/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [Pleasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasure/) [Pleasure Created](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasure-created-2406183/) [Rest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rest/) [Rest Pleasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rest-pleasure-2406182/) [Sleep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sleep/)

## Related quotes

> [“Do not look for rest in any pleasure, because you were not created for pleasure: you were created for spiritual joy. And if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/do-not-look-for-rest-in-any-pleasure-because-you-were-not-created-for/)

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

> [What's the difference between pleasure and torture? Pleasure is thinking of you &amp; torture is thinking of you too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norden/what-s-the-difference-between-pleasure-and-torture-pleasure-is/)

[Norden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norden/)

> [The difference between Pleasure and Torture…Pleasure is thinking of you and Torture is thinking of you too much!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simi-ngr/the-difference-between-pleasure-and-torture-pleasure-is-thinking-of/)

[Simi Ngr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simi-ngr/)

> [You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety. You will lie down, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bible/you-will-be-secure-because-there-is-hope-you-will-look-about-you-and/)

[Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bible/)

> [As long as I'm happy with myself I don't give a damn how I look to the rest of you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-long-as-i-m-happy-with-myself-i-don-t-give-a-damn-how-i-look-to/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“And you will feel secure, because there is hope; you will look around and take your rest in security.” —Job 11:18 (ESV)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guideposts/and-you-will-feel-secure-because-there-is-hope-you-will-look-around/)

[Guideposts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guideposts/)

> [Only two to three per cent of an audience is interested in words and pays attention to lyrics; most of the rest of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-stewart/only-two-to-three-per-cent-of-an-audience-is-interested-in-words-and/)

[Al Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-stewart/)

> [You couldn't get me to go travel around and sit in a hotel room again. I have no interest in doing that. So everybody's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-everly/you-couldn-t-get-me-to-go-travel-around-and-sit-in-a-hotel-room-again/)

[Phil Everly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-everly/)

> [I decided to start my channel because my followers on Instagram told me that they wanted to learn how I did the looks I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-mua/i-decided-to-start-my-channel-because-my-followers-on-instagram-told/)

[Manny MUA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-mua/)

> [Smokers, like so many of us, are mavericks when they're healthy but parasites when they're not. They trash their bodies and then expect the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norah-vincent/smokers-like-so-many-of-us-are-mavericks-when-they-re-healthy-but/)

[Norah Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norah-vincent/)

> [I have heard that if you pull a bent breath through the second hole of a harmonica tuned to the key of Georgia while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buddy-wakefield/i-have-heard-that-if-you-pull-a-bent-breath-through-the-second-hole/)

[Buddy Wakefield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buddy-wakefield/)

> [“What if I believed that God Himself was the One who decreed I would be a quiet person? What if I believed that God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-rajnus/what-if-i-believed-that-god-himself-was-the-one-who-decreed-i-would/)

[Julie Rajnus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-rajnus/)

> [Eric Clapton's scales - when he comes off a high note and it's time for a refrain or a little bit of a rest,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rea/eric-clapton-s-scales-when-he-comes-off-a-high-note-and-it-s-time-for/)

[Chris Rea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rea/)

> [“We have become human doings more than human beings, and the verb “rest,” as Jesus uses it, is largely foreign to us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/we-have-become-human-doings-more-than-human-beings-and-the-verb-rest/)

[Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/)

> [I don't drink much anymore, but when I traveled with Frank Sinatra, God rest his soul, I used to drink like I could do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/i-don-t-drink-much-anymore-but-when-i-traveled-with-frank-sinatra-god/)

[Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/)

## More by Thomas Merton

> [“Let no one hope to find in contemplation an escape from conflict, from anguish or from doubt. On the contrary, the deep, inexpressible certitude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/let-no-one-hope-to-find-in-contemplation-an-escape-from-conflict-from/)

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

> [If nothing that can be seen can either be God or represent Him to us as He is, then to find God we must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/if-nothing-that-can-be-seen-can-either-be-god-or-represent-him-to-us/)

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

> [It is almost impossible to overestimate the value of true humility and its power in the spiritual life. For the beginning of humility is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/it-is-almost-impossible-to-overestimate-the-value-of-true-humility/)

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

> [We are not perfectly free until we live in pure hope. For when our hope is pure, it no longer trusts exclusively in human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/we-are-not-perfectly-free-until-we-live-in-pure-hope-for-when-our/)

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

> [The desire to kill is like the desire to attack another with an ingot of red -hot iron: I have to pick up the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-desire-to-kill-is-like-the-desire-to-attack-another-with-an-ingot/)

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

> [To enter into the realm of contemplation one must in a certain sense die: but this death is in fact the entrance to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/to-enter-into-the-realm-of-contemplation-one-must-in-a-certain-sense/)

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

> [The mission of Christian humility in social life is not merely to edify, but to keep minds open to many alternatives. The rigidity of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-mission-of-christian-humility-in-social-life-is-not-merely-to/)

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

> [Peace cannot be built on exclusivism, absolutism, and intolerance. But neither can it be built on vague liberal slogans and pious programs gestated in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/peace-cannot-be-built-on-exclusivism-absolutism-and-intolerance-but/)

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

> [Things that are good are good, and if one is responding to that goodness one is in contact with a truth from which one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/things-that-are-good-are-good-and-if-one-is-responding-to-that/)

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

> [Love winter when the plant says nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/love-winter-when-the-plant-says-nothing/)

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

> [The logic of worldly success rests on a fallacy: the strange error that our perfection depends on the thoughts and opinions and applause of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-logic-of-worldly-success-rests-on-a-fallacy-the-strange-error/)

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

> [“The wisdom of the flesh is a judgement that the ordinary ends of our natural appetites are the goods to which the whole of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-wisdom-of-the-flesh-is-a-judgement-that-the-ordinary-ends-of-our/)

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

> [I will no longer wound myself with the thoughts and questions that have surrounded me like thorns: that is a penance You do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/i-will-no-longer-wound-myself-with-the-thoughts-and-questions-that/)

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

> [If you write for God you will reach many men and bring them joy. If you write for men--you may make some money and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/if-you-write-for-god-you-will-reach-many-men-and-bring-them-joy-if/)

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

> [“Contemplation means rest, suspension of activity, withdrawal into the mysterious interior solitude in which the soul is absorbed in the immense and fruitful silence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/contemplation-means-rest-suspension-of-activity-withdrawal-into-the/)

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

[Explore all 851 Thomas Merton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

## More Differences quotes

> [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/)

[David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/)

> [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/)

[Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/)

> [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/)

[Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/)

> [If the media is sending girls the message that their value lies in their bodies, this can only leave them feeling disempowered and distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-siebel-newsom/if-the-media-is-sending-girls-the-message-that-their-value-lies-in/)

[Jennifer Siebel Newsom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-siebel-newsom/)

> [But I already saw no great difference between the psyche and spirituality. To amass knowledge without becoming wise is not my idea of progress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/but-i-already-saw-no-great-difference-between-the-psyche-and/)

[M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/)

> [There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party...and it has two right wings: Republican and Democrat. Republicans are a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/there-is-only-one-party-in-the-united-states-the-property-party-and/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [Shortly after I turned 50, both Ted Turner and the AARP came into my life. The only difference? With AARP, there were benefits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/shortly-after-i-turned-50-both-ted-turner-and-the-aarp-came-into-my/)

[Jane Fonda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fonda/)

> [It must be assumed and established as a principle, that the right of private property must be regarded as sacred. Wherefore, the law ought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-xiii/it-must-be-assumed-and-established-as-a-principle-that-the-right-of/)

[Pope Leo XIII](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-xiii/)

> [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/)

[Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/)

> [There are those who open their hearts to others...who never think twice about giving of themselves. They are the wonderful warmhearted people who make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilda-radner/there-are-those-who-open-their-hearts-to-others-who-never-think-twice/)

[Gilda Radner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilda-radner/)

> [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/)

[Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/)

> [A human being can only absorb a small amount of the mystical kundalini, you can be exposed again and again to it, but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/a-human-being-can-only-absorb-a-small-amount-of-the-mystical/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [One of the most basic principles for making and keeping peace within and between nations. . . is that in political, military, moral, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/one-of-the-most-basic-principles-for-making-and-keeping-peace-within/)

[Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/)

> [When the President starts talking about something, it makes a difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-schumer/when-the-president-starts-talking-about-something-it-makes-a/)

[Charles Schumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-schumer/)

> [In a world shaped and colored more and more by politicians, the nations meet politically, and hardly any other way to settle their differences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-b-priestley/in-a-world-shaped-and-colored-more-and-more-by-politicians-the/)

[J. B. Priestley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-b-priestley/)

[Browse all 8,110 Differences quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/differences/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Do not look for rest in any pleasure, because you were not created for pleasure: you were created for joy. And if you do not know the difference between pleasure and joy you have not yet begun to live.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Thomas Merton"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/do-not-look-for-rest-in-any-pleasure-because-you-were-not-created-for-2/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Differences"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/do-not-look-for-rest-in-any-pleasure-because-you-were-not-created-for-2/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf0/thomas-merton-231_differences_do-not-look-for-rest-in-any-pleasure-bec_2263589.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf0/thomas-merton-231_differences_do-not-look-for-rest-in-any-pleasure-bec_2263589.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf0/thomas-merton-231_differences_do-not-look-for-rest-in-any-pleasure-bec_2263589.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Do not look for rest in any pleasure, because you were not created for pleasure: you were created for joy…” — Thomas Merton",
                "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": "Thomas Merton",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Do not look for rest in...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/do-not-look-for-rest-in-any-pleasure-because-you-were-not-created-for-2/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/do-not-look-for-rest-in-any-pleasure-because-you-were-not-created-for-2/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
