--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The things I thought were so important…" description: "\"The things I thought were so important -- because of the effort I put into them -- have turned out to be of small value. And the things I never thought..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf2/thomas-merton-231_able_the-things-i-thought-were-so-important-b_1137528.jpg" --- # The things I thought were so important -- because of the… ![“The things I thought were so important -- because of the effort I put into them -- have turned out to be of small value. And the things I never thought about, the things I was never able to either to measure or to expect, were the things that mattered.” quote by Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf2/thomas-merton-231_able_the-things-i-thought-were-so-important-b_1137528.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf2/thomas-merton-231_able_the-things-i-thought-were-so-important-b_1137528.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf2/thomas-merton-231_able_the-things-i-thought-were-so-important-b_1137528.jpg) > “The things I thought were so important -- because of the effort I put into them -- have turned out to be of small value. And the things I never thought about, the things I was never able to either to measure or to expect, were the things that mattered.” [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. We often overvalue what we invest effort in, while undervaluing unseen, unmeasured aspects that truly matter. **In simple terms:** Effort skews perceived importance; hidden things matter more. Key Takeaway Recognize and seek value beyond effort. Themes values perception humility Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career decisions - relationships - personal growth - financial planning Key Concepts cognitive bias meaning-making Questions to Reflect On - What unseen factors could be more valuable? - How can you balance effort with openness? A Different Perspective Effort can blind us to true significance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) ## Related quotes > [Thought and learning are of small value unless translated into action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wang-yangming/thought-and-learning-are-of-small-value-unless-translated-into-action/) [Wang Yangming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wang-yangming/) > [“If you really do put a small value upon yourself, rest assured that the world will not raise your price.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-really-do-put-a-small-value-upon-yourself-rest-assured-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you really put a small value upon yourself, rest assured that the world will not raise your price. Pay no attention to what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-sibelius/if-you-really-put-a-small-value-upon-yourself-rest-assured-that-the/) [Jean Sibelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-sibelius/) > [“If you put a small value on your works, rest assured that the world will not raise your price.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-farmer/if-you-put-a-small-value-on-your-works-rest-assured-that-the-world/) [Ken Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-farmer/) > [“Best value comes from small, value-focused features, delivered frequently”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/best-value-comes-from-small-value-focused-features-delivered/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We may see the small value God has for riches, by the people he gives them to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pope/we-may-see-the-small-value-god-has-for-riches-by-the-people-he-gives/) [Alexander Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pope/) > [What I wanted was for everyone listening to understand that these things mattered - not necessarily for me, but in this particular forum they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-hill/what-i-wanted-was-for-everyone-listening-to-understand-that-these/) [Anita Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-hill/) > [Earlier in my life I thought the things that mattered were the things that you could see, like your car, your house, your wealth,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/earlier-in-my-life-i-thought-the-things-that-mattered-were-the-things/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [“What he had was a sense that few things mattered much. 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