--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's important to be heroic, ambitious…" description: "\"It's important to be heroic, ambitious, productive, efficient, creative, and progressive, but these qualities don't necessarily nurture soul. The soul ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19e/thomas-moore-3267_ambitious_it-s-important-to-be-heroic-ambitious-pr_1211162.jpg" --- # It's important to be heroic, ambitious, productive… ![“It's important to be heroic, ambitious, productive, efficient, creative, and progressive, but these qualities don't necessarily nurture soul. The soul has different concerns, of equal value: downtime for reflection, conversation, and reverie; beauty that is captivating and pleasuring; relatedness…” quote by Thomas Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19e/thomas-moore-3267_ambitious_it-s-important-to-be-heroic-ambitious-pr_1211162.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19e/thomas-moore-3267_ambitious_it-s-important-to-be-heroic-ambitious-pr_1211162.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19e/thomas-moore-3267_ambitious_it-s-important-to-be-heroic-ambitious-pr_1211162.jpg) > “It's important to be heroic, ambitious, productive, efficient, creative, and progressive, but these qualities don't necessarily nurture soul. The soul has different concerns, of equal value: downtime for reflection, conversation, and reverie; beauty that is captivating and pleasuring; relatedness to the environs and to people; and any animal’s rhythm of rest and activity.” [Thomas Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-moore/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Productivity and ambition are valuable, but they must be balanced with soul‑nurturing activities like reflection, beauty, and rest. **In simple terms:** Work is important, but soul needs rest, beauty, and connection. Key Takeaway Integrate downtime and beauty into daily life. Themes balance well‑being creativity spirituality Mood contemplative inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - creative work - daily routines - mental health practices - social gatherings Key Concepts holistic health philosophy psychology Questions to Reflect On - What daily practices nurture your soul? - How can you schedule reflection without losing efficiency? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on productivity can cause burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ambitious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambitious/) [Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Captivating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/captivating/) [Concern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concern/) [Conversation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conversation/) [Creative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative/) [Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different/) [Downtime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/downtime/) [Equal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equal/) [Heroic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heroic/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Nurture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nurture/) [Nurture Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nurture-soul-1156468/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Productive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/productive/) [Progressive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progressive/) [Progressive Qualities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progressive-qualities-3671197/) [Qualities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/qualities/) [Quality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quality/) [Reflection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reflection/) [Reverie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reverie/) [Rhythm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rhythm/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) [Soul Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul-soul/) [Spirituality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirituality/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) ## Related quotes > [How do we nurture the soul? By revering our own life. By learning to love it all, not only the joys and the victories,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/how-do-we-nurture-the-soul-by-revering-our-own-life-by-learning-to/) [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) > [“Every day, at least for a few minutes, go and be with the plants. Look at them and smile, touch them with love, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhuwan-thapaliya/every-day-at-least-for-a-few-minutes-go-and-be-with-the-plants-look/) [Bhuwan Thapaliya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhuwan-thapaliya/) > [I think soul is soul. I don't see new soul as any different to old soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paloma-faith/i-think-soul-is-soul-i-don-t-see-new-soul-as-any-different-to-old-soul/) [Paloma Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paloma-faith/) > [The habits of life form the soul, and the soul forms the physical presence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/the-habits-of-life-form-the-soul-and-the-soul-forms-the-physical/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [“Every book, every volume that you see here, has a soul. The soul of the person who wrote it and of those who read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/every-book-every-volume-that-you-see-here-has-a-soul-the-soul-of-the/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafón](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [Soul, soul is nothing. Can you see it, smell it, touch it? No.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-totheroh/soul-soul-is-nothing-can-you-see-it-smell-it-touch-it-no/) [Dan Totheroh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-totheroh/) > [I wrote on your soul with my soul: «My everything. Love, M.»](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariana-fulger/i-wrote-on-your-soul-with-my-soul-my-everything-love-m/) [Mariana Fulger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariana-fulger/) > [In the end, I don't think you can find soul. Soul finds you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-cocker/in-the-end-i-don-t-think-you-can-find-soul-soul-finds-you/) [Joe Cocker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-cocker/) > [In fact, you don’t have a soul, you are your own soul. In other words, you are not this book, your social security card,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-ron-hubbard/in-fact-you-don-t-have-a-soul-you-are-your-own-soul-in-other-words/) [L. Ron Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-ron-hubbard/) > [What's in your soul is in your soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-houston/what-s-in-your-soul-is-in-your-soul/) [Whitney Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-houston/) > [“You're in a bad way! Apparently, you have developed a soul." A soul? That strange, ancient, long-forgotten word. We sometimes use the words "soul-stirring,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yevgeny-zamyatin/you-re-in-a-bad-way-apparently-you-have-developed-a-soul-a-soul-that/) [Yevgeny Zamyatin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yevgeny-zamyatin/) > [“I am the soul…but is that true?’ she asked herself aloud. ‘What am I actually? I am not the soul, I am beyond the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-rangel-gerry-o-malley/i-am-the-soul-but-is-that-true-she-asked-herself-aloud-what-am-i/) [Ana Rangel & Gerry O'malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-rangel-gerry-o-malley/) > [You are the soul of the soul of the universe, and your name is Love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/you-are-the-soul-of-the-soul-of-the-universe-and-your-name-is-love/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [From ancient times, the core idea of the soul is the soul is the capacity to integrate different functions into a single being or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/from-ancient-times-the-core-idea-of-the-soul-is-the-soul-is-the/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [“There is soul in side body all life we live with it but we do not meet with our soul and our soul leaves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-zaki-ansari/there-is-soul-in-side-body-all-life-we-live-with-it-but-we-do-not/) [Mohammed Zaki Ansari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-zaki-ansari/) ## More by Thomas Moore > [“Think of all the males and females of the animal and plant world, all the opposites in every aspect of life. They all need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-moore/think-of-all-the-males-and-females-of-the-animal-and-plant-world-all/) [Thomas Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-moore/) > [All that's bright must fade, The brightest still the fleetest; All that's sweet was made But to be lost when sweetest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-moore/all-that-s-bright-must-fade-the-brightest-still-the-fleetest-all-that/) [Thomas Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-moore/) > [An enchanted world is one that speaks to the soul, to the mysterious depths of the heart and imagination where we find value, love,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-moore/an-enchanted-world-is-one-that-speaks-to-the-soul-to-the-mysterious/) [Thomas Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-moore/) > [“It isn’t comfortable to discover her place and her necessity. And yet what she has to offer is nothing less than the entire deep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-moore/it-isn-t-comfortable-to-discover-her-place-and-her-necessity-and-yet/) [Thomas Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-moore/) > [When Time who steals our years away Shall steal our pleasures too, The mem'ry of the past will stay, And half our joys renew.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-moore/when-time-who-steals-our-years-away-shall-steal-our-pleasures-too-the/) [Thomas Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-moore/) > [“It's my conviction that slight shifts in imagination have more impact on living than major efforts at change... deep changes in life follow movements…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-moore/it-s-my-conviction-that-slight-shifts-in-imagination-have-more-impact/) [Thomas Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-moore/) > [We need people in our lives with whom we can be as open as possible. To have real conversations with people may seem like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-moore/we-need-people-in-our-lives-with-whom-we-can-be-as-open-as-possible/) [Thomas Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-moore/) > [A soulmate is someone to whom we feel profoundly connected, as though the communicating and communing that take place between us were not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-moore/a-soulmate-is-someone-to-whom-we-feel-profoundly-connected-as-though/) [Thomas Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-moore/) > [“I feel like one Who treads alone Some banquet-hall deserted, Whose lights are fled, Whose garland's dead, And all but he departed!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-moore/i-feel-like-one-who-treads-alone-some-banquet-hall-deserted-whose/) [Thomas Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-moore/) > [A philosopher being asked what was the first thing necessary to win the love of a woman, answered, Opportunity!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-moore/a-philosopher-being-asked-what-was-the-first-thing-necessary-to-win/) [Thomas Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-moore/) > [“Body exercise is incomplete if it focuses exclusively on muscle and is motivated by the ideal of a physique unspoiled by fat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-moore/body-exercise-is-incomplete-if-it-focuses-exclusively-on-muscle-and/) [Thomas Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-moore/) > [“During the dark night there is no choice but to surrender control, give in to unknowing, and stop and listen to whatever signals of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-moore/during-the-dark-night-there-is-no-choice-but-to-surrender-control/) [Thomas Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-moore/) > [The devil...the prowde spirite...cannot endure to be mocked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-moore/the-devil-the-prowde-spirite-cannot-endure-to-be-mocked/) [Thomas Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-moore/) > [And soon, too soon, we part with pain, To sail o'er silent seas again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-moore/and-soon-too-soon-we-part-with-pain-to-sail-o-er-silent-seas-again/) [Thomas Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-moore/) > [Pythagoras asks that we not let a friend go lightly, for whatever reason. Instead, we should stay with a friend as long as we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-moore/pythagoras-asks-that-we-not-let-a-friend-go-lightly-for-whatever/) [Thomas Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-moore/) [Explore all 131 Thomas Moore quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-moore/) ## More Ambitious quotes > [I'm hungry and ambitious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julen-lopetegui/i-m-hungry-and-ambitious/) [Julen Lopetegui](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julen-lopetegui/) > [I want my squad to be confident, ambitious. They have to believe in big things and we have to set targets internally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-howe/i-want-my-squad-to-be-confident-ambitious-they-have-to-believe-in-big/) [Eddie Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-howe/) > [I almost never have a plan for myself... I'm not ambitious in that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-plimpton/i-almost-never-have-a-plan-for-myself-i-m-not-ambitious-in-that-way/) [Martha Plimpton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-plimpton/) > [“Getting rich is easy, staying rich is impressive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-trip/getting-rich-is-easy-staying-rich-is-impressive/) [Don Trip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-trip/) > [Trying to be perfect may be inevitable for people who are smart and ambitious and interested in the world and its good opinion...What is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/trying-to-be-perfect-may-be-inevitable-for-people-who-are-smart-and/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [Business is always a struggle. There are always obstacles and competitors. There is never an open road, except the wide road that leads to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kirubi/business-is-always-a-struggle-there-are-always-obstacles-and/) [Chris Kirubi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kirubi/) > [I am ambitious to do more than what has been offered me. I want to be the best in whatever career I choose and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uday-chopra/i-am-ambitious-to-do-more-than-what-has-been-offered-me-i-want-to-be/) [Uday Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uday-chopra/) > [There are four varieties in society — the lovers, the ambitious, observers, and fools. The fools are the happiest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hippolyte-taine/there-are-four-varieties-in-society-the-lovers-the-ambitious/) [Hippolyte Taine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hippolyte-taine/) > [People who are ambitious - politicians who crave power - think that they're in control of it, but at some point, the movement that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/people-who-are-ambitious-politicians-who-crave-power-think-that-they/) [Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) > [I'm not ambitious. Not a bit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/i-m-not-ambitious-not-a-bit/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [Aggressive and hard-charging women violate unwritten rules about acceptable social conduct. Men are continually applauded for being ambitious and powerful and successful, but women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/aggressive-and-hard-charging-women-violate-unwritten-rules-about/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [I understood early on that I was not the best-looking girl in the room. But I knew my advantage was a hard work ethic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-o-connor/i-understood-early-on-that-i-was-not-the-best-looking-girl-in-the/) [Erin O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-o-connor/) > [It is ordained that to the ambitious, who derive no satisfaction from the gifts of life and the beauty of the world, life shall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/it-is-ordained-that-to-the-ambitious-who-derive-no-satisfaction-from/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [If Reagan and John Paul II were linked by anything, it was a grand, ambitious, and generous idea of Western political civilization, one in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/if-reagan-and-john-paul-ii-were-linked-by-anything-it-was-a-grand/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [To talk only about national security, national defense, means to be selfish, ambitious. It is discrimination, isolation. "It is just me. What do I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evo-morales/to-talk-only-about-national-security-national-defense-means-to-be/) [Evo Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evo-morales/) [Browse all 1,269 Ambitious quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambitious/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's important to be heroic, ambitious, productive, efficient, creative, and progressive, but these qualities don't necessarily nurture soul. 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