--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Everyone says, \"You have to work at…" description: "\"Everyone says, \"You have to work at relationships.\" Sometimes you've got to work, but if you're working 60 percent of the time and only enjoying it 40 ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a00/tom-hanks-1717_enjoy_everyone-says-you-have-to-work-at-relati_1581628.jpg" --- # Everyone says, "You have to work at relationships."… ![“Everyone says, "You have to work at relationships." Sometimes you've got to work, but if you're working 60 percent of the time and only enjoying it 40 percent...” quote by Tom Hanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a00/tom-hanks-1717_enjoy_everyone-says-you-have-to-work-at-relati_1581628.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a00/tom-hanks-1717_enjoy_everyone-says-you-have-to-work-at-relati_1581628.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a00/tom-hanks-1717_enjoy_everyone-says-you-have-to-work-at-relati_1581628.jpg) > “Everyone says, "You have to work at relationships." Sometimes you've got to work, but if you're working 60 percent of the time and only enjoying it 40 percent...” [Tom Hanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hanks/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Relationships need effort, but when effort outweighs enjoyment, they become burdensome and may need rebalancing. **In simple terms:** Too much work, too little joy in relationships. Key Takeaway Reassess effort versus joy. Themes relationships balance effort joy Mood reflective concerned Type advice observational When to use this quote - marriage - friendship - team projects - family gatherings Key Concepts reciprocity sustainability emotional labor Questions to Reflect On - Are you investing enough joy? - How can you increase enjoyment without reducing effort? A Different Perspective Effort alone cannot fix a relationship lacking mutual satisfaction. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Relationship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationship/) [Relationships](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationships/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Work relationships](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-relationships/) ## Related quotes > [I have gone long stretches of working 60 to 80 hours per week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hank-green/i-have-gone-long-stretches-of-working-60-to-80-hours-per-week/) [Hank Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hank-green/) > [I don't think that anyone should be working out more than 60 to 90 minutes, four to five days a week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-kaiser/i-don-t-think-that-anyone-should-be-working-out-more-than-60-to-90/) [Anna Kaiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-kaiser/) > [ The average college graduate's proficient literacy in English \[the ability to read lengthy, complex texts and draw complicated inferences\] has declined from 40 percent… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-colson/the-average-college-graduate-s-proficient-literacy-in-english-the/) [Charles Colson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-colson/) > [Work hard to achieve integrity in your work and your relationships with the people you work with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebel-wilson/work-hard-to-achieve-integrity-in-your-work-and-your-relationships/) [Rebel Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebel-wilson/) > [You have to put work into relationships to keep them fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecily-strong/you-have-to-put-work-into-relationships-to-keep-them-fun/) [Cecily Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecily-strong/) > [You have to work at relationships. 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Think about it. When we meet someone, our first question is not so what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-welch/our-culture-places-a-premium-on-work-not-on-relationships-think-about/) Bob Welch ## More by Tom Hanks > [I've worked with people who are much further to the left than I am and much further to the right than I am. At…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hanks/i-ve-worked-with-people-who-are-much-further-to-the-left-than-i-am/) [Tom Hanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hanks/) > [In the 1998 Oscars, I found myself in the bathroom in a stall, next to Tom Selleck. So I leaned over and I said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hanks/in-the-1998-oscars-i-found-myself-in-the-bathroom-in-a-stall-next-to/) [Tom Hanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hanks/) > [Mass-market movies have become about one thing. They kind of declare themselves right off the bat. . . . But when I go to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hanks/mass-market-movies-have-become-about-one-thing-they-kind-of-declare/) [Tom Hanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hanks/) > [If you look at romantic comedies as pieces of commerce, the audience is looking for wish fulfillment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hanks/if-you-look-at-romantic-comedies-as-pieces-of-commerce-the-audience/) [Tom Hanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hanks/) > [Some people are cowards... I think by and large a third of people are villains, a third are cowards, and a third are heroes.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hanks/some-people-are-cowards-i-think-by-and-large-a-third-of-people-are/) [Tom Hanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hanks/) > [I try to do what I call the three E's - educate, entertain, and enlighten. 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Yet the only thing he has ever asked me for is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hanks/my-son-is-a-gentleman-and-a-professional-who-is-pursuing-something/) [Tom Hanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hanks/) [Explore all 213 Tom Hanks quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hanks/) ## More Enjoy quotes > [Obviously, if you don't love life, you can't enjoy an oyster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-clark/obviously-if-you-don-t-love-life-you-can-t-enjoy-an-oyster/) [Eleanor Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-clark/) > [I just enjoy winning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xander-bogaerts/i-just-enjoy-winning/) [Xander Bogaerts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xander-bogaerts/) > [The Fringe is by far my favorite time of year; I like everything about it. 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I don't think I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-rippon/i-don-t-own-a-yacht-or-a-flashy-car-i-ve-always-had-safe-cars-because/) [Angela Rippon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-rippon/) > [I really enjoy going to play for the national team and be with the guys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cedi-osman/i-really-enjoy-going-to-play-for-the-national-team-and-be-with-the/) [Cedi Osman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cedi-osman/) > [The evening's the best part of the day. You've done your day's work. Now you can put your feet up and enjoy it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/the-evening-s-the-best-part-of-the-day-you-ve-done-your-day-s-work/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [I really enjoy hosting, not necessarily because it provides more airtime, but because it allows me to be a part of more substantive discussions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-ponder/i-really-enjoy-hosting-not-necessarily-because-it-provides-more/) [Samantha Ponder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-ponder/) > [I really enjoy making people laugh; I've discovered that's a great technique. 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