--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The great use of life is to spend it for…" description: "\"The great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it.\" \"This life is worth living, we can say, since it is what we make it.\" \"Believ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ade/william-james-228_belief_the-great-use-of-life-is-to-spend-it-for_252206.png" --- # The great use of life is to spend it for something that… ![“The great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it." "This life is worth living, we can say, since it is what we make it." "Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact.” quote by William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ade/william-james-228_belief_the-great-use-of-life-is-to-spend-it-for_252206.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ade/william-james-228_belief_the-great-use-of-life-is-to-spend-it-for_252206.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ade/william-james-228_belief_the-great-use-of-life-is-to-spend-it-for_252206.png) > “The great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it." "This life is worth living, we can say, since it is what we make it." "Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact.” [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life's highest purpose is to dedicate oneself to causes that endure beyond one's own existence. **In simple terms:** Live for lasting impact. Key Takeaway Create lasting value. Themes purpose legacy meaning selflessness Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - community service - environmental activism - philanthropy - artistic creation Key Concepts existentialism humanism transcendence Questions to Reflect On - What lasting contribution will you pursue? - How can you align daily actions with enduring goals? A Different Perspective Impact may be limited by personal constraints and societal resistance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Inspirational life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational-life/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life worth living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-worth-living/) [This life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/this-life/) [Worth living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worth-living/) ## Related quotes > [“The best use of life is to spend it for something that outlasts it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/the-best-use-of-life-is-to-spend-it-for-something-that-outlasts-it/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [The great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it. --William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/the-great-use-of-life-is-to-spend-it-for-something-that-will-outlast-3/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [The great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/the-great-use-of-life-is-to-spend-it-for-something-that-will-outlast-2/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [The greatest use of a life is to spend it on something that will outlast it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/the-greatest-use-of-a-life-is-to-spend-it-on-something-that-will/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [The unexamined life is not worth living for a human being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/the-unexamined-life-is-not-worth-living-for-a-human-being/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact. --William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/believe-that-life-is-worth-living-and-your-belief-will-help-create-3/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/believe-that-life-is-worth-living-and-your-belief-will-help-create/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [These then are my last words to you. 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Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hussein-nishah/dont-be-afraid-of-life-believe-that-life-is-worth-living-and-your/) [Hussein Nishah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hussein-nishah/) > [Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/believe-that-life-is-worth-living-and-your-belief-will-help-create-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“If you believe that life is worth living then your belief will create the fact.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/if-you-believe-that-life-is-worth-living-then-your-belief-will-create/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) ## More by William James > [Effort is the one strictly undervalued and original contribution we make to this world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/effort-is-the-one-strictly-undervalued-and-original-contribution-we/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [We are all potentially such sick men. 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As we meet here this morning, the Southern sun is shining on their place of burial, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/how-soon-indeed-are-human-things-forgotten-as-we-meet-here-this/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [There can be no difference anywhere that does not make a difference somewhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/there-can-be-no-difference-anywhere-that-does-not-make-a-difference/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [It is wrong always, everywhere, and for everyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/it-is-wrong-always-everywhere-and-for-everyone-to-believe-anything/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [The pragmatist turns away from abstraction and insufficiency, from verbal solutions, from bad a priori reasons, from fixed principles, closed systems, and pretended absolutes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/the-pragmatist-turns-away-from-abstraction-and-insufficiency-from/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) [Explore all 854 William James quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) ## More Belief quotes > [“Cine a ucis stelele? 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