--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The greatest use of a life is to spend it…" description: "\"The greatest use of a life is to spend it on something that will outlast it.\" — William James" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65e/william-james-228_greatest_the-greatest-use-of-a-life-is-to-spend-i_1306084.png" --- # The greatest use of a life is to spend it on something… ![“The greatest use of a life is to spend it on something that will outlast it.” quote by William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65e/william-james-228_greatest_the-greatest-use-of-a-life-is-to-spend-i_1306084.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65e/william-james-228_greatest_the-greatest-use-of-a-life-is-to-spend-i_1306084.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65e/william-james-228_greatest_the-greatest-use-of-a-life-is-to-spend-i_1306084.png) > “The greatest use of a life is to spend it on something that will outlast it.” [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. A meaningful life is spent on lasting contributions beyond personal existence. **In simple terms:** Live for enduring impact. Key Takeaway Pursue work that outlives you. Themes purpose legacy philosophy Mood inspirational thoughtful Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career choices - volunteering - creative projects Key Concepts existentialism self‑transcendence Questions to Reflect On - What will you be remembered for? - How can you start building a legacy? A Different Perspective Impact may be hard to measure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Greatest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatest/) [Greatest Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatest-use-964513/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Spend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-spend-281875/) [Something](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/something/) [Spend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spend/) [Spend Outlast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spend-outlast-1721736/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) [Use Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use-life/) [Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/will/) ## Related quotes > [“The greatest use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james-dally/the-greatest-use-of-life-is-to-spend-it-for-something-that-will/) [William James Dally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james-dally/) > [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 great value of life is to spend it on something that will outlast it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-truslow-adams/the-great-value-of-life-is-to-spend-it-on-something-that-will-outlast/) [James Truslow Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-truslow-adams/) > [“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." "This life is worth living, we can say, since…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/the-great-use-of-life-is-to-spend-it-for-something-that-will-outlast/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [Again the greatest use of a human was to be useful. Not to consume, not to watch, but to do something for someone else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-eggers/again-the-greatest-use-of-a-human-was-to-be-useful-not-to-consume-not/) [Dave Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-eggers/) > [Prayer is the greatest use of my words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/prayer-is-the-greatest-use-of-my-words/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [The price we are willing to pay for safety cannot be infinite. 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Do not allow others to spend it for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/time-is-the-coin-of-your-life-you-spend-it-do-not-allow-others-to/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [In life, we spend most of our time searching for what we already have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/in-life-we-spend-most-of-our-time-searching-for-what-we-already-have/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) ## 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. The sanest and best of us are of one clay with lunatics and prison-inmates. And whenever we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/we-are-all-potentially-such-sick-men-the-sanest-and-best-of-us-are-of/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [In the dim background of our mind we know meanwhile what we ought to be doing: getting up, dressing ourselves, answering the person who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/in-the-dim-background-of-our-mind-we-know-meanwhile-what-we-ought-to/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [“Our minds thus grow in spots; and like grease-spots, the spots spread. But we let them spread as little as possible: we keep unaltered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/our-minds-thus-grow-in-spots-and-like-grease-spots-the-spots-spread/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [Circumstance does not make me, it reveals me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/circumstance-does-not-make-me-it-reveals-me/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > ['Facts' are the bounds of human knowledge, set for it, not by it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/facts-are-the-bounds-of-human-knowledge-set-for-it-not-by-it/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [Woe to him whose beliefs play fast and loose with the order which realities follow in his experience; they will lead him nowhere or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/woe-to-him-whose-beliefs-play-fast-and-loose-with-the-order-which/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [We never fully grasp the import of any true statement until we have a clear notion of what the opposite untrue statement would be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/we-never-fully-grasp-the-import-of-any-true-statement-until-we-have-a/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [It is your friends who make your world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/it-is-your-friends-who-make-your-world/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [Human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/human-beings-can-alter-their-lives-by-altering-their-attitudes-of-mind/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [Most people, probably, are in doubt about certain matters ascribed to their past. They may have seen them, may have said them, done them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/most-people-probably-are-in-doubt-about-certain-matters-ascribed-to/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [“How soon, indeed, are human things forgotten! 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 Greatest quotes > [Imagination is the greatest nation in the world!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/imagination-is-the-greatest-nation-in-the-world/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [My greatest memories as a kid were playing sports with my dad and watching sports with my dad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-teixeira/my-greatest-memories-as-a-kid-were-playing-sports-with-my-dad-and/) [Mark Teixeira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-teixeira/) > [The last goal I ever scored in professional football was at Goodison Park - a glancing header for Aston Villa in a 1-0 win…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-sutton/the-last-goal-i-ever-scored-in-professional-football-was-at-goodison/) [Chris Sutton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-sutton/) > [Shawn Michaels, to me and to so many people, is just the greatest in-ring performer of all time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-cole/shawn-michaels-to-me-and-to-so-many-people-is-just-the-greatest-in/) [Adam Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-cole/) > [The hard-working Mexican tries to get up here looking for opportunities because America's one of the greatest countries in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-ruiz-jr/the-hard-working-mexican-tries-to-get-up-here-looking-for/) [Andy Ruiz Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-ruiz-jr/) > [The way the world underestimates me will be my greatest weapon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calista-flockhart/the-way-the-world-underestimates-me-will-be-my-greatest-weapon/) [Calista Flockhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calista-flockhart/) > [I don't mind people want to think Muhammad is the greatest fighter around. Everybody wants to make him great because of his mouth, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-frazier/i-don-t-mind-people-want-to-think-muhammad-is-the-greatest-fighter/) [Joe Frazier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-frazier/) > [“The world is witnessing one of the greatest frauds the Florida government has ever engaged in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-world-is-witnessing-one-of-the-greatest-frauds-the-florida/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [People used to say my son looked like a Mexican Biggie. And when he was first born, memories of Biggie... you know, we didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-evans/people-used-to-say-my-son-looked-like-a-mexican-biggie-and-when-he/) [Faith Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faith-evans/) > [My greatest work comes in the community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-barry/my-greatest-work-comes-in-the-community/) [Marion Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-barry/) > [“The greatest faith is the willingness to ask in the first place, all evidence to the contrary. Faith not just in God, but in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-cronin/the-greatest-faith-is-the-willingness-to-ask-in-the-first-place-all/) [Justin Cronin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-cronin/) > [The greatest of all crimes are the wars that are carried on by governments, to plunder, enslave, and destroy mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/the-greatest-of-all-crimes-are-the-wars-that-are-carried-on-by/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [One of the greatest of all sources of misery is comparing yourself to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhat/one-of-the-greatest-of-all-sources-of-misery-is-comparing-yourself-to/) [Zhat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhat/) > [The greatest failure is the failure to try.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-arthur-ward/the-greatest-failure-is-the-failure-to-try/) [William Arthur Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-arthur-ward/) > [To die in battle would be my greatest joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramzan-kadyrov/to-die-in-battle-would-be-my-greatest-joy/) [Ramzan Kadyrov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramzan-kadyrov/) [Browse all 2,783 Greatest quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatest/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The greatest use of a life is to spend it on something that will outlast it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William James" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/the-greatest-use-of-a-life-is-to-spend-it-on-something-that-will/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Greatest" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/the-greatest-use-of-a-life-is-to-spend-it-on-something-that-will/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65e/william-james-228_greatest_the-greatest-use-of-a-life-is-to-spend-i_1306084.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65e/william-james-228_greatest_the-greatest-use-of-a-life-is-to-spend-i_1306084.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65e/william-james-228_greatest_the-greatest-use-of-a-life-is-to-spend-i_1306084.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The greatest use of a life is to spend it on something that will outlast it.” — William James", "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": "William James", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The greatest use of a life...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/the-greatest-use-of-a-life-is-to-spend-it-on-something-that-will/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/the-greatest-use-of-a-life-is-to-spend-it-on-something-that-will/#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 } } ] } ```