Sometimes I worry about being a success in a mediocre world.
Lily TomlinRead
The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you're still a rat.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Winning in a competitive environment may not bring true satisfaction or happiness.
This quote by Lily Tomlin highlights the futility of striving for success within a highly competitive and often detrimental system, suggesting that even those who succeed become trapped in the same struggles they sought to escape. It emphasizes the idea that achieving success in the rat race does not equate to personal fulfillment or a meaningful life, prompting a reflection on the values we pursue.
Themes
Rat RaceSuccessHappinessCompetitionFulfillment
In practice
Example use cases
Use this quote during a corporate seminar on work-life balance.
More from Lily Tomlin
All quotes →The road to success is always under construction.
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Ninety eight percent of the adults in this country are decent, hardworking, honest Americans. It's the other lousy two percent that get all the publicity. But then, we elected them.
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Truth is, I've always been selling out. The difference is that in the past, I looked like I had integrity because there were no buyers.
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Why is it that when we talk to God we're said to be praying but when God talks to us we're schizophrenic?
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Sometimes I feel like a figment of my own imagination.
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