I had to be a grown-up when I should have been a little boy, and now that I'm a grown-up my little-boyness has exploded out of me. I've lived my life backwards.
Alan CummingRead
My feeling about work is it's much more about the experience of doing it than the end product. Sometimes things that are really great and make lots of money are miserable to make, and vice versa.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Work should be valued for the experience it provides rather than just the outcome.
Alan Cumming expresses that the true value of work lies in the journey of doing it, rather than merely focusing on the final results or profits. He highlights the paradox that sometimes the most financially successful projects can be unenjoyable, while less profitable endeavors can be deeply satisfying.
Themes
WorkExperienceJourneySatisfactionOutcome
In practice
Example use cases
During a team meeting to motivate staff, this quote can inspire employees to focus on enjoying their work.
More from Alan Cumming
All quotes →I'd been depressed before, of course. But I'm talking about really depressed. Not just feeling a bit down or sad, a depression that has something to do with biorhythms. I'm talking about the kind of depressed that floats in upon you like a fog. You can feel it coming and you can see where it is going to take you but you are powerless, utterly powerless to stop it. I know now.
Alan CummingRead
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Gilbert K. ChestertonRead
When you start to confuse Freddie Mac, Sallie Mae and Fannie Mae with members of your family, and you remember 2,000 stock symbols but forget the children's birthdays, there's a good chance you've become too wrapped up in your work.
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Work is work; wherever I'm working, I do the best I can. If the actual dollars come from investors as opposed to taxpayers and patrons, what's the difference?
Twyla TharpRead
Our jobs determine to a large extent what our lives are like. Is what you do for a living making you ill? Does it keep you from becoming a more fully realized person? Do you feel ashamed of what you have to do at work? All too often, the answer to such questions is yes. Yet it does not have to be like that. Work can be one of the most joyful, most fulfilling aspects of life. Whether it will be or not depends on the actions we collectively take.
Mihaly CsikszentmihalyiRead