The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you're still a rat.
If I had known what it would be like to have it all - I might have been willing to settle for less.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the idea that achieving everything one desires might not lead to happiness, suggesting that sometimes it's better to desire less.
Lily Tomlin's quote suggests a profound realization about the nature of fulfillment and the pursuit of desires. It implies that having everything one wants can lead to unexpected challenges and disappointments, making one reconsider whether striving for 'having it all' is truly worthwhile. Instead, it encourages the perspective of appreciating what one has rather than constantly seeking more, advocating for a reevaluation of personal aspirations and contentment.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used during a motivational speech about the importance of appreciating life.
More from Lily Tomlin
All quotes βSometimes I worry about being a success in a mediocre world.
The road to success is always under construction.
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.
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.
Why is it that when we talk to God we're said to be praying but when God talks to us we're schizophrenic?
Similar quotes
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Faith is a most precious commodity, without which we should be very badly off.
Greatness lies not in being strong, but in the right use of strength.
God never witholds from His child that which His love and wisdom call good. God's refusals are always merciful -- "severe mercies" at times but mercies all the same. God never denies us our hearts desire except to give us something better.