My attitude is never to be satisfied, never enough, never.

Ellington frames artistic life as a discipline of perpetual striving. “Never to be satisfied” signals an ethic of continuous revision—treating each performance or composition not as a finished monument but as a step toward a still-unreached ideal. The clipped repetition (“never… never enough, never”) intensifies the sense of restlessness and high standards, suggesting that excellence is not a destination but a habit. In Ellington’s case, the sentiment aligns with his reputation for constant experimentation in orchestration and form, and for refining pieces across years of performances. The quote thus functions as a credo of creative ambition: dissatisfaction becomes fuel rather than despair.