There are two things to aim at in life: first, to get what you want; and, after that, to enjoy it. Only the wisest of mankind achieve the second.

This aphorism is generally attributed to Logan Pearsall Smith in the context of his early-20th-century work as an essayist and maker of epigrams—short, polished observations about character, desire, and self-deception. It reflects the period’s interest (shared by many moralists and satirists) in the psychology of wanting: the way ambition and acquisition can be easier than contentment. The line circulated widely in quotation collections as a standalone maxim, suggesting it was crafted for an aphoristic setting rather than recorded from a speech or interview. However, without a verified first appearance, the precise occasion and publication context cannot be stated with confidence.

Smith’s aphorism separates desire from satisfaction. The first “aim” is acquisitive: ambition, striving, and the pursuit of some imagined good. The second is harder: converting attainment into lived contentment rather than immediately replacing one want with the next. By calling the second achievement the province of “the wisest,” he implies that enjoyment is not automatic but a cultivated art—requiring self-knowledge, moderation, gratitude, and the ability to be present. The line also carries a quiet critique of modern restlessness: success is common enough, but the capacity to rest in it without boredom, anxiety, or renewed craving is rare.