"I was one of those people who put too much emphasis on work and career and material possessions, and it took its toll on all my relationships, on my physical health, my emotional and mental health"
About this Quote
The quote works because it rejects the glamorous version of ambition. “Work and career and material possessions” lands like a three-beat inventory, the kind you might recite to justify overcommitment. Then comes the pivot: “it took its toll.” Not “I got tired,” not “I had regrets” - toll implies a running tab, a debt collected over time. The damage is comprehensive and unsentimental: relationships first (because they’re the earliest collateral), then the body, then the mind. The order matters. It’s a map of burnout as it actually unfolds: you lose intimacy before you notice you’re unwell.
Coming from an actor, the subtext is sharper. Performance is literally his job, and the entertainment economy rewards overwork while packaging it as passion. Shalhoub’s point isn’t anti-career; it’s anti-miscalculation. He’s describing the moment you realize success can still be a bad deal if it costs you the people and the self who were supposed to enjoy it.
Quote Details
| Topic | Work-Life Balance |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite | Cite this Quote |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Shalhoub, Tony. (n.d.). I was one of those people who put too much emphasis on work and career and material possessions, and it took its toll on all my relationships, on my physical health, my emotional and mental health. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-was-one-of-those-people-who-put-too-much-95588/
Chicago Style
Shalhoub, Tony. "I was one of those people who put too much emphasis on work and career and material possessions, and it took its toll on all my relationships, on my physical health, my emotional and mental health." FixQuotes. Accessed February 2, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-was-one-of-those-people-who-put-too-much-95588/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I was one of those people who put too much emphasis on work and career and material possessions, and it took its toll on all my relationships, on my physical health, my emotional and mental health." FixQuotes, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-was-one-of-those-people-who-put-too-much-95588/. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
