Quotes about happiness

A collection of quotes on the topic of happiness.

„I think we're past the time in history where you have to come out and say, "you know I'm just happy all the time! I'm a joker, I'm a crazy man!"“

— Jim Carrey Canadian-American actor, comedian, and producer 1962

you know kind of thing. I think people understand I can turn that switch on but I'm also a sensitive, normal human being with feelings and I know how to express those too.
Fun with Dick & Jane: An Interview with Jim Carrey http://www.blackfilm.com/20051216/features/jimcarrey.shtml by Wilson Morales in Features, BlackFilm.com (December 2005)

Past, Time, Thinking, History

„I can't think of anything to write about, I'm just walking around here between the lines, under the light of your eyes, in the breadth of your mouth as in a beautiful happy day, which remains beautiful and happy, even when the head is sick and tired.“

— Franz Kafka, book Letters to Milena

Source: Letters to Milena

Light, Thinking, Beauty

„Your current state of health will also define your level of happiness and vice versa.“

— Mwanandeke Kindembo 1996

Health

„Happiness is nothing more than good health and a bad memory.“

— Albert Schweitzer French-German physician, theologian, musician and philosopher 1875 - 1965

Variant: Happiness is nothing more than good health and a bad memory.

Happy, Deep, Memory, Health

„Just because you are happy it does not mean that the day is perfect but that you have looked beyond its imperfections“

— Bob Marley Jamaican singer, songwriter, musician 1945 - 1981

Perfection

„One must dare to be happy.“

— Gertrude Stein American art collector and experimental writer of novels, poetry and plays 1874 - 1946

„The new energy affects everyone — Everyone is being affected by the new energy pouring into the world. Those who believed in political, religious and philosophical systems have become disillusioned because they have failed to bring peace, prosperity and happiness. You can only solve the problems of the world with a sense of realism that is not clouded by ideology or market forces.“

— Benjamin Creme artist, author, esotericist 1922 - 2016

Maitreya's Teachings - The Laws of Life (2005)

Sense, Peace, Problem, World

„Happiness is not pleasure — it is victory.“

— Zig Ziglar American motivational speaker 1926 - 2012

See You at the Top (2000)

Success, Victory, Pleasure

„Others may know pleasure, but pleasure is not happiness. It has no more importance than a shadow following a man.“

— Muhammad Ali African American boxer, philanthropist and activist 1942 - 2016

Happy, Pleasure

„There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved.“

— George Sand French novelist and memoirist; pseudonym of Lucile Aurore Dupin 1804 - 1876

For Him, Wedding, Valentine's Day, Romantic

„A well proportioned mind is one which shows no particular bias; one of which we may safely say that it will never cause its owner to be confined as a madman, tortured as a heretic, or crucified as a blasphemer. Also, on the other hand, that it will never cause him to be applauded as a prophet, revered as a priest, or exalted as a king. Its usual blessings are happiness and mediocrity.“

— Thomas Hardy, book The Return of the Native

Bk. III, ch. 2
The Return of the Native (1878)

„Now I have neither happiness nor unhappiness. Everything passes. That is the one and only thing that I have thought resembled a truth in the society of human beings where I have dwelled up to now as in a burning hell. Everything passes.“

— Osamu Dazai, book No Longer Human

The Third Notebook: Part Two
Source: No Longer Human

Hell, Truth

„Smile doesn't mean that someone is happy. Sometimes it just means that you're strong.“

— Zayn Malik British singer 1993

Strong, Smile

„The quickest way to happiness learning to be selfless.“

— Macklemore American rapper from Washington 1983

Source: Song Growing Up

Learning, Way

„Until my dying day I will look back with pride that I found the courage to come face to face in battle against the spectre which for time immemorial has been injecting poison into me and into men of my nature. Many have been driven to suicide because all their happiness in life was tainted. Indeed, I am proud that I found the courage to deal the initial blow to the hydra of public contempt.“

— Karl Heinrich Ulrichs German jurist, writer and pioneer of LGBT human rights 1825 - 1895

Quoted in: Keith Stern (2013), Queers in History: The Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Historical Gays, Lesbians and Bisexuals. p. 460

Time, Suicide, Nature, Courage

„Love is pretty much a decision anyway. Just like happiness. You can decide to either love someone or not, be happy or not. The rest is just commitment to the idea.“

— Caprice Crane American writer 1970

Source: Stupid and Contagious

Decision, Idea, Love

„Sometimes I dislike women, I dislike us all, because of our capacity for not-thinking when it suits us; we choose not to think when we are reaching our for happiness.“

— Doris Lessing, book The Golden Notebook

Source: The Golden Notebook

Thinking, Women

„Happiness does not depend on outward things, but on the way we see them.“

— Leo Tolstoy Russian writer 1828 - 1910

Happy, Dependency, Way

„The primary cause of unhappiness is never the situation but your thoughts about it.“

— Eckhart Tolle German writer 1948

Variant: The primary cause of unhappiness is never the situation, but you thoughts about it. Be aware of the thoughts you are thinking.
Source: A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose

„If you have ever seen the play Peter Pan you will remember how the pirate chief was always making his dying speech because he was afraid that possibly when the time came for him to die he might not have time to get it off his chest. It is much the same with me, and so, although I am not at this moment dying, I shall be doing so one of these days and I want to send you a parting word of goodbye.

Remember, it is the last you will ever hear from me, so think it over.

I have had a most happy life and I want each one of you to have as happy a life too.

I believe that God put us in this jolly world to be happy and enjoy life. Happiness doesn't come from being rich, nor merely from being successful in your career, nor by self-indulgence. One step towards happiness is to make yourself healthy and strong while you are a boy, so that you can be useful and so can enjoy life when you are a man.

Nature study will show you how full of beautiful and wonderful things God has made the world for you to enjoy. Be contented with what you have got and make the best of it. Look on the bright side of things instead of the gloomy one.

But the real way to get happiness is by giving out happiness to other people. Try and leave this world a little better than you found it and when your turn come to die, you can die happy in feeling that at any rate you have not wasted your time but have done your best. "Be Prepared" in this way, to live happy and to die happy - stick to your Scout promise always - even after you have ceased to be a boy - and God help you do it.“

— Robert Baden-Powell lieutenant-general in the British Army, writer, founder and Chief Scout of the Scout Movement 1857 - 1941

Scouting, Parting, Help, Success