Quotes about happiness
A collection of quotes on the topic of happiness.
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„In Nekhludoff, as in all people, there were two beings; one spiritual, who sought only such happiness for himself as also benefited others; and the animal being, seeking his own happiness for the sake of which he is willing to sacrifice that of the world.“
— Leo Tolstoy, book Resurrection
Source: Resurrection (1899), Ch. 14
„Go girl, seek happy nights to happy days“
— William Shakespeare English playwright and poet 1564 - 1616
„In a crunch a man's reputation never counts for as much as it ought to. Most people are good-hearted and willing to give a man the benefit of the doubt, but the poisonous few are eager to see others brought down, ruined. … Envy, Bob. Envy eats them alive. If you had money, they'd envy you that. But since you don't, they envy you for having such a good, bright, loving daughter. They envy you for just being a happy man. They envy you for not envying them. One of the greatest sorrows of human existence is that some people aren't happy merely to be alive but find their happiness only in the misery of others.“
— Dean Koontz, book Lightning
Part I, Chapter 1.2, the mysterious stranger's words to Bob Shane
Lightning (1988)
„There is so much to love and to admire in this life that it is an act of ingratitude not to be happy and content in this existence.“
— Lin Yutang Chinese writer 1895 - 1976
Source: Pleasures of a Nonconformist
„I'm very happy, very delighted.... for I am surrounded here by all that I love. I spent my time out of doors.... and naturally I'm working all the time, and I think this year I'm going to do some serious things. And then in the evening, dear fellow, I come home to my little cottage to find a good fire and a dear little family... Dear friend, it's a delight to watch this person [his first son Jean, born in 1867] grow, and I am glad to have him to be sure…“
— Claude Monet French impressionist painter 1840 - 1926
in a letter to Frédéric Bazille: as cited by K.E. Sullivan. Monet: Discovering Art, Brockhampton press, London (2004), p. 22
1850 - 1870
„Happiness does not depend on outward circumstances, but on the state of the heart.“
— J.C. Ryle Anglican bishop 1816 - 1900
Source: A Call to Prayer
„“Success Is Not The Key To Happiness, Happiness Is The Key To Success; If You Love What You Are Doing, You Will Be Successful”
— Alireza Kohany“
Source: https://www.google.com/books/edition/What_Is_E_Commerce/PkPhDwAAQBAJ
„If you're happy in a dream, does that count?“
— Arundhati Roy, book The God of Small Things
Source: The God of Small Things
„Original, in French: La bonne cuisine est la base du véritable bonheur.
English: Good food is the foundation of genuine happiness.“
— Auguste Escoffier French chef, restaurateur, and culinary writer 1846 - 1935
„You may not be her first, her last, or her only. She loved before she may love again. But if she loves you now, what else matters? She's not perfect—you aren't either, and the two of you may never be perfect together but if she can make you laugh, cause you to think twice, and admit to being human and making mistakes, hold onto her and give her the most you can. She may not be thinking about you every second of the day, but she will give you a part of her that she knows you can break—her heart. So don't hurt her, don't change her, don't analyze and don't expect more than she can give. Smile when she makes you happy, let her know when she makes you mad, and miss her when she's not there.“
— Bob Marley Jamaican singer, songwriter, musician 1945 - 1981
Variant: You may not be her first, her last, or her only. She loved before she may love again. But if she loves you now, what else matters? She's not perfect — you aren't either, and the two of you may never be perfect together but if she can make you laugh, cause you to think twice, and admit to being human and making mistakes, hold onto her and give her the most you can. She may not be thinking about you every second of the day, but she will give you a part of her that she knows you can break — her heart. So don't hurt her, don't change her, don't analyze and don't expect more than she can give. Smile when she makes you happy, let her know when she makes you mad, and miss her when she's not there.
„I may not be walking with you all the way, or even much of the way, as I walk with you now. Don’t be angry with me if I am not there in person, alive and well, when you need me. I would like nothing more than to be with you always. Do not feel sorry for me if I am gone. When we were together, I loved you deeply and you gave me so much happiness I can never repay you. Camera, wherever I am when you feel sick at heart and weary of life, or when you stumble and fall and don’t know if you can get up again, think of me. I will be watching and smiling and cheering you on.“
— Arthur Ashe American tennis player 1943 - 1993
Message to his daughter Camera, p. 341
Days of Grace: A Memoir (1994)
„It is the pursuit of happiness that brings us happiness, and not the happiness achieved.“
— Jack White American musician and record producer 1975
A message he left on his website to his fans, dated September 18th, 2003
2003
„I tore off my mask so as not to lose one of her tears… and she did not run away!… and she did not die!… She remained alive, weeping over me, weeping with me. We cried together! I have tasted all the happiness the world can offer.“
— Gaston Leroux, book The Phantom of the Opera
Source: The Phantom of the Opera
„HAPPINESS ONLY REAL WHEN SHARED.“
— Christopher McCandless American hiker and explorer 1968 - 1992
Written on a page in his copy of Doctor Zhivago
He is attributed to have commented on this Doctor Zhivago passage: "And so it turned out that only a life similar to the life of those around us, merging with it without a ripple, is genuine life, and that an unshared happiness is not happiness..." (Jon Krakauer, Into the Wild, Pan Macmillan, 2011 p. 188; see also http://www.christophermccandless.info/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=5479)
Disputed
„What for is marriage? It is to unite a man and a woman to enjoy a natural life with happiness. It is to find solace after hard work. Most of the people do not realize that marriages are for sharing pleasures of the wedded life.“
— Periyar E. V. Ramasamy Tamil politician and social reformer 1879 - 1973
citation needed
Marriage
„Once upon a time there was a lady. She had no children, and no happiness either. And at first she cried for a long time, but then she became wicked...“
— Mikhail Bulgakov, book The Master and Margarita
Book Two in 'Flight', B/O, Margarita talking about herself to a young girl
Source: The Master and Margarita (1967)
„There will always be a lost dog somewhere that will prevent me being happy.“
— Jean Anouilh French playwright 1910 - 1987
Il y aura toujours un chien perdu quelque part qui m'empêchera d'être heureux.
La Sauvage ["The Restless Heart"] (1938), Act 3.