---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: By asking the question 'Am I happy?,' and…"
description: "\"By asking the question 'Am I happy?,' and via the answer setting out what I mean by happiness, there is a political route that can be taken, by asking ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/928/alastair-campbell-11941_answers_by-asking-the-question-am-i-happy-and-vi_2009029.jpg"
---

#  By asking the question 'Am I happy?,' and via the answer…

![“By asking the question 'Am I happy?,' and via the answer setting out what I mean by happiness, there is a political route that can be taken, by asking another question - 'Can politics deliver happiness, and should it try?” quote by Alastair Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/928/alastair-campbell-11941_answers_by-asking-the-question-am-i-happy-and-vi_2009029.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/928/alastair-campbell-11941_answers_by-asking-the-question-am-i-happy-and-vi_2009029.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/928/alastair-campbell-11941_answers_by-asking-the-question-am-i-happy-and-vi_2009029.jpg)

> “By asking the question 'Am I happy?,' and via the answer setting out what I mean by happiness, there is a political route that can be taken, by asking another question - 'Can politics deliver happiness, and should it try?”

[Alastair Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-campbell/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The quote suggests evaluating happiness as a metric for politics, questioning whether governments should aim to produce happiness and how to define it.

**In simple terms:** It asks if politics should aim for happiness and how to measure it.

Key Takeaway

Consider happiness in policy decisions.

Themes

politics philosophy well‑being policy ethics

Mood

reflective inquisitive

Type

philosophical political critical

When to use this quote

- government planning
- public health campaigns
- citizen surveys
- social welfare programs

Key Concepts

public good political legitimacy subjective welfare

Questions to Reflect On

- What defines happiness for a society?
- Can policies truly create happiness?

A Different Perspective

Happiness is subjective and may conflict with other political goals.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Answers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answers/) [Asking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asking/) [Deliver Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deliver-happiness-3577101/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Happiness Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness-political-3577100/) [Happiness Try](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness-try-466446/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Question Happy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/question-happy-3577099/) [Question Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/question-politics-1507495/) [Setting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/setting/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Taken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taken/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/)

## Related quotes

> [We are very committed to listening to our customers' feedback and making changes to deliver happiness to our users.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-yuan/we-are-very-committed-to-listening-to-our-customers-feedback-and/)

[Eric Yuan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-yuan/)

> [You have to keep working hard to deliver happiness to customers and you have to control your own destiny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-yuan/you-have-to-keep-working-hard-to-deliver-happiness-to-customers-and/)

[Eric Yuan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-yuan/)

> [Can I bond with people and live for 39 days without my Instagram account? Probably! But the real question for me is this: can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-morrison/can-i-bond-with-people-and-live-for-39-days-without-my-instagram/)

[John Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-morrison/)

> [“So your question, are we happy here? I say how can we be happy when we are mere wanderers without a home?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helon-habila/so-your-question-are-we-happy-here-i-say-how-can-we-be-happy-when-we/)

[Helon Habila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helon-habila/)

> [“We often assume that the question, “How can I be happy?” can be successfully answered without reference to the love of God and our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-s-horton/we-often-assume-that-the-question-how-can-i-be-happy-can-be/)

[Michael S. Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-s-horton/)

> [From the days of the Founding Fathers, right to this (2008) election, how and where America fights to defend its freedom, has been the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-schama/from-the-days-of-the-founding-fathers-right-to-this-2008-election-how/)

[Simon Schama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-schama/)

> [The fundamental question of politics has always been whether there should be politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-hess/the-fundamental-question-of-politics-has-always-been-whether-there/)

[Karl Hess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-hess/)

> [The eternal question of U.S. politics is the whiny 'what have you done for me lately?' rather than the more incisive and high-minded 'are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norah-vincent/the-eternal-question-of-u-s-politics-is-the-whiny-what-have-you-done/)

[Norah Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norah-vincent/)

> [“The race question is subsidiary to the class question in politics, and to think of imperialism in terms of race is disastrous. But to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clr-james/the-race-question-is-subsidiary-to-the-class-question-in-politics-and-2/)

[CLR James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clr-james/)

> [The race question is subsidiary to the class question in politics, and to think of imperialism in terms of race is disastrous. But to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-l-r-james/the-race-question-is-subsidiary-to-the-class-question-in-politics-and/)

[C. L. R. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-l-r-james/)

> [If youcant be a Pencil to write Any Ones Happiness, Then try At least to be a Nice Rubber to Erase Every Ones Sorrows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-forgotten/if-youcant-be-a-pencil-to-write-any-ones-happiness-then-try-at-least/)

[The Forgotten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-forgotten/)

> [The way to achieve happiness is to try for perfection that is impossible to achieve, and spend the rest of your life trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-way-to-achieve-happiness-is-to-try-for-perfection-that-is/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [If you can't be a PENCIL to write someones happiness …! then try to be a nice ERASER to remove their SADNESS...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/if-you-can-t-be-a-pencil-to-write-someones-happiness-then-try-to-be-a/)

[Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/)

> [If u can't be a pencil to write Someone's happiness Then try to be a nice Eraser to remove their Sadness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-u-can-t-be-a-pencil-to-write-someone-s-happiness-then-try-to-be-a/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Every human being was wired with the desire for happiness. And we will try different things all in the pursuit of that feeling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-franklin/every-human-being-was-wired-with-the-desire-for-happiness-and-we-will/)

[Kirk Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-franklin/)

## More by Alastair Campbell

> [There are many reasons for the decline in royal esteem. One is that so many of the royals are thick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-campbell/there-are-many-reasons-for-the-decline-in-royal-esteem-one-is-that-so/)

[Alastair Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-campbell/)

> [I feel like thanking Paul Dacre every time, because the reason they ask me is because they think I've come through the other end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-campbell/i-feel-like-thanking-paul-dacre-every-time-because-the-reason-they/)

[Alastair Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-campbell/)

> [This may sound arrogant, but I believe that if we'd done teamship better, we'd still be there. Where we fell down was the inability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-campbell/this-may-sound-arrogant-but-i-believe-that-if-we-d-done-teamship/)

[Alastair Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-campbell/)

> [ Sometimes Jonathan \[Powell\] and myself would go to Tony \[Blair\] and ask him if he was absolutely sure about this or that. That was… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-campbell/sometimes-jonathan-powell-and-myself-would-go-to-tony-blair-and-ask/)

[Alastair Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-campbell/)

> [I have always been driven. I have always believed in what I believe very deeply.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-campbell/i-have-always-been-driven-i-have-always-believed-in-what-i-believe/)

[Alastair Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-campbell/)

> [I had a happy childhood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-campbell/i-had-a-happy-childhood/)

[Alastair Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-campbell/)

> [We should confine booing in sports arenas to sport. I love a good boo as much as the next football fan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-campbell/we-should-confine-booing-in-sports-arenas-to-sport-i-love-a-good-boo/)

[Alastair Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-campbell/)

> [Clinton is a big personality who has led a big life, and for some of the media conventional wisdom to boil it down to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-campbell/clinton-is-a-big-personality-who-has-led-a-big-life-and-for-some-of/)

[Alastair Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-campbell/)

> [One day, we will look back and wonder how on earth we used to believe that depression was a lifestyle choice, only to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-campbell/one-day-we-will-look-back-and-wonder-how-on-earth-we-used-to-believe/)

[Alastair Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-campbell/)

> [Greg Dyke is on record as saying that once the BBC was attacked, it was their job to defend themselves. But that is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-campbell/greg-dyke-is-on-record-as-saying-that-once-the-bbc-was-attacked-it/)

[Alastair Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-campbell/)

> [ Paul Keating told us before we were elected that you can do deals with \[Rupert\] Murdoch without saying you were doing a deal. Did… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-campbell/paul-keating-told-us-before-we-were-elected-that-you-can-do-deals/)

[Alastair Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-campbell/)

> [Like most meaningful activities, campaigns are team games.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-campbell/like-most-meaningful-activities-campaigns-are-team-games/)

[Alastair Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-campbell/)

> [I'm certainly driven, I hate losing, I can be ruthless and short-tempered and terribly competitive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-campbell/i-m-certainly-driven-i-hate-losing-i-can-be-ruthless-and-short/)

[Alastair Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-campbell/)

> [The royal family's existence is a constant reminder of the hollowness of John Major's rhetoric, and idiotic statements by its leading members a constant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-campbell/the-royal-family-s-existence-is-a-constant-reminder-of-the-hollowness/)

[Alastair Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-campbell/)

> [I will continue to help the political causes I believe in in any way I can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-campbell/i-will-continue-to-help-the-political-causes-i-believe-in-in-any-way/)

[Alastair Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-campbell/)

[Explore all 57 Alastair Campbell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-campbell/)

## More Answers quotes

> [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/)

[Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/)

> [Sometimes a question can hurt more than an answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/sometimes-a-question-can-hurt-more-than-an-answer/)

[Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/)

> [You feed yourself. Make sure you have all the information, whether it's aesthetic, scientific, mathematical, I don't care what it is. Then you walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/you-feed-yourself-make-sure-you-have-all-the-information-whether-it-s/)

[Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/)

> [I have long felt that the way to keep children out of trouble is to keep them interested in things. Lecturing to children is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/i-have-long-felt-that-the-way-to-keep-children-out-of-trouble-is-to/)

[Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/)

> [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/)

[John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/)

> [“As long as you keep searching,the answers will come.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-kynock/as-long-as-you-keep-searching-the-answers-will-come/)

[Mitch Kynock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-kynock/)

> [The answer to deep anxiety is the deep adoration of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/the-answer-to-deep-anxiety-is-the-deep-adoration-of-god/)

[Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/)

> [A dialogue is very important. It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/)

[Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/)

> [There is a comfort in rituals, and rituals provide a framework for stability when you are trying to find answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-norville/there-is-a-comfort-in-rituals-and-rituals-provide-a-framework-for/)

[Deborah Norville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-norville/)

> [A religious person answers to God, not to the elected or non-elected official.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/a-religious-person-answers-to-god-not-to-the-elected-or-non-elected/)

[Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/)

> [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/)

[Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/)

> [Instead of asking a girl how she feels, try looking through her recently listened to songs. The lyrics are the answer to all your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/instead-of-asking-a-girl-how-she-feels-try-looking-through-her/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [For someone to ask 'Who did you play for' and to be able to answer a single name 'Liverpool' that would be brilliant...I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-carragher/for-someone-to-ask-who-did-you-play-for-and-to-be-able-to-answer-a/)

[Jamie Carragher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-carragher/)

> [When the first Superman movie came out I was frequently asked "What is a hero?" ...My answer was that a hero is someone who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/when-the-first-superman-movie-came-out-i-was-frequently-asked-what-is/)

[Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/)

> [Enjoying life isn't about finding the answers, but living the questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-margolis/enjoying-life-isn-t-about-finding-the-answers-but-living-the-questions/)

[Sue Margolis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-margolis/)

[Browse all 7,843 Answers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answers/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "By asking the question 'Am I happy?,' and via the answer setting out what I mean by happiness, there is a political route that can be taken, by asking another question - 'Can politics deliver happiness, and should it try?",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Alastair Campbell"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-campbell/by-asking-the-question-am-i-happy-and-via-the-answer-setting-out-what/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Answers"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-campbell/by-asking-the-question-am-i-happy-and-via-the-answer-setting-out-what/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/928/alastair-campbell-11941_answers_by-asking-the-question-am-i-happy-and-vi_2009029.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/928/alastair-campbell-11941_answers_by-asking-the-question-am-i-happy-and-vi_2009029.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/928/alastair-campbell-11941_answers_by-asking-the-question-am-i-happy-and-vi_2009029.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“By asking the question 'Am I happy?,' and via the answer setting out what I mean by happiness, there is a…” — Alastair Campbell",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Alastair Campbell",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-campbell/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "By asking the question 'Am I...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-campbell/by-asking-the-question-am-i-happy-and-via-the-answer-setting-out-what/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-campbell/by-asking-the-question-am-i-happy-and-via-the-answer-setting-out-what/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
