--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Mrs. Gruber said that happiness was not…" description: "\"“Mrs. Gruber said that happiness was not something she aspired to, that when we had seen as much of the world as she had, we would know that what lies ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2e/amy-bloom-4288_happiness_mrs-gruber-said-that-happiness-was-not-s_1168105.png" --- # Mrs. Gruber said that happiness was not something she… ![“Mrs. Gruber said that happiness was not something she aspired to, that when we had seen as much of the world as she had, we would know that what lies right behind the horseshit is not a prize pony, my dears, it's more horseshit.” quote by Amy Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2e/amy-bloom-4288_happiness_mrs-gruber-said-that-happiness-was-not-s_1168105.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2e/amy-bloom-4288_happiness_mrs-gruber-said-that-happiness-was-not-s_1168105.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2e/amy-bloom-4288_happiness_mrs-gruber-said-that-happiness-was-not-s_1168105.png) > ““Mrs. Gruber said that happiness was not something she aspired to, that when we had seen as much of the world as she had, we would know that what lies right behind the horseshit is not a prize pony, my dears, it's more horseshit.”” [Amy Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-bloom/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Happiness is not a goal but a byproduct; after extensive experience, one sees that what seems valuable is often meaningless. **In simple terms:** Happiness isn’t a target; it’s a side effect of living. Key Takeaway Seek meaning, not happiness. Themes contentment experience illusion Mood reflective skeptical Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - career - relationships - travel - personal growth - spiritual pursuits Key Concepts Existentialism materialism Questions to Reflect On - What does true fulfillment look like for you? - How do you differentiate between genuine joy and fleeting pleasure? A Different Perspective It may overlook the value of striving for improvement. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Happiness quote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness-quote/) [Horseshit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horseshit/) [Wise sayings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise-sayings/) ## Related quotes > [“I have a theory,” Gruber said, “that even though we’re born Jews, there is a moment in our lives when we become Jews. On…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-gruber/i-have-a-theory-gruber-said-that-even-though-we-re-born-jews-there-is/) [Ruth Gruber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-gruber/) > [“There it is." 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"Happiness consists of wanting what you get.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-stamm/you-mustn-t-expect-too-much-i-said-happiness-consists-of-wanting-what/) Peter Stamm > [“Willa said happiness means taking risks. And if you're not a little scared, you're not doing it right." That made him laugh, "If that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-addison-allen/willa-said-happiness-means-taking-risks-and-if-you-re-not-a-little/) [Sarah Addison Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-addison-allen/) > [“Have you ever said Yes to a single joy? O my friends, then you have said Yes too to all woe. All things are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/have-you-ever-said-yes-to-a-single-joy-o-my-friends-then-you-have/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“The happier you are, the more attractive you will be to those you love and cherish. As a great teacher once said, "Happiness radiates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-bray-attwood/the-happier-you-are-the-more-attractive-you-will-be-to-those-you-love/) [Janet, Bray Attwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-bray-attwood/) ## More by Amy Bloom > [I'm sure I've been influenced by every fine writer I've ever read, from Dickens and Austen to Auden and Jane Hirshfield. And also, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-bloom/i-m-sure-i-ve-been-influenced-by-every-fine-writer-i-ve-ever-read/) [Amy Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-bloom/) > [My target audience is anyone who finds the world interesting and human behavior fascinating, terrible, inspiring, funny, and occasionally, mysterious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-bloom/my-target-audience-is-anyone-who-finds-the-world-interesting-and/) [Amy Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-bloom/) > [I assume as a writer that most of the time I'm going to fall down and fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-bloom/i-assume-as-a-writer-that-most-of-the-time-i-m-going-to-fall-down-and/) [Amy Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-bloom/) > [It is a wonderful, moving, heart-filling experience to sit with the man or woman you love and your beloved children and know that all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-bloom/it-is-a-wonderful-moving-heart-filling-experience-to-sit-with-the-man/) [Amy Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-bloom/) > [If you're an American reader, you can love short stories the way other Americans love baseball; this is our game, people! We have more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-bloom/if-you-re-an-american-reader-you-can-love-short-stories-the-way-other/) [Amy Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-bloom/) > [My father certainly believed that one could make a living outside of an office, as he did. And that if I didn't want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-bloom/my-father-certainly-believed-that-one-could-make-a-living-outside-of/) [Amy Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-bloom/) > ['Normal' is not clinical, it's not autobiographical, and I don't claim to be objective. 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I won him the way poor people occasionally win the lottery: Shameless perseverance and embarrassingly dumb luck, and every time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-bloom/i-met-jay-jonhson-i-won-him-the-way-poor-people-occasionally-win-the/) [Amy Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-bloom/) > [Actual happiness is sometimes confused with the pursuit of it; and the most mindless and crass how-tos can get jumbled in with the modestly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-bloom/actual-happiness-is-sometimes-confused-with-the-pursuit-of-it-and-the/) [Amy Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-bloom/) > [Smart people often talk trash about happiness and worse than trash about books on happiness, and they have been doing so for centuries -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-bloom/smart-people-often-talk-trash-about-happiness-and-worse-than-trash/) [Amy Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-bloom/) > [My father would have been spectacularly ill-suited to working for an institution of any kind, and I suspect that, to a lesser degree, that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-bloom/my-father-would-have-been-spectacularly-ill-suited-to-working-for-an/) [Amy Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-bloom/) > [Marriage is not a ritual or an end. Its a long, intricate, intimate dance together and nothing matters more than your own sense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-bloom/marriage-is-not-a-ritual-or-an-end-its-a-long-intricate-intimate/) [Amy Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-bloom/) > [All intimacy is rare-that's what makes it precious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-bloom/all-intimacy-is-rare-that-s-what-makes-it-precious/) [Amy Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-bloom/) [Explore all 112 Amy Bloom quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-bloom/) ## More Happiness quotes > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Remember that your natural state is joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/remember-that-your-natural-state-is-joy/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [Balance suggests a perfect equilibrium. There is no such thing. That is a false expectation… There are going to be priorities and dimensions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-morrison/balance-suggests-a-perfect-equilibrium-there-is-no-such-thing-that-is/) [Denise Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-morrison/) > [“WE CAN'T ALWAYS CONTROL OUR CIRCUMSTANCES BUT WE CAN CONTROL OUR ATTITUDE. WE MUST BE MORE CONCERNED WITH WHAT WE DO WITH WHAT HAPPENS…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-j-ashton/we-can-t-always-control-our-circumstances-but-we-can-control-our/) [MARVIN J. ASHTON](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-j-ashton/) > [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/) [Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/) > [Sometimes we wish for the feel but we never understand that we have to give a lot to get the feel !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reynolds/sometimes-we-wish-for-the-feel-but-we-never-understand-that-we-have/) [Robert Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reynolds/) > [Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like its heaven on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/sing-like-no-one-s-listening-love-like-you-ve-never-been-hurt-dance/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“It was beautiful. He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) > [The happy have whole days,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colley-cibber/the-happy-have-whole-days/) [Colley Cibber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colley-cibber/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [I've got nothing to do today but smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-ve-got-nothing-to-do-today-but-smile/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Her dignity consists in being unknown to the world; her glory is in the esteem of her husband; her pleasures in the happiness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/her-dignity-consists-in-being-unknown-to-the-world-her-glory-is-in/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [The size of a man's understanding might always be justly measured by his mirth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-size-of-a-man-s-understanding-might-always-be-justly-measured-by/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Positive thinking evokes more energy, more initiative, more happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/positive-thinking-evokes-more-energy-more-initiative-more-happiness/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) Pancho Barnes [Browse all 40,288 Happiness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Mrs. Gruber said that happiness was not something she aspired to, that when we had seen as much of the world as she had, we would know that what lies right behind the horseshit is not a prize pony, my dears, it's more horseshit.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Amy Bloom" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-bloom/mrs-gruber-said-that-happiness-was-not-something-she-aspired-to-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Happiness" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-bloom/mrs-gruber-said-that-happiness-was-not-something-she-aspired-to-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2e/amy-bloom-4288_happiness_mrs-gruber-said-that-happiness-was-not-s_1168105.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2e/amy-bloom-4288_happiness_mrs-gruber-said-that-happiness-was-not-s_1168105.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2e/amy-bloom-4288_happiness_mrs-gruber-said-that-happiness-was-not-s_1168105.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Mrs. Gruber said that happiness was not something she aspired to, that when we had seen as much of the world…” — Amy Bloom", "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": "Amy Bloom", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-bloom/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Mrs. Gruber said that happiness was...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-bloom/mrs-gruber-said-that-happiness-was-not-something-she-aspired-to-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-bloom/mrs-gruber-said-that-happiness-was-not-something-she-aspired-to-that/#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 } } ] } ```