--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The happiness at getting what you want is…" description: "\"The happiness at getting what you want is not usually commensurate with the worry leading up to it.\" — Ann Brashares" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/977/ann-brashares-572_fear_the-happiness-at-getting-what-you-want-i_2098144.png" --- # The happiness at getting what you want is not usually… ![“The happiness at getting what you want is not usually commensurate with the worry leading up to it.” quote by Ann Brashares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/977/ann-brashares-572_fear_the-happiness-at-getting-what-you-want-i_2098144.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/977/ann-brashares-572_fear_the-happiness-at-getting-what-you-want-i_2098144.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/977/ann-brashares-572_fear_the-happiness-at-getting-what-you-want-i_2098144.png) > “The happiness at getting what you want is not usually commensurate with the worry leading up to it.” [Ann Brashares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-brashares/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The joy of achieving a desire often falls short of the anxiety that preceded it, highlighting a mismatch between anticipation and reality. **In simple terms:** Happiness after getting what you want is often less than expected. Key Takeaway Manage expectations and enjoy the process. Themes expectation happiness anxiety Mood thoughtful balanced Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - goal setting - stress management - celebration planning Key Concepts psychology of desire cognitive bias Questions to Reflect On - Do you overestimate the joy of outcomes? - How can you savor the journey? A Different Perspective The statement may overlook those who find deep satisfaction after achievement. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Getting what you want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/getting-what-you-want/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [What you want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/what-you-want/) [Worry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worry/) ## Related quotes > [Stress is actually the number one thing that blocks people from their happiness and well-being and from getting what they want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-bernstein/stress-is-actually-the-number-one-thing-that-blocks-people-from-their/) [Gabrielle Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-bernstein/) > [Happiness is not about getting what you want all the time, but loving what you have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/happiness-is-not-about-getting-what-you-want-all-the-time-but-loving/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Happiness is not always about getting what you want all the time, it's about loving what you have](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bismark-frimpong/happiness-is-not-always-about-getting-what-you-want-all-the-time-it-s/) [Bismark Frimpong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bismark-frimpong/) > [Happiness is not about getting what you want all the time, it's about appreciating what you already have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/happiness-is-not-about-getting-what-you-want-all-the-time-it-s-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Happiness is not in getting what you want, but in learning to want what you get. Don’t waste your time crying over what you’re…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-wingate/happiness-is-not-in-getting-what-you-want-but-in-learning-to-want/) [Lisa Wingate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-wingate/) > [... there are two ways of being unhappy. Not getting what you want is one. Getting what you want is the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/there-are-two-ways-of-being-unhappy-not-getting-what-you-want-is-one/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [Manners are a way of getting what you want without appearing to be an absolute swine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/manners-are-a-way-of-getting-what-you-want-without-appearing-to-be-an/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [Fear has only two causes: the thought of losing what you have or the thought of not getting what you want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-katie/fear-has-only-two-causes-the-thought-of-losing-what-you-have-or-the/) [Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/) > [It's not about getting what you want. It's about experiencing what you really need by becoming more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/it-s-not-about-getting-what-you-want-it-s-about-experiencing-what-you/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [It's not getting what you want that's the hard part, it's deciding what you want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-potter/it-s-not-getting-what-you-want-that-s-the-hard-part-it-s-deciding/) [Alexandra Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-potter/) > [Satisfaction isn't so much getting what you want as wanting what you have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-myers/satisfaction-isn-t-so-much-getting-what-you-want-as-wanting-what-you/) [David Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-myers/) > [Sometimes, not getting what you want can be the most valuable experience of your entire life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/sometimes-not-getting-what-you-want-can-be-the-most-valuable/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [The first step in getting what you want from life-decide what you want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-stein/the-first-step-in-getting-what-you-want-from-life-decide-what-you-want/) [Ben Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-stein/) > [The first secret of getting what you want is knowing what you want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-d-hlavaty/the-first-secret-of-getting-what-you-want-is-knowing-what-you-want/) [Arthur D. Hlavaty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-d-hlavaty/) > [The first step to getting what you want is to have the courage to get rid of what you don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/the-first-step-to-getting-what-you-want-is-to-have-the-courage-to-get/) [Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/) ## More by Ann Brashares > [“Because the truth wouldn't be comforting and wouldn't bring them closer again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-brashares/because-the-truth-wouldn-t-be-comforting-and-wouldn-t-bring-them/) [Ann Brashares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-brashares/) > [“It’s by living that you live more.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-brashares/it-s-by-living-that-you-live-more/) [Ann Brashares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-brashares/) > [“¿Iban a sumirla en la tristeza antes de hacerla feliz? No, por favor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-brashares/iban-a-sumirla-en-la-tristeza-antes-de-hacerla-feliz-no-por-favor/) [Ann Brashares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-brashares/) > [“When she made her way to the big picture window that framed the dining room table she froze. She stopped breathing. The anger was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-brashares/when-she-made-her-way-to-the-big-picture-window-that-framed-the/) [Ann Brashares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-brashares/) > [“Lena remembered herself in all the old familiar things they said. She existed in her friends; there she was. All the parts of herself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-brashares/lena-remembered-herself-in-all-the-old-familiar-things-they-said-she/) [Ann Brashares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-brashares/) > [Everyone is fragile. Everything beautiful is fragile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-brashares/everyone-is-fragile-everything-beautiful-is-fragile/) [Ann Brashares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-brashares/) > [“but it was hard to give the real world much notice when he was this close.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-brashares/but-it-was-hard-to-give-the-real-world-much-notice-when-he-was-this/) [Ann Brashares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-brashares/) > [“You don't have time, Len. That is the most bitter and the most beautiful piece of advice I can offer. If you don't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-brashares/you-don-t-have-time-len-that-is-the-most-bitter-and-the-most/) [Ann Brashares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-brashares/) > [“You couldn’t count on Providence for anything ever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-brashares/you-couldn-t-count-on-providence-for-anything-ever/) [Ann Brashares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-brashares/) > [Gestating characters feels something like the mental equivalent of gestating a baby. In both cases, to create them you lose yourself. Or at least…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-brashares/gestating-characters-feels-something-like-the-mental-equivalent-of/) [Ann Brashares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-brashares/) > [“He could take happiness from her, but could he give any?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-brashares/he-could-take-happiness-from-her-but-could-he-give-any/) [Ann Brashares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-brashares/) > [The weather turned. Her skin seemed to grow a million extra pores, and all of them opened to take in the warmth and tenderness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-brashares/the-weather-turned-her-skin-seemed-to-grow-a-million-extra-pores-and/) [Ann Brashares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-brashares/) > [She wanted him to notice her so much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-brashares/she-wanted-him-to-notice-her-so-much/) [Ann Brashares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-brashares/) > [“No matter how it felt to be near him, she had to keep her swollen heart in check.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-brashares/no-matter-how-it-felt-to-be-near-him-she-had-to-keep-her-swollen/) [Ann Brashares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-brashares/) > [Maybe happiness was just a matter of the little upticks- the traffic signal that said "Walk" the second you go there- and downticks- the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-brashares/maybe-happiness-was-just-a-matter-of-the-little-upticks-the-traffic/) [Ann Brashares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-brashares/) [Explore all 465 Ann Brashares quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-brashares/) ## More Fear quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [“That horrible stinging sensation returned, the muscles behind my eyes straining as the first tear began to fall. “I’m scared, too. 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But they mix in the middle.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/fear-and-desire-for-pleasure-aggressiveness-comes-out-of-fear/) [Marilyn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-french/) > [“Carrie Fisher. “Stay afraid, but do it anyway.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-union/carrie-fisher-stay-afraid-but-do-it-anyway/) [Gabrielle Union](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-union/) > [“Yes, the issue was courage. It always had been, even as a kid. Things scared him. He couldn't help it. Noise scared him, dark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-o-brien/yes-the-issue-was-courage-it-always-had-been-even-as-a-kid-things/) [Tim O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-o-brien/) > [Don't be afraid of hard work. Nothing worthwhile comes easily. Don't let others discourage you or tell you that you can't do it. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-b-elion/don-t-be-afraid-of-hard-work-nothing-worthwhile-comes-easily-don-t/) [Gertrude B. 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