--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you look carefully you will see that…" description: "\"If you look carefully you will see that there is one thing and only one thing that causes unhappiness. The name of that thing is attachment. What is an..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51d/anthony-de-mello-1331_attachment_if-you-look-carefully-you-will-see-that_674992.png" --- # If you look carefully you will see that there is one thing… ![“If you look carefully you will see that there is one thing and only one thing that causes unhappiness. The name of that thing is attachment. What is an attachment? An emotional state of clinging caused by the belief that without some particular thing or some person you cannot be happy.” quote by Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51d/anthony-de-mello-1331_attachment_if-you-look-carefully-you-will-see-that_674992.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51d/anthony-de-mello-1331_attachment_if-you-look-carefully-you-will-see-that_674992.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51d/anthony-de-mello-1331_attachment_if-you-look-carefully-you-will-see-that_674992.png) > “If you look carefully you will see that there is one thing and only one thing that causes unhappiness. The name of that thing is attachment. What is an attachment? An emotional state of clinging caused by the belief that without some particular thing or some person you cannot be happy.” [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Unhappiness stems from clinging to the belief that happiness depends on external objects or people. **In simple terms:** Attachment causes suffering. Key Takeaway Release reliance on external things. Themes attachment unhappiness mindfulness Mood reflective calm Type philosophical spiritual When to use this quote - personal relationships - material possessions - career ambitions - health concerns Key Concepts impermanence non‑attachment ego desire Questions to Reflect On - What does your happiness depend on? - How can you practice non‑attachment daily? A Different Perspective Attachment may be deeply ingrained and hard to recognize without introspection. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attachment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attachment/) [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Emotional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotional/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Sadness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sadness/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Unhappiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unhappiness/) ## Related quotes > [“Then you’re going to take off your suit and show me just how much you missed your phone cord.” “And the attachment.” “And the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvain-reynard/then-you-re-going-to-take-off-your-suit-and-show-me-just-how-much-you/) [Sylvain Reynard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvain-reynard/) > [the tragedy of an attachment is that if its object is not attained it causes unhappiness. But if it is attained, it does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/the-tragedy-of-an-attachment-is-that-if-its-object-is-not-attained-it/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [Everything comes out of nothingness and goes back into nothingness. Hence there is no need for attachment, because attachment will bring misery. Soon it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/everything-comes-out-of-nothingness-and-goes-back-into-nothingness/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [Among the idle rich, boredom is one of the most common causes of unhappiness. People who have difficulty in earning their living may suffer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-maurois/among-the-idle-rich-boredom-is-one-of-the-most-common-causes-of/) [Andre Maurois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-maurois/) > [Envy was one of the most potent causes of unhappiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/envy-was-one-of-the-most-potent-causes-of-unhappiness/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Next to worry probably one of the most potent causes of unhappiness is envy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/next-to-worry-probably-one-of-the-most-potent-causes-of-unhappiness/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [“The only means by which one could attain complete happiness is to avoid living in constant expectation of it. It's the expectation that causes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-naseehu-ali/the-only-means-by-which-one-could-attain-complete-happiness-is-to/) Mohammed Naseehu Ali > [“One of the causes of unhappiness among intellectuals in the present day is that so many of them, especially those whose skill is literary,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/one-of-the-causes-of-unhappiness-among-intellectuals-in-the-present/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [The trap of the self is the trap that causes unhappiness. We define ourselves too much; whereas the infinite, the pure radiant spirit, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-trap-of-the-self-is-the-trap-that-causes-unhappiness-we-define/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [One of our major flaws, and causes of unhappiness, is that we find it hard to take note of appreciate and be grateful for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/one-of-our-major-flaws-and-causes-of-unhappiness-is-that-we-find-it/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [Irresolution on the schemes of life which offer themselves to our choice, and inconstancy in pursuing them, are the greatest causes of all our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/irresolution-on-the-schemes-of-life-which-offer-themselves-to-our/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [“I didn’t really know the answer to this myself, but saying that wasn’t going to get me off the hook. I started talking without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-laurie/i-didn-t-really-know-the-answer-to-this-myself-but-saying-that-wasn-t/) [Hugh Laurie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-laurie/) > [I don't know the secret to happiness, But I know what causes unhappiness -- Trying to please everyone else instead of just loving yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rashida-rowe/i-don-t-know-the-secret-to-happiness-but-i-know-what-causes/) [Rashida Rowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rashida-rowe/) > [Monks, when ignorance is abandoned, and knowledge arises in the monk, with the ending of ignorance and the arising of knowledge he clings neither…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/monks-when-ignorance-is-abandoned-and-knowledge-arises-in-the-monk/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [Some people have a very strange idea that material success does not coincide harmoniously with self-realization, which is absurd. The aversion to material success,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/some-people-have-a-very-strange-idea-that-material-success-does-not/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) ## More by Anthony de Mello > [The poor think they will be happy when they become rich. The rich think they will be happy when they are rid of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/the-poor-think-they-will-be-happy-when-they-become-rich-the-rich/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [You only change what you understand. What you do not understand and are not aware of, you repress. You dont change. But when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/you-only-change-what-you-understand-what-you-do-not-understand-and/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [A zealous disciple expressed a desire to teach others the Truth and asked the Master what he thought about this. The Master said, "Wait."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/a-zealous-disciple-expressed-a-desire-to-teach-others-the-truth-and/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [As the Arabs say, "The nature of rain is the same, but it makes thorns grow in the marshes and flowers in the gardens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/as-the-arabs-say-the-nature-of-rain-is-the-same-but-it-makes-thorns/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [Sinners often speak the truth. And saints have led people astray. Examine what is said, not the one who says it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/sinners-often-speak-the-truth-and-saints-have-led-people-astray/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [Isn't there such a thing as social liberation?" "Of course there is," said the Master. "How would you describe it?" "Liberation from the need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/isn-t-there-such-a-thing-as-social-liberation-of-course-there-is-said/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [The important thing is not to know who "I" is or what "I" is. You'll never succeed. There are no words for it. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/the-important-thing-is-not-to-know-who-i-is-or-what-i-is-you-ll-never/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [And increasingly - you know this and so do I we're losing the youth everywhere. They hate us; they are not interested in having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/and-increasingly-you-know-this-and-so-do-i-we-re-losing-the-youth/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [Spirituality practiced in the state of activity is incomparably superior to that practiced in a state of withdrawel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/spirituality-practiced-in-the-state-of-activity-is-incomparably/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [You know, all mystics - Catholic, Christian, non-Christian, no matter what their theology, no matter what their religion - are unanimous on one thing:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/you-know-all-mystics-catholic-christian-non-christian-no-matter-what/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [There were rules in the monastery, but the Master always warned against the tyranny of the law. 'Obedience keeps the rules,' he would say.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/there-were-rules-in-the-monastery-but-the-master-always-warned/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [A disciple, in his reverence for the Master, looked upon him as God incarnate. "Tell me, O Master," he said, "why you have come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/a-disciple-in-his-reverence-for-the-master-looked-upon-him-as-god/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [“And how about you? Do you want to understand and play the game of life or fool around with miracles?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/and-how-about-you-do-you-want-to-understand-and-play-the-game-of-life/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [You don't have to add anything in order to be happy; you've got to drop something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/you-don-t-have-to-add-anything-in-order-to-be-happy-you-ve-got-to/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [Rare indeed, is the relationship in which the other is not cultivated for what one can get for oneself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/rare-indeed-is-the-relationship-in-which-the-other-is-not-cultivated/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) [Explore all 253 Anthony de Mello quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) ## More Attachment quotes > [Some persons are so inclined to mortify themselves that at every opportunity they have, they do so. What a beautiful practice this is, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alphonsus-rodriguez/some-persons-are-so-inclined-to-mortify-themselves-that-at-every/) Alphonsus Rodriguez > [She might be without country, without nation, but inside her there was still a being that could exist and be free, that could simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-maas/she-might-be-without-country-without-nation-but-inside-her-there-was/) [Sharon Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-maas/) > [When attachment Dies… Formalities are Born](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hemant-vaswani/when-attachment-dies-formalities-are-born/) [Hemant Vaswani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hemant-vaswani/) > [“Continue with whatever it is that you have been doing, except for attachment-abhorrence. If ‘we’ stay in our state of Pure Soul, attachment-abhorrence will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/continue-with-whatever-it-is-that-you-have-been-doing-except-for/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [“Research on organised abuse emphasises the diversity of organised abuse cases, and the ways in which serious forms of child maltreatment cluster in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/research-on-organised-abuse-emphasises-the-diversity-of-organised/) [Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/) > [Love, like truth and beauty, is concrete. Love is not fundamentally a sweet feeling; not, at heart, a matter of sentiment, attachment, or being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carter-heyward/love-like-truth-and-beauty-is-concrete-love-is-not-fundamentally-a/) [Carter Heyward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carter-heyward/) > [The real goal of Zen is to find a way of life that's easy and undramatic. Strong attachments lead to upset and drama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-warner/the-real-goal-of-zen-is-to-find-a-way-of-life-that-s-easy-and/) [Brad Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-warner/) > [“The past is no good if you can't learn from it; therefore, no sense in dwelling on it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arians-karlovi-s/the-past-is-no-good-if-you-can-t-learn-from-it-therefore-no-sense-in/) Arians Karlovičs > [“Remaining absolutely non-acquisitive (aparigrahi) amidst all possessions is the ultimate ‘test examination’.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/remaining-absolutely-non-acquisitive-aparigrahi-amidst-all/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [Interwoven as is the love of liberty with every ligament of your hearts, no recommendation of mine is necessary to fortify or confirm the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/interwoven-as-is-the-love-of-liberty-with-every-ligament-of-your/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [Money is not a problem, but unintelligent attachment to it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mata-amritanandamayi/money-is-not-a-problem-but-unintelligent-attachment-to-it-is/) [Mata Amritanandamayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mata-amritanandamayi/) > [“You need to belong to yourself, and let others belong to themselves too. You need to be free and detached from things and your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-eriksson/you-need-to-belong-to-yourself-and-let-others-belong-to-themselves/) [Charlotte Eriksson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-eriksson/) > [All our attachments are outward oriented and hence this illusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/all-our-attachments-are-outward-oriented-and-hence-this-illusion/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It is attachment that makes people forget not only their moral duties but even who they really are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amish-tripathi/it-is-attachment-that-makes-people-forget-not-only-their-moral-duties/) [Amish Tripathi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amish-tripathi/) > [... professing myself moreover convinced that the general's unjust interference, so far from being really injurious to their felicity, was perhaps rather conducive to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/professing-myself-moreover-convinced-that-the-general-s-unjust/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) [Browse all 959 Attachment quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attachment/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you look carefully you will see that there is one thing and only one thing that causes unhappiness. 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