Happiness Quote by Arthur Schopenhauer
“Alle Befriedigung, oder was man gemeinhin Glu« ck nennt, ist eigentlich und wesentlich immer nur negativ und durchaus nie positiv. All satisfaction, or what iscommonlycalled happiness, is really and essentially always negative only, and never positive.”
About This Quote
Source Philosophical Treatise: The World as Will and Representation, 1818
Happiness is essentially a negative state, never truly positive.
In simple terms: True happiness is actually a lack, not a presence.
Key Takeaway
Recognize that contentment often stems from absence of desire.
Themes
happiness
negativity
philosophy
Mood
reflective
philosophical
Type
philosophical
psychological
When to use this quote
- mindfulness practice
- therapy
- life evaluation
- goal setting
Key Concepts
existentialism
psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- How does this perspective affect your pursuit of joy?
- Can desire be balanced with contentment?
A Different Perspective
This view may undermine pursuit of positive experiences.
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![“[Materialism] seeks the primary and most simple state of matter, and then tries to develop all the others from it; ascending from mere mechanism, to chemism, to polarity, to the vegetable and to the animal kingdom. And if we suppose this to have been done, the last link in the chain would be…” quote by Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/88c/arthur-schopenhauer-226_animal-kingdom_materialism-seeks-the-primary-and-most-s_50402.jpg)
