--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What is earthly happiness? that phantom…" description: "\"What is earthly happiness? that phantom of which we hear so much, and see so little; whose promises are constantly given and constantly broken, but as ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/974/charles-caleb-colton-270_broken_what-is-earthly-happiness-that-phantom-o_2382174.png" --- # What is earthly happiness? that phantom of which we hear… ![“What is earthly happiness? that phantom of which we hear so much, and see so little; whose promises are constantly given and constantly broken, but as constantly believed; that cheats us with the sound instead of the substance, and with the blossom instead of the fruit. Like Juno, she is a goddess…” quote by Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/974/charles-caleb-colton-270_broken_what-is-earthly-happiness-that-phantom-o_2382174.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/974/charles-caleb-colton-270_broken_what-is-earthly-happiness-that-phantom-o_2382174.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/974/charles-caleb-colton-270_broken_what-is-earthly-happiness-that-phantom-o_2382174.png) > “What is earthly happiness? that phantom of which we hear so much, and see so little; whose promises are constantly given and constantly broken, but as constantly believed; that cheats us with the sound instead of the substance, and with the blossom instead of the fruit. Like Juno, she is a goddess in pursuit, but a cloud in possession.” [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) ## 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 portrayed as an elusive, deceptive promise that is often heard but rarely experienced, leading to perpetual disappointment. **In simple terms:** Happiness is a fleeting, often unfulfilled promise. Key Takeaway Seek tangible fulfillment over fleeting promises. Themes philosophy illusion desire disappointment Mood thoughtful skeptical Type essay reflective When to use this quote - goal setting - relationship expectations - financial planning Key Concepts epistemology psychology human nature Questions to Reflect On - What defines true happiness for you? - How can you differentiate between illusion and reality? A Different Perspective May cause cynicism and distrust in genuine joy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Broken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broken/) [Cheat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cheat/) [Clouds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clouds/) [Earthly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earthly/) [Earthly Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earthly-happiness-587561/) [Fruit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fruit/) [Given](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/given/) [Goddess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goddess/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Happiness Phantom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness-phantom-5903960/) [Juno Goddess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/juno-goddess-5903961/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) [Phantom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phantom/) [Phantoms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phantoms/) [Possession](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possession/) [Promise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/promise/) [Pursuit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pursuit/) [Sound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sound/) [Substance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/substance/) ## Related quotes > [Good heavens, of what uncostly material is our earthly happiness composed... if we only knew it. What incomes have we not had from a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/good-heavens-of-what-uncostly-material-is-our-earthly-happiness/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) > [Once more I realized to what an extent earthly happiness is made to the measure of man. It is not a rare bird which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/once-more-i-realized-to-what-an-extent-earthly-happiness-is-made-to/) [Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/) > [Travel, which had once charmed him, seemed, at length, unendurable, a business of color without substance, a phantom chase after his own dream's shadow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/travel-which-had-once-charmed-him-seemed-at-length-unendurable-a/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [Each forward step we take we leave some phantom of ourselves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lancaster-spalding/each-forward-step-we-take-we-leave-some-phantom-of-ourselves-behind/) [John Lancaster Spalding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lancaster-spalding/) > [Time is but a phantom dagger That motion lifts to slay itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxwell-bodenheim/time-is-but-a-phantom-dagger-that-motion-lifts-to-slay-itself/) [Maxwell Bodenheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxwell-bodenheim/) > [This poor world, the object of so much insane attachment, we are about to leave; it is but misery, vanity, and folly; a phantom--the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-fenelon/this-poor-world-the-object-of-so-much-insane-attachment-we-are-about/) [Francois Fenelon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-fenelon/) > [If you want someone to tell you what to think," the phantom answered briskly, without looking up, "you will never be short of people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/if-you-want-someone-to-tell-you-what-to-think-the-phantom-answered/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [The Jesus who makes everything okay for everyone is a phantom, a dream, not a real figure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-benedict-xvi/the-jesus-who-makes-everything-okay-for-everyone-is-a-phantom-a-dream/) [Pope Benedict XVI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-benedict-xvi/) > [Tonight I gave you my soul, and I am dead." - Christine, from Gaston Leroux's: The Phantom of the Opera.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaston-leroux/tonight-i-gave-you-my-soul-and-i-am-dead-christine-from-gaston-leroux/) [Gaston Leroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaston-leroux/) > [For the Phantom, there is only one girl. For Sam, there is only one horse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terri-farley/for-the-phantom-there-is-only-one-girl-for-sam-there-is-only-one-horse/) [Terri Farley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terri-farley/) > [This was life, I supposed, running and running and running, and realizing along the way that the phantom was getting closer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-hamilton/this-was-life-i-supposed-running-and-running-and-running-and/) [Jane Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-hamilton/) > [Because one day I'll leave you a phantom to lead you in the summer to join the black parade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-way/because-one-day-i-ll-leave-you-a-phantom-to-lead-you-in-the-summer-to/) [Gerard Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-way/) > [Material existence is entirely founded on a phantom realm of mind, whose nature and geography are unexplored.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/material-existence-is-entirely-founded-on-a-phantom-realm-of-mind/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [Nothing is greater than to break the chains from the bodies of men, nothing nobler than to destroy the phantom of the soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/nothing-is-greater-than-to-break-the-chains-from-the-bodies-of-men/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [Truth is a necessary phantom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/truth-is-a-necessary-phantom/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) ## More by Charles Caleb Colton > [Villainy that is vigilant will be an overmatch for virtue, if she slumber at her post.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/villainy-that-is-vigilant-will-be-an-overmatch-for-virtue-if-she/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [A beautiful woman, if poor, should use double circumspection; for her beauty will tempt others, her poverty herself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/a-beautiful-woman-if-poor-should-use-double-circumspection-for-her/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [Were the life of man prolonged, he would become such a proficient in villainy, that it would become necessary again to drown or to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/were-the-life-of-man-prolonged-he-would-become-such-a-proficient-in/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [To dare to live alone is the rarest courage; since there are many who had rather meet their bitterest enemy in the field, than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/to-dare-to-live-alone-is-the-rarest-courage-since-there-are-many-who/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [It is doubtful whether mankind are most indebted to those who like Bacon and Butler dig the gold from the mine of literature, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/it-is-doubtful-whether-mankind-are-most-indebted-to-those-who-like/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [Be very slow to believe that you are wiser than all others; it is a fatal but common error. 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