--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In New York, people are unhappy on…" description: "\"In New York, people are unhappy on purpose, because unhappiness makes them seem more complex; in Washington DC it just sort of works out that way.\" — C..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aad/chuck-klosterman-804_new-york_in-new-york-people-are-unhappy-on-purpos_321675.jpg" --- # In New York, people are unhappy on purpose, because… ![“In New York, people are unhappy on purpose, because unhappiness makes them seem more complex; in Washington DC it just sort of works out that way.” quote by Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aad/chuck-klosterman-804_new-york_in-new-york-people-are-unhappy-on-purpos_321675.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aad/chuck-klosterman-804_new-york_in-new-york-people-are-unhappy-on-purpos_321675.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aad/chuck-klosterman-804_new-york_in-new-york-people-are-unhappy-on-purpos_321675.jpg) > “In New York, people are unhappy on purpose, because unhappiness makes them seem more complex; in Washington DC it just sort of works out that way.” [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People in NYC feign unhappiness for depth; in DC, unhappiness naturally occurs. **In simple terms:** NYC pretends sadness for complexity; DC just feels sad. Key Takeaway Recognize authentic vs. performed emotions. Themes authenticity performance emotional culture Mood analytical observational Type essay commentary When to use this quote - urban life - political environments - social media Key Concepts social masks regional attitudes psychology Questions to Reflect On - Why do people display false emotions? - How does environment shape mood? A Different Perspective Assuming motives can be inaccurate. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [New york](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-york/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Unhappy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-unhappy/) [Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose/) [Purpose Unhappiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose-unhappiness-3029606/) [Sadness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sadness/) [Unhappiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unhappiness/) [Unhappiness Makes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unhappiness-makes-3029605/) [Unhappy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unhappy/) [Unhappy Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unhappy-purpose-3029607/) [Washington dc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/washington-dc/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Work out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-out/) ## Related quotes > [Creating doesn't make us unhappy, unhappiness makes us creative. To create is to live, and in living, we want only to creat more, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-g-wilson/creating-doesn-t-make-us-unhappy-unhappiness-makes-us-creative-to/) [Eric G. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-g-wilson/) > [“I understand unhappiness and how it makes you become SOMEONE you are not.”,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-r-keeling/i-understand-unhappiness-and-how-it-makes-you-become-someone-you-are/) [Connie R. Keeling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-r-keeling/) > [Unhappiness makes beggars or accountants of us all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-grizzuti-harrison/unhappiness-makes-beggars-or-accountants-of-us-all/) [Barbara Grizzuti Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-grizzuti-harrison/) > [“And since he was seeing more and more people who were unhappy for no apparent reason, he was becoming more and more tired, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-ois-lelord/and-since-he-was-seeing-more-and-more-people-who-were-unhappy-for-no/) [François Lelord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-ois-lelord/) > [I think people who are unhappy are always proud of being so, and therefore do not like to be told that there is nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/i-think-people-who-are-unhappy-are-always-proud-of-being-so-and/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [“Well, for one thing, the culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves. 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You have to sweat--that's the only moral they know.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dany-laferri-re/people-are-unhappy-when-they-get-something-too-easily-you-have-to/) [Dany Laferrière](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dany-laferri-re/) > [“The reason so many people are unhappy is, for the most part, delusion. They believe the predominant myths that our culture propagates about happiness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-hochswender/the-reason-so-many-people-are-unhappy-is-for-the-most-part-delusion/) [Woody Hochswender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-hochswender/) > [When most people are unhappy customers, they get mad; I try to get rich. All of my businesses started the same way: I got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-zane-pilzer/when-most-people-are-unhappy-customers-they-get-mad-i-try-to-get-rich/) [Paul Zane Pilzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-zane-pilzer/) ## More by Chuck Klosterman > [The only people who think the Internet is a calamity are people whose lives have been hurt by it; the only people who insist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/the-only-people-who-think-the-internet-is-a-calamity-are-people-whose/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [“I suppose we'll never know what really happened in that room, though he did tell police, "I did it because I'm a dirty dog."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/i-suppose-we-ll-never-know-what-really-happened-in-that-room-though/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [Do you know people who insist they like 'all kinds of music'? 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And if you do that convincingly enough, others will love you too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/first-you-must-love-yourself-and-if-you-do-that-convincingly-enough/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [Anyone who claims to be good at lying is obviously bad at lying. Thus - as a writer myself - I cannot comment on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/anyone-who-claims-to-be-good-at-lying-is-obviously-bad-at-lying-thus/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [“I care about strangers when they're abstractions but feel almost nothing when they are literally in front of me. They seem like unnamed characters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/i-care-about-strangers-when-they-re-abstractions-but-feel-almost/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [“Toby Keith writes songs like 1993's "Should've Been a Cowboy," and what's compelling is that you can't deconstruct its message. "Should've Been a Cowboy"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/toby-keith-writes-songs-like-1993-s-should-ve-been-a-cowboy-and-what/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [Some say that time is like water that flows around us (like a stone in the river) and some say we flow with time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/some-say-that-time-is-like-water-that-flows-around-us-like-a-stone-in/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [ \[On political correctness:\] Any intended message mattered less than the received message, and every received message could be interpreted in whatever way the receiver… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/on-political-correctness-any-intended-message-mattered-less-than-the/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [In baseball and sex, cliches are usually true: pitching beats hitting, and people always want to be loved by anyone who doesn't seem to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/in-baseball-and-sex-cliches-are-usually-true-pitching-beats-hitting/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) [Explore all 364 Chuck Klosterman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) ## More New york quotes > [I sound New York. I sound East Coast much more than a blonde person from L.A.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-kavner/i-sound-new-york-i-sound-east-coast-much-more-than-a-blonde-person/) [Julie Kavner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-kavner/) > [New York is large, glamorous, easy-going, kindly and incurious, but above all it is a crucible - because it is large enough to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ford-madox-ford/new-york-is-large-glamorous-easy-going-kindly-and-incurious-but-above/) [Ford Madox Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ford-madox-ford/) > [The beauty of New York is unintentional; it arose independent of human design, like a stalagmite cavern.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-beauty-of-new-york-is-unintentional-it-arose-independent-of-human/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [The midwest is great because it hasn't been entirely claimed. There's more room to write about it; it's harder to write about New York,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/the-midwest-is-great-because-it-hasn-t-been-entirely-claimed-there-s/) [Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/) > [I liked Cats as a kid, now its hard to say. I dont live in New York anymore so dont see so many.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-moennig/i-liked-cats-as-a-kid-now-its-hard-to-say-i-dont-live-in-new-york/) [Katherine Moennig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-moennig/) > [I didn't know the city at all, but I was so happy to be in New York I cried. I was so excited.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-gerwig/i-didn-t-know-the-city-at-all-but-i-was-so-happy-to-be-in-new-york-i/) [Greta Gerwig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-gerwig/) > [In New York, you are constantly faced with this very urgent decision that you have to make, about every twenty minutes...you have to decide,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/in-new-york-you-are-constantly-faced-with-this-very-urgent-decision/) [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) > [One of the things that's great about New York is that it is not a one-industry town. It has education, academia, the service industry,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-jessica-parker/one-of-the-things-that-s-great-about-new-york-is-that-it-is-not-a-one/) [Sarah Jessica Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-jessica-parker/) > [My office in New York is overflowing with all kinds of cookbooks, and in New Orleans we have a huge culinary library. So yeah,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emeril-lagasse/my-office-in-new-york-is-overflowing-with-all-kinds-of-cookbooks-and/) [Emeril Lagasse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emeril-lagasse/) > [New York and San Francisco are distinctly different. San Francisco is driving the American media, not New York. You have young, microwaved millionaires and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-whitlock/new-york-and-san-francisco-are-distinctly-different-san-francisco-is/) [Jason Whitlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-whitlock/) > [To become a classical ballerina, you have to move to New York when you're 12 or 11 and that becomes your life. I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-garner/to-become-a-classical-ballerina-you-have-to-move-to-new-york-when-you/) [Jennifer Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-garner/) > [“On his best walks, he was able to feel that he was nowhere. 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Because I grew up in New York City, and there were seven newspapers in New York City, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/why-did-i-become-a-writer-because-i-grew-up-in-new-york-city-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Those who know New York City primarily through tourism or mass culture may think of us natives as possessing certain shared characteristics, not all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dee/those-who-know-new-york-city-primarily-through-tourism-or-mass/) [Jonathan Dee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dee/) > [Thankfully, I found a doctor at Presbyterian Hospital in New York, Scott Hammer, who diagnosed my chronic fatigue as the Epstein-Barr virus, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tucker-halpern/thankfully-i-found-a-doctor-at-presbyterian-hospital-in-new-york/) [Tucker Halpern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tucker-halpern/) [Browse all 7,536 New york quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-york/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In New York, people are unhappy on purpose, because unhappiness makes them seem more complex; in Washington DC it just sort of works out that way.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Chuck Klosterman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/in-new-york-people-are-unhappy-on-purpose-because-unhappiness-makes/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "New york" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/in-new-york-people-are-unhappy-on-purpose-because-unhappiness-makes/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aad/chuck-klosterman-804_new-york_in-new-york-people-are-unhappy-on-purpos_321675.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aad/chuck-klosterman-804_new-york_in-new-york-people-are-unhappy-on-purpos_321675.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aad/chuck-klosterman-804_new-york_in-new-york-people-are-unhappy-on-purpos_321675.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In New York, people are unhappy on purpose, because unhappiness makes them seem more complex; in Washington…” — Chuck Klosterman", "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": "Chuck Klosterman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "In New York, people are unhappy...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/in-new-york-people-are-unhappy-on-purpose-because-unhappiness-makes/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/in-new-york-people-are-unhappy-on-purpose-because-unhappiness-makes/#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 } } ] } ```