--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To be what is called happy, one should…" description: "\"To be what is called happy, one should have (1) something to live on, (2) something to live for, (3) something to die for. The lack of one of these res..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95b/cyprian-norwid-90291_dies_to-be-what-is-called-happy-one-should-ha_2530038.jpg" --- # To be what is called happy, one should have (1) something… ![“To be what is called happy, one should have (1) something to live on, (2) something to live for, (3) something to die for. The lack of one of these results in drama. The lack of two results in tragedy.” quote by Cyprian Norwid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95b/cyprian-norwid-90291_dies_to-be-what-is-called-happy-one-should-ha_2530038.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95b/cyprian-norwid-90291_dies_to-be-what-is-called-happy-one-should-ha_2530038.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95b/cyprian-norwid-90291_dies_to-be-what-is-called-happy-one-should-ha_2530038.jpg) > “To be what is called happy, one should have (1) something to live on, (2) something to live for, (3) something to die for. The lack of one of these results in drama. The lack of two results in tragedy.” [Cyprian Norwid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyprian-norwid/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Three essential purposes of life prevent drama or tragedy **In simple terms:** Balancing life’s purposes avoids suffering Key Takeaway Identify and fulfill life’s core purposes Themes purpose meaning happiness drama tragedy Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - life coaching - therapy - personal development Key Concepts existential philosophy psychology value theory Questions to Reflect On - What purpose feels most missing in your life? - How can you create meaning? A Different Perspective Complexity of purpose can be overwhelming ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Called Happy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/called-happy-1296954/) [Dies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dies/) [Drama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drama/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Happy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happy/) [Happy Live](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happy-live-973484/) [Results](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/results/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Should have](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should-have/) [Tragedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tragedy/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) ## Related quotes > [Lady Lytton rules her husband, but that I suppose is always the case where marriages are what is called 'happy'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-disraeli/lady-lytton-rules-her-husband-but-that-i-suppose-is-always-the-case/) [Benjamin Disraeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-disraeli/) > [“think, for example, has a higher suicide rate: countries whose citizens declare themselves to be very happy, such as Switzerland, Denmark, Iceland, the Netherlands,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/think-for-example-has-a-higher-suicide-rate-countries-whose-citizens/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [I just know that whenever my name gets called, I'm happy, and I'm ready to get in there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tavon-austin/i-just-know-that-whenever-my-name-gets-called-i-m-happy-and-i-m-ready/) [Tavon Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tavon-austin/) > [A marriage is likely to be called happy if neither party ever expected to get much happiness out of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/a-marriage-is-likely-to-be-called-happy-if-neither-party-ever/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Is not life in itself a thing of goodness, irrespective of whether the course it takes for us can be called a 'happy' one?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-mann/is-not-life-in-itself-a-thing-of-goodness-irrespective-of-whether-the/) [Thomas Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-mann/) > [“Now if a man thus favoured died as he has lived, he will be just the one you are looking for: the only sort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herodotus/now-if-a-man-thus-favoured-died-as-he-has-lived-he-will-be-just-the/) [Herodotus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herodotus/) > [“marriage is likely to be what is called happy if niether party ever expected to get much happiness out of it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/marriage-is-likely-to-be-what-is-called-happy-if-niether-party-ever/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Let no man be called happy before his death. Till then, he is not happy, only lucky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solon/let-no-man-be-called-happy-before-his-death-till-then-he-is-not-happy/) [Solon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solon/) > [Anybody I ask who spends a week in Happy Valley understands why it's called Happy Valley.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-nassib/anybody-i-ask-who-spends-a-week-in-happy-valley-understands-why-it-s/) [Carl Nassib](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-nassib/) > [To be happy, you must live in, but not for, the present moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goswami-kriyananda/to-be-happy-you-must-live-in-but-not-for-the-present-moment/) [Goswami Kriyananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goswami-kriyananda/) > [As I figured out the best way to be happy is to live without fear...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/as-i-figured-out-the-best-way-to-be-happy-is-to-live-without-fear/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [“It's like people who believe they'll be happy if they go and live somewhere else, but who learn it doesn't work that way. Wherever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/it-s-like-people-who-believe-they-ll-be-happy-if-they-go-and-live/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Let us all be happy and live within our means, Even if we have to borrow money to do it with.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-us-all-be-happy-and-live-within-our-means-even-if-we-have-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It's like the people who believe they'll be happy if they go and live somewhere else, but who learn it doesn't work that way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/it-s-like-the-people-who-believe-they-ll-be-happy-if-they-go-and-live/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [The thing that made me happy is you live to see the next day and you get an opportunity to do it again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-davis/the-thing-that-made-me-happy-is-you-live-to-see-the-next-day-and-you/) [Vernon Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-davis/) ## More by Cyprian Norwid > [Beauty is to enthuse us for work, and work is to raise us up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyprian-norwid/beauty-is-to-enthuse-us-for-work-and-work-is-to-raise-us-up/) [Cyprian Norwid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyprian-norwid/) [Explore all 2 Cyprian Norwid quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyprian-norwid/) ## More Dies quotes > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [Don't even think for a moment that you are not going to die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dzongsar-jamyang-khyentse-rinpoche/don-t-even-think-for-a-moment-that-you-are-not-going-to-die/) [Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dzongsar-jamyang-khyentse-rinpoche/) > [Set NOT your hearts on the flowers of this world. They shall fade and die. Prize the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/set-not-your-hearts-on-the-flowers-of-this-world-they-shall-fade-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Violence is not necessary to destroy a civilization. Each civilization dies from indifference toward the unique values which created it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-gomez-davila/violence-is-not-necessary-to-destroy-a-civilization-each-civilization/) [Nicolas Gomez Davila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-gomez-davila/) > [I wonder: when a Jehovah's Witness dies and goes to Heaven, does God hide behind the door and pretend He's not home?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-celio/i-wonder-when-a-jehovah-s-witness-dies-and-goes-to-heaven-does-god/) [Brian Celio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-celio/) > [Certainly, it is. Love is love, and loss is loss. We all love, and we all die, and everyone suffers the pain of grieving.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynsay-sands/certainly-it-is-love-is-love-and-loss-is-loss-we-all-love-and-we-all/) [Lynsay Sands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynsay-sands/) > [“When he stops giving you butterflies, Love dies.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-blanchard/when-he-stops-giving-you-butterflies-love-dies/) [Michelle Blanchard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-blanchard/) > [That old man dies prematurely whose memory records no benefits conferred. They only have lived long who have lived virtuously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brinsley-sheridan/that-old-man-dies-prematurely-whose-memory-records-no-benefits/) [Richard Brinsley Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brinsley-sheridan/) > [I don't want to just die a normal death, I wanna be killed twice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eminem/i-don-t-want-to-just-die-a-normal-death-i-wanna-be-killed-twice/) [Eminem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eminem/) > [My father thrives on fear. You know that prayer If I should die before I wake? I had sheets that said that!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-titus/my-father-thrives-on-fear-you-know-that-prayer-if-i-should-die-before/) [Christopher Titus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-titus/) > [For the glory born of Goodness Never dies, And its flag is not half-masted In the skies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-harte/for-the-glory-born-of-goodness-never-dies-and-its-flag-is-not-half/) [Bret Harte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-harte/) > [This mind is a prison. It cannot find any freedom anywhere. It must die before freedom comes to you. But we have taken the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/this-mind-is-a-prison-it-cannot-find-any-freedom-anywhere-it-must-die/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [An artist's creative energy is ephemeral as a flower. It blooms and soon dies. No artist is great forever. Personally, I think I reached…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-ki-duk/an-artist-s-creative-energy-is-ephemeral-as-a-flower-it-blooms-and/) [Kim Ki-duk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-ki-duk/) > [If you’re going to die on screen, you’ve got to be strong and in good health.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-garbo/if-you-re-going-to-die-on-screen-you-ve-got-to-be-strong-and-in-good/) [Greta Garbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-garbo/) [Browse all 7,484 Dies quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dies/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To be what is called happy, one should have (1) something to live on, (2) something to live for, (3) something to die for. The lack of one of these results in drama. 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