--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When ill luck besets us, to ease the…" description: "\"When ill luck besets us, to ease the tension we have only to remember that happiness is relative. The next time you are tempted to grumble about what h..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/749/dale-carnegie-382_ease_when-ill-luck-besets-us-to-ease-the-tens_2463376.jpg" --- # When ill luck besets us, to ease the tension we have only… ![“When ill luck besets us, to ease the tension we have only to remember that happiness is relative. The next time you are tempted to grumble about what has happened to you, why not pause and be glad that it is no worse than it is.” quote by Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/749/dale-carnegie-382_ease_when-ill-luck-besets-us-to-ease-the-tens_2463376.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/749/dale-carnegie-382_ease_when-ill-luck-besets-us-to-ease-the-tens_2463376.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/749/dale-carnegie-382_ease_when-ill-luck-besets-us-to-ease-the-tens_2463376.jpg) > “When ill luck besets us, to ease the tension we have only to remember that happiness is relative. The next time you are tempted to grumble about what has happened to you, why not pause and be glad that it is no worse than it is.” [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) ## 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 relative; comparing to worse situations can lessen dissatisfaction. **In simple terms:** Happiness depends on perspective. Key Takeaway Practice gratitude and perspective shifts. Themes happiness relativity gratitude mindset stress management Mood motivational reflective Type self‑help philosophical When to use this quote - dealing with setbacks - daily gratitude - stress coping - personal resilience - team morale Key Concepts cognitive reframing comparative thinking emotional regulation Questions to Reflect On - What can you appreciate now? - How does perspective change your mood? A Different Perspective Relative happiness may ignore systemic issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Gratitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gratitude/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Ill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ill/) [Luck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/luck/) [Next time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next-time/) [Pauses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pauses/) [Tension](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tension/) [Why not](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/why-not/) ## Related quotes > [You don't get a chance to take a breath but when you do, you have some really good comedy moments that ease up on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-r-ellis/you-don-t-get-a-chance-to-take-a-breath-but-when-you-do-you-have-some/) [David R. Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-r-ellis/) > [2 ease tension Listen pay close attention 2 the soul between the noise Remain poised Ego must be destroyed. Its more 2 Life than androids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonnylongquotes/2-ease-tension-listen-pay-close-attention-2-the-soul-between-the/) SonnyLongQuotes > [Our instinct as human beings is to provide answers, to ease tension. As writers our job is the opposite, to create tension and not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sol-stein/our-instinct-as-human-beings-is-to-provide-answers-to-ease-tension-as/) [Sol Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sol-stein/) > [Remember happiness doesn't depend on who you are or what you have; it depends solely upon what you think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/remember-happiness-doesn-t-depend-on-who-you-are-or-what-you-have-it/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [“Happiness is relative. Moments aren't bought, they're earned. They're felt in the present but are created by the past. Ultimately, at the heart of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valentin-chmerkovskiy/happiness-is-relative-moments-aren-t-bought-they-re-earned-they-re/) [Valentin Chmerkovskiy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valentin-chmerkovskiy/) > [“Happiness is relative for each person and their way of life. 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We treasure our scars but forget to live on our smiles.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-hassan-barbhuiya/why-is-it-so-tough-to-forget-pain-and-tougher-to-remember-happiness/) [Hanif Hassan Barbhuiya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-hassan-barbhuiya/) > [The sadness creates remember while the happiness creates forgeting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-kim/the-sadness-creates-remember-while-the-happiness-creates-forgeting/) The Kim > [“People never remember happiness with the care that they lavish on preserving every detail of their suffering.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-st-aubyn/people-never-remember-happiness-with-the-care-that-they-lavish-on/) [Edward St. Aubyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-st-aubyn/) > [Remember that happiness is a by-product of you living a life true to yourself, and though you can't always force it, if you look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/remember-that-happiness-is-a-by-product-of-you-living-a-life-true-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Dale Carnegie > [“When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but with creatures bristling with prejudice and motivated by pride and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/when-dealing-with-people-remember-you-are-not-dealing-with-creatures/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [I deal with the obvious. I present, reiterate, and glorify the obvious - because the obvious is what people need to be told.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/i-deal-with-the-obvious-i-present-reiterate-and-glorify-the-obvious/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [You can make more friends in two months by becoming more interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/you-can-make-more-friends-in-two-months-by-becoming-more-interested/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [“The man who goes farthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare. The sure-thing boat never gets far from shore.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/the-man-who-goes-farthest-is-generally-the-one-who-is-willing-to-do/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [“Apply the blacksmith's homely principle when you are speaking. 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That breeds patriotism - and wars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/each-nation-feels-superior-to-other-nations-that-breeds-patriotism/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [We are gods in the chrysalis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/we-are-gods-in-the-chrysalis/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [If you want to know how to make people shun you and laugh at you behind your back and even despise you, here is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/if-you-want-to-know-how-to-make-people-shun-you-and-laugh-at-you/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [So if you aspire to be a good conversationali st, be an attentive listener. To be interesting, be interested. Ask questions that other persons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/so-if-you-aspire-to-be-a-good-conversationali-st-be-an-attentive/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [...Be grateful for what you have to be thankful for instead of complaining about the little things that annoy you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/be-grateful-for-what-you-have-to-be-thankful-for-instead-of/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [Don't be afraid of enemies who attack you. Be afraid of the friends who flatter you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/don-t-be-afraid-of-enemies-who-attack-you-be-afraid-of-the-friends/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) [Explore all 592 Dale Carnegie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) ## More Ease quotes > [This is no time for ease and comfort. 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