--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm not a very happy person,\" I told…" description: "\"I'm not a very happy person,\" I told him.\"But sometimes I can trick myself into thinking I am.\" — David Levithan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d6/david-levithan-67_happy-person_i-m-not-a-very-happy-person-i-told-him-b_2995256.jpg" --- # I'm not a very happy person," I told him."But sometimes I… ![“I'm not a very happy person," I told him."But sometimes I can trick myself into thinking I am.” quote by David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d6/david-levithan-67_happy-person_i-m-not-a-very-happy-person-i-told-him-b_2995256.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d6/david-levithan-67_happy-person_i-m-not-a-very-happy-person-i-told-him-b_2995256.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d6/david-levithan-67_happy-person_i-m-not-a-very-happy-person-i-told-him-b_2995256.jpg) > “I'm not a very happy person," I told him."But sometimes I can trick myself into thinking I am.” [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A person can self-deceive happiness, tricking themselves into feeling joy **In simple terms:** Trick yourself into happiness Key Takeaway Acknowledge self-deception in mood Themes psychology self-awareness mental health Mood introspective melancholic Type psychological literary When to use this quote - personal mental health - mood regulation Key Concepts Cognitive therapy self-talk Questions to Reflect On - When is self‑trick harmful? - How to balance optimism with realism? A Different Perspective Self-deception can mask underlying issues ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Happy person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happy-person/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [“It was a trick. It was this place, all the memories. His longing heart and the darkness conspiring. 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It’s more a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-warner/the-trick-to-not-thinking-is-not-adding-energy-to-the-equation-in-an/) [Brad Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-warner/) > [I'm basically a very happy person and I don't have to be anybody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jilly-cooper/i-m-basically-a-very-happy-person-and-i-don-t-have-to-be-anybody-else/) [Jilly Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jilly-cooper/) > [The fact is that I am always thinking of something to build. A new book, radio show, plans for a trip somewhere. I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/the-fact-is-that-i-am-always-thinking-of-something-to-build-a-new/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [At the door of every happy person there should be a man with a hammer whose knock would serve as a constant reminder of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/at-the-door-of-every-happy-person-there-should-be-a-man-with-a-hammer/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [I think happiness is a choice. I believe luck is your attitude. It sounds like a really annoying bumper sticker. But there is such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-barrymore/i-think-happiness-is-a-choice-i-believe-luck-is-your-attitude-it/) [Drew Barrymore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-barrymore/) > [I really am planning on living to be 100. People ask, "Why are you so depressed?" I'm actually a very happy person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aoife-o-donovan/i-really-am-planning-on-living-to-be-100-people-ask-why-are-you-so/) [Aoife O'Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aoife-o-donovan/) > [It's easy to trick yourself into thinking something's funnier than it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-pell/it-s-easy-to-trick-yourself-into-thinking-something-s-funnier-than-it/) [Paula Pell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-pell/) > [“You can know something and never think about it, if you’re any good at it. Me, now, I’ve been avoiding so much for so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathe-koja/you-can-know-something-and-never-think-about-it-if-you-re-any-good-at/) [Kathe Koja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathe-koja/) > [You can visualize, and you can try to trick yourself into thinking a certain way. 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Maybe that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-fraseur/we-often-trick-ourselves-into-thinking-that-we-possess-enough/) [Spencer Fraseur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-fraseur/) > [All the kids are freaking out about Snapchat, so I'm hoping to trick them into thinking I know how to use it, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-helbig/all-the-kids-are-freaking-out-about-snapchat-so-i-m-hoping-to-trick/) [Grace Helbig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-helbig/) > [“BegulationywctioThe best trick the devil can perform is to trick you into thinking there is no devil; if there's no devil, then there's no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-rutkey/begulationywctiothe-best-trick-the-devil-can-perform-is-to-trick-you/) C.S. Rutkey > [I always seem to trick myself into thinking that because youre cute on the outside, it means youre cute on the inside, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-always-seem-to-trick-myself-into-thinking-that-because-youre-cute/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by David Levithan > [“When you jump, all you're going to do is fall. But leaping? Leaping is when you think there's something on the other side.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/when-you-jump-all-you-re-going-to-do-is-fall-but-leaping-leaping-is/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“The past and the future are what's complicated. It's the present that's simple. And the simplicity is the sensation of it being just her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/the-past-and-the-future-are-what-s-complicated-it-s-the-present-that/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“I hate the way you talk to me And the way you cut your hair I hate the way you drive my car I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-hate-the-way-you-talk-to-me-and-the-way-you-cut-your-hair-i-hate/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [You could be the leaf that never falls from the tree you could be the sun that never leaves the sky this might be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/you-could-be-the-leaf-that-never-falls-from-the-tree-you-could-be-the/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“Patrick: Is she worth the trouble? Cameron: I thought she was- Patrick: Either she is, or she isn't. 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So many of them live, and we often toast their long and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/we-saw-our-friends-die-but-we-also-see-our-friends-live-so-many-of/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [maybe tonight you're scared of falling, and maybe there's somebody here or somewhere else you're thinking about, worrying over, fretting over, trying to figure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/maybe-tonight-you-re-scared-of-falling-and-maybe-there-s-somebody/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“You never told me what you saw in him, not convincingly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/you-never-told-me-what-you-saw-in-him-not-convincingly/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“i nod to the other will grayson, up onstage. he nods to me. we have something between us, him and me. but the truth?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-nod-to-the-other-will-grayson-up-onstage-he-nods-to-me-we-have/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [The terrorists-those nineteen people, with hundreds or maybe thousands behind them-did the worst thing you can possibly imagine. But tens of millions people did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/the-terrorists-those-nineteen-people-with-hundreds-or-maybe-thousands/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [But I still has enough longing for that concept that I didn't want to dispel it completely. Meaning: I didn't want to tell Lily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/but-i-still-has-enough-longing-for-that-concept-that-i-didn-t-want-to/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“When you break someone's heart, you also break yours.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/when-you-break-someone-s-heart-you-also-break-yours/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“Because toward the end all the words started leaving. Except for the ones that had to lock up at the end of the night.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/because-toward-the-end-all-the-words-started-leaving-except-for-the/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“ misgivings , n . Last night, I got up the courage to ask you if you regretted us. "There are things I miss,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/misgivings-n-last-night-i-got-up-the-courage-to-ask-you-if-you/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“Saving others is always more important than saving yourself. It has to be, or none of us would do any good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/saving-others-is-always-more-important-than-saving-yourself-it-has-to/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) [Explore all 1,648 David Levithan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) ## More Happy person quotes > [Happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-downs/happy-person-is-not-a-person-in-a-certain-set-of-circumstances-but/) [Hugh Downs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-downs/) > [I'm quite a happy person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-comer/i-m-quite-a-happy-person/) [Jodie Comer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-comer/) > [That one person that made you so happy. That one person that you were exited to see. The one person you laughed with and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zombeatz/that-one-person-that-made-you-so-happy-that-one-person-that-you-were/) [ZomBeatz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zombeatz/) > [“To be happy, make others happy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/to-be-happy-make-others-happy/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [Tantra says be real, be authentic to yourself. Your happiness is not bad; it is good. It is not sin! Only sadness is sin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/tantra-says-be-real-be-authentic-to-yourself-your-happiness-is-not/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [I'm 64 years old and, yeah, I went through a transition in my life last year, with the death of my son, that woke…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-paladino/i-m-64-years-old-and-yeah-i-went-through-a-transition-in-my-life-last/) [Carl Paladino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-paladino/) > [Sometimes I'm fragile, sometimes too emotional, but I'm putting everything I can on my side to be a happy person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ingrid-betancourt/sometimes-i-m-fragile-sometimes-too-emotional-but-i-m-putting/) [Ingrid Betancourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ingrid-betancourt/) > [“I guess I talk a lot of shit about Perry, but it's not like I'm such a shiny happy person either, you know? I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-marion/i-guess-i-talk-a-lot-of-shit-about-perry-but-it-s-not-like-i-m-such-a/) [Isaac Marion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-marion/) > [A person can either do something in order to be happy, or... a person can start the day by simply deciding to BE happy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/a-person-can-either-do-something-in-order-to-be-happy-or-a-person-can/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [It's not like I'm such a shiny happy person either, you know? I'm a wreck too, I'm just... still alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-marion/it-s-not-like-i-m-such-a-shiny-happy-person-either-you-know-i-m-a/) [Isaac Marion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-marion/) > [“If I was set an essay on Friday, I’d spend three hours on Saturday morning in the library. Was that normal? I didn’t know.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-jamieson/if-i-was-set-an-essay-on-friday-i-d-spend-three-hours-on-saturday/) [Alice Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-jamieson/) > [Sometimes it's hard to admit, though, especially if you're known as a happy person, because you feel you're letting people down if you're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-atack/sometimes-it-s-hard-to-admit-though-especially-if-you-re-known-as-a/) [Emily Atack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-atack/) > [I just like the continue doing what I've been doing. A melange of funny, straight drama, television, movies, a little theater here and there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-tyler-moore/i-just-like-the-continue-doing-what-i-ve-been-doing-a-melange-of/) [Mary Tyler Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-tyler-moore/) > [“A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes. Hugh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-dow/a-happy-person-is-not-a-person-in-a-certain-set-of-circumstances-but/) Hugh Dow > [“Tristan whistled as he flipped a few more pancakes. Scarlet looked at Nate and sighed. “Would you talk some sense into him? Please?” Nate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-fine/tristan-whistled-as-he-flipped-a-few-more-pancakes-scarlet-looked-at/) [Chelsea Fine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-fine/) [Browse all 271 Happy person quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happy-person/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'm not a very happy person,\" I told him.\"But sometimes I can trick myself into thinking I am.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Levithan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-m-not-a-very-happy-person-i-told-him-but-sometimes-i-can-trick/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Happy person" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-m-not-a-very-happy-person-i-told-him-but-sometimes-i-can-trick/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d6/david-levithan-67_happy-person_i-m-not-a-very-happy-person-i-told-him-b_2995256.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d6/david-levithan-67_happy-person_i-m-not-a-very-happy-person-i-told-him-b_2995256.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d6/david-levithan-67_happy-person_i-m-not-a-very-happy-person-i-told-him-b_2995256.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I'm not a very happy person,\" I told him.\"But sometimes I can trick myself into thinking I am.” — David Levithan", "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": "David Levithan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I'm not a very happy person,\"...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-m-not-a-very-happy-person-i-told-him-but-sometimes-i-can-trick/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-m-not-a-very-happy-person-i-told-him-but-sometimes-i-can-trick/#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 } } ] } ```