--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Things that matter are not easy. Feelings…" description: "\"Things that matter are not easy. Feelings of happiness are easy. Happiness is not. Flirting is easy. Love is not. Saying you’re friends is easy. Being ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c7/david-levithan-67_easy_things-that-matter-are-not-easy-feelings_1762222.jpg" --- # Things that matter are not easy. Feelings of happiness are… ![“Things that matter are not easy. Feelings of happiness are easy. Happiness is not. Flirting is easy. Love is not. Saying you’re friends is easy. Being friends is not.” quote by David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c7/david-levithan-67_easy_things-that-matter-are-not-easy-feelings_1762222.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c7/david-levithan-67_easy_things-that-matter-are-not-easy-feelings_1762222.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c7/david-levithan-67_easy_things-that-matter-are-not-easy-feelings_1762222.jpg) > “Things that matter are not easy. Feelings of happiness are easy. Happiness is not. Flirting is easy. Love is not. Saying you’re friends is easy. Being friends is not.” [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. Highlights that meaningful things, like love and true friendship, require effort and are not effortless. **In simple terms:** True connections need work. Key Takeaway Invest effort into relationships. Themes love friendship effort authenticity Mood thoughtful serious Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - romantic relationships - long‑term friendships - collaborative projects Key Concepts commitment vulnerability depth Questions to Reflect On - What are you willing to work for in relationships? - How do you differentiate easy affection from lasting love? A Different Perspective Effort alone may not guarantee reciprocated feelings. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Flirting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flirting/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Things that matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-that-matter/) ## Related quotes > [“No. No no no no. It is not easy. Things that matter are not easy. Feelings of happiness are easy. Happiness is not. Flirting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cohn/no-no-no-no-no-it-is-not-easy-things-that-matter-are-not-easy/) [Rachel Cohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cohn/) > [“It's easy to be friends with when shares the same opinions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-dumas/it-s-easy-to-be-friends-with-when-shares-the-same-opinions/) [Alexandre Dumas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-dumas/) > [You can't just go and ask people the questions that matter most--that would be too easy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ostrovski/you-can-t-just-go-and-ask-people-the-questions-that-matter-most-that/) [Emil Ostrovski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ostrovski/) > [And what does really matter? 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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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The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) > [People think that the Club World Cup is an easy competition, but it's not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keylor-navas/people-think-that-the-club-world-cup-is-an-easy-competition-but-it-s/) [Keylor Navas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keylor-navas/) > [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/) > [I've done so many other projects where you're in a room with a reader and you're acting your lines out: 'We have to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cummings/i-ve-done-so-many-other-projects-where-you-re-in-a-room-with-a-reader/) [Jim Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cummings/) > [Sometimes life can suck and not be fair ,but we have to deal with it,because we feel we cant do anything but,we can.We have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-life-can-suck-and-not-be-fair-but-we-have-to-deal-with-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Mortals are such fragile things. 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