--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Happiness is indeed a Eurydice, vanishing…" description: "\"Happiness is indeed a Eurydice, vanishing as soon as gazed upon. It can exist only in acceptance, and succumbs as soon as it is laid claim to.\" — Denis..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ce/denis-de-rougemont-28525_acceptance_happiness-is-indeed-a-eurydice-vanishing_2859155.png" --- # Happiness is indeed a Eurydice, vanishing as soon as gazed… ![“Happiness is indeed a Eurydice, vanishing as soon as gazed upon. It can exist only in acceptance, and succumbs as soon as it is laid claim to.” quote by Denis de Rougemont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ce/denis-de-rougemont-28525_acceptance_happiness-is-indeed-a-eurydice-vanishing_2859155.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ce/denis-de-rougemont-28525_acceptance_happiness-is-indeed-a-eurydice-vanishing_2859155.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ce/denis-de-rougemont-28525_acceptance_happiness-is-indeed-a-eurydice-vanishing_2859155.png) > “Happiness is indeed a Eurydice, vanishing as soon as gazed upon. It can exist only in acceptance, and succumbs as soon as it is laid claim to.” [Denis de Rougemont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-de-rougemont/) ## 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 fleeting like Eurydice; it vanishes when pursued, existing only in acceptance. **In simple terms:** Chasing happiness destroys it; accept it. Key Takeaway Embrace acceptance, not pursuit. Themes happiness acceptance impermanence Mood contemplative melancholic Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - relationships - mindfulness - mental health Key Concepts philosophy mythology Questions to Reflect On - How does acceptance change your experience of joy? - What does “letting go” mean to you? A Different Perspective Pursuit can create anxiety and loss. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acceptance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance/) [Acceptance Succumbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance-succumbs-3848972/) [Claims](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/claims/) [Eurydice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eurydice/) [Eurydice Vanishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eurydice-vanishing-3848971/) [Exist Acceptance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exist-acceptance-388872/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Happiness Eurydice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness-eurydice-3848970/) [Vanishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vanishing/) ## Related quotes > [Happiness can exist only in acceptance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/happiness-can-exist-only-in-acceptance/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [Happiness can only exist in acceptance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/happiness-can-only-exist-in-acceptance/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [“We are each what never leaves us, what we never see the back of is the self. But what loves us is at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-davis/we-are-each-what-never-leaves-us-what-we-never-see-the-back-of-is-the/) [Christina Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-davis/) > [“Perhaps he makes a choice. He chooses the memory of her. That’s why he turns. He doesn’t make the lover’s choice, but the poet’s.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-sciamma/perhaps-he-makes-a-choice-he-chooses-the-memory-of-her-that-s-why-he/) [Céline Sciamma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-sciamma/) > [Be forever dead in Eurydice-more gladly arise into the seamless life proclaimed in your song. Here, in the realm of decline, among momentary days,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-maria-rilke/be-forever-dead-in-eurydice-more-gladly-arise-into-the-seamless-life/) [Rainer Maria Rilke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-maria-rilke/) > [“If fervent memory could raise the dead, she would be our Eurydice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-niffenegger/if-fervent-memory-could-raise-the-dead-she-would-be-our-eurydice/) [Audrey Niffenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-niffenegger/) > [Miserable Orpheus who, turning to lose his Eurydice, beholds her for the first time as well as the last.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-connolly/miserable-orpheus-who-turning-to-lose-his-eurydice-beholds-her-for/) [Cyril Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-connolly/) > [Eurydice, dying now a second time, uttered no complaint against her husband. What was there to complain of, but that she had been loved?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/eurydice-dying-now-a-second-time-uttered-no-complaint-against-her/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) > [“Eurydice sits alone on a red bed. She has flaming red hair, so flaming that you can't see anything else of her, much less…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-acker/eurydice-sits-alone-on-a-red-bed-she-has-flaming-red-hair-so-flaming/) [Kathy Acker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-acker/) > [“INTENSE SEXUAL DESIRE IS THE GREATEST THING IN THE WORLD Janey dreams of cocks. Janey sees cocks instead of objects. Janey has to fuck.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-acker/intense-sexual-desire-is-the-greatest-thing-in-the-world-janey-dreams/) [Kathy Acker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-acker/) > [“I want to be your Eurydice, if you'll let me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-a-redmerski/i-want-to-be-your-eurydice-if-you-ll-let-me/) [J.A. Redmerski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-a-redmerski/) > [“Every angel is terrifying. Through the darkness, they move silently... I will go down into death with you. I must go where I must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-acker/every-angel-is-terrifying-through-the-darkness-they-move-silently-i/) [Kathy Acker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-acker/) > [My images are unashamedly idyllic and romantic, a kind of enchanted Africa. They're my elegy to a world that is steadily, tragically vanishing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-brandt/my-images-are-unashamedly-idyllic-and-romantic-a-kind-of-enchanted/) [Nick Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-brandt/) > [Beauty is vanishing from our world because we live as though it does not matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/beauty-is-vanishing-from-our-world-because-we-live-as-though-it-does/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [There are two kinds of beauty; there is a beauty which God gives at birth, and which withers as a flower. And there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-kuyper/there-are-two-kinds-of-beauty-there-is-a-beauty-which-god-gives-at/) [Abraham Kuyper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-kuyper/) ## More by Denis de Rougemont > [Animals do feel like us, also joy, love, fear and pain but they cannot grasp the spoken word. It is our obligation to take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-de-rougemont/animals-do-feel-like-us-also-joy-love-fear-and-pain-but-they-cannot/) [Denis de Rougemont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-de-rougemont/) > [“This peculiar connexion between a certain view of woman and the European conception of war has had profound consequences for morality, education, and politics.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-de-rougemont/this-peculiar-connexion-between-a-certain-view-of-woman-and-the/) [Denis de Rougemont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-de-rougemont/) > [Having fallen from the eternal, the Evil One's desires are endless, insatiable. Having fallen from pure Being, he is driven by the desire to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-de-rougemont/having-fallen-from-the-eternal-the-evil-one-s-desires-are-endless/) [Denis de Rougemont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-de-rougemont/) > [“So soon as passion goes beyond instinct and becomes truly itself, it tends to self self-description, either in order to justify or intensify its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-de-rougemont/so-soon-as-passion-goes-beyond-instinct-and-becomes-truly-itself-it/) [Denis de Rougemont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-de-rougemont/) > [A life allied with mine, for the rest of our lives... that is the miracle of marriage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-de-rougemont/a-life-allied-with-mine-for-the-rest-of-our-lives-that-is-the-miracle/) [Denis de Rougemont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-de-rougemont/) > [“The more a man is given to sentiment ,the more likely is he to be wordy and to speak well.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-de-rougemont/the-more-a-man-is-given-to-sentiment-the-more-likely-is-he-to-be/) [Denis de Rougemont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-de-rougemont/) > [Social confusion has now reached a point at which the pursuit of immorality turns out to be more exhausting than compliance with the old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-de-rougemont/social-confusion-has-now-reached-a-point-at-which-the-pursuit-of/) [Denis de Rougemont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-de-rougemont/) > [To love in the sense of passion-love is the contrary of to live. It is an impoverishment of one's being, an askesis without sequel,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-de-rougemont/to-love-in-the-sense-of-passion-love-is-the-contrary-of-to-live-it-is/) [Denis de Rougemont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-de-rougemont/) > [One possessed a thousand and three women (in Spain alone), the other only one. But it is multiplicity that is impoverished, whilethe entire world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-de-rougemont/one-possessed-a-thousand-and-three-women-in-spain-alone-the-other/) [Denis de Rougemont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-de-rougemont/) > [Passion and marriage are essentially irreconcilable. Their origins and their ends make them mutually exclusive. Their co-existence in our midst constantly raises insoluble problems,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-de-rougemont/passion-and-marriage-are-essentially-irreconcilable-their-origins-and/) [Denis de Rougemont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-de-rougemont/) > [What stirs lyrical poets to their finest flights is neither the delight of the senses nor the fruitful contentment of the settled couple; not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-de-rougemont/what-stirs-lyrical-poets-to-their-finest-flights-is-neither-the/) [Denis de Rougemont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-de-rougemont/) > [Love ceases to be a demon only when it ceases to be a god.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-de-rougemont/love-ceases-to-be-a-demon-only-when-it-ceases-to-be-a-god/) [Denis De Rougemont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-de-rougemont/) > [Fallen myths can instill venom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-de-rougemont/fallen-myths-can-instill-venom/) [Denis de Rougemont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-de-rougemont/) > [Romance only comes into existence where love is fatal, frowned upon and doomed by life itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-de-rougemont/romance-only-comes-into-existence-where-love-is-fatal-frowned-upon/) [Denis de Rougemont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-de-rougemont/) > [ “\[...\] passion is by no means the fuller life which it seems to be in the dreams of adolescence, but is on the contrary… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-de-rougemont/passion-is-by-no-means-the-fuller-life-which-it-seems-to-be-in-the/) [Denis De Rougemont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-de-rougemont/) [Explore all 19 Denis de Rougemont quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-de-rougemont/) ## More Acceptance quotes > [We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/we-only-enter-into-the-full-life-if-our-faith-gives-thanks-because/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Losing someone is easy, but accepting it is hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/losing-someone-is-easy-but-accepting-it-is-hard/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When one fib becomes due as it were, you must forge another to take up the old acceptance; and so the stock of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/when-one-fib-becomes-due-as-it-were-you-must-forge-another-to-take-up/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Acceptance of death when it arrives is one thing, but to allow it to upstage the joys of living is ingratitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-blythe/acceptance-of-death-when-it-arrives-is-one-thing-but-to-allow-it-to/) [Ronald Blythe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-blythe/) > [“Loving someone who does not love you back hurts, alot, i know. It is liking seeing these pair of shoes at the retail store…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nomthandazo-tsembeni/loving-someone-who-does-not-love-you-back-hurts-alot-i-know-it-is/) [Nomthandazo Tsembeni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nomthandazo-tsembeni/) > [Take responsibily for your past, the bad memories of poor decisions you took were your choices once, and you liked them for the moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aruho-marvin/take-responsibily-for-your-past-the-bad-memories-of-poor-decisions/) [Aruho Marvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aruho-marvin/) > [Let us learn to accept and appreciate things now, and we'll find more happiness in every moment we live. Happiness comes when we stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/let-us-learn-to-accept-and-appreciate-things-now-and-we-ll-find-more/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [“Love first; ask questions later.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-courtney/love-first-ask-questions-later/) [Jeremy Courtney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-courtney/) > [“There was beauty in chaos, she'd just never known it before.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-linsmeier/there-was-beauty-in-chaos-she-d-just-never-known-it-before/) [Amanda Linsmeier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-linsmeier/) > [Accepting the challenges in life makes it interesting and overcoming them makes it eloquent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/accepting-the-challenges-in-life-makes-it-interesting-and-overcoming/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Acceptance is the only thing you should teach. Be it Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Dalit, you must inculcate acceptance, not tolerance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamal-haasan/acceptance-is-the-only-thing-you-should-teach-be-it-christian-muslim/) [Kamal Haasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamal-haasan/) > [There just seems to be more acceptance now of other kinds of British films, than the picture-postcard ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-roth/there-just-seems-to-be-more-acceptance-now-of-other-kinds-of-british/) [Tim Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-roth/) > [You should never hate anyone, even your worst enemies. Everyone has something good about them. 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