--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you learn only one thing from this…" description: "\"“If you learn only one thing from this book, let it be that: that an Indian man 2,600 years ago came up with the answer to existential problems long be..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/688/dominique-francon-27860_books_if-you-learn-only-one-thing-from-this-bo_749250.jpg" --- # If you learn only one thing from this book, let it be… ![“If you learn only one thing from this book, let it be that: that an Indian man 2,600 years ago came up with the answer to existential problems long before the existentialists even asked them. He knew it was every man for himself, and that you should accept that and be happy.” quote by Dominique Francon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/688/dominique-francon-27860_books_if-you-learn-only-one-thing-from-this-bo_749250.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/688/dominique-francon-27860_books_if-you-learn-only-one-thing-from-this-bo_749250.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/688/dominique-francon-27860_books_if-you-learn-only-one-thing-from-this-bo_749250.jpg) > ““If you learn only one thing from this book, let it be that: that an Indian man 2,600 years ago came up with the answer to existential problems long before the existentialists even asked them. He knew it was every man for himself, and that you should accept that and be happy.”” [Dominique Francon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominique-francon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote highlights an ancient Indian philosopher’s insight that each individual must take responsibility for their own happiness, predating modern existentialism. **In simple terms:** Take charge of your own happiness. Key Takeaway Accept personal responsibility for joy. Themes individualism happiness ancient wisdom Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - personal development - mental health - spiritual practice - philosophical study Key Concepts existentialism self-reliance Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance self‑reliance with social connections? - What practices help you own your happiness? A Different Perspective May overlook the role of community support in well‑being. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Answer Existential](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answer-existential-5833075/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Every man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-man/) [Every man for himself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-man-for-himself/) [Existential Problems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existential-problems-961030/) [Existentialism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existentialism/) [Existentialists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existentialists-679502/) [Existentialists Asked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existentialists-asked-5833074/) [Long Existentialists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-existentialists-5833076/) [Years ago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-ago/) ## Related quotes > [“There were so many different ways in which you were required to provide absolute proof of your identity these days that life could easily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/there-were-so-many-different-ways-in-which-you-were-required-to/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [Political operatives don't tend to be existentialists. They do know, however, that if a supporter doesn't vote, then his or her opinion does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-melber/political-operatives-don-t-tend-to-be-existentialists-they-do-know/) [Ari Melber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-melber/) > [We knew of Sartre and we dressed like the French existentialists. Our philosophy then, and remember we were only little kids, was more in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/astrid-kirchherr/we-knew-of-sartre-and-we-dressed-like-the-french-existentialists-our/) [Astrid Kirchherr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/astrid-kirchherr/) > [There are two kinds of existentialist; first, those who are Christian...and on the other hand the atheistic existentialists, among whom...I class myself. 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What there is, is human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-ellis/spirit-and-soul-is-horseshit-of-the-worst-sort-obviously-there-are-no/) [Albert Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-ellis/) > [In my formative years the people who influenced me most were the Christian existentialists, I mean men like Munier and Kierkegaard and perhaps most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-trudeau/in-my-formative-years-the-people-who-influenced-me-most-were-the/) [Pierre Trudeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-trudeau/) ## More by Dominique Francon > [“Expect things to go wrong, expect things to be different than we hoped or planned, expect the unexpected to happen. And accept it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominique-francon/expect-things-to-go-wrong-expect-things-to-be-different-than-we-hoped/) [Dominique Francon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominique-francon/) > [“Movement meditation involves incorporating the flow of movement into your thoughts”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominique-francon/movement-meditation-involves-incorporating-the-flow-of-movement-into/) [Dominique Francon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominique-francon/) > [“that create Buddhism. But we’ll get there soon.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominique-francon/that-create-buddhism-but-we-ll-get-there-soon/) [Dominique Francon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominique-francon/) > [“In the end, all any of these religions aim to do is give us hope. 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We may know this phrase as, “Shit happens.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominique-francon/the-first-truth-is-that-there-is-suffering-in-the-world-we-may-know/) [Dominique Francon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominique-francon/) > [“  To be in a state of nirvana means to ignore greed, selfishness, anger and other distracting emotions. It is, in a word, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominique-francon/to-be-in-a-state-of-nirvana-means-to-ignore-greed-selfishness-anger/) [Dominique Francon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominique-francon/) > [“happy.   Gautama never wanted to be deified like a God, and that didn’t happen. But people”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominique-francon/happy-gautama-never-wanted-to-be-deified-like-a-god-and-that-didn-t/) [Dominique Francon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominique-francon/) > [“I want to help you understand Buddhism from the ground-level, from a totally introductory standpoint, so that you can take from it what you’d…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominique-francon/i-want-to-help-you-understand-buddhism-from-the-ground-level-from-a/) [Dominique Francon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominique-francon/) > [“Even if meditation doesn’t work for you, try going for walks more often. Clear your mind. Ease your anxieties. 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This view is not pessimistic—it is pragmatic.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominique-francon/know-what-you-can-change-from-what-you-can-t-and-you-ll-live-a/) [Dominique Francon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominique-francon/) [Explore all 20 Dominique Francon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominique-francon/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) [Christopher K. 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