--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's not a question of happiness, it's a…" description: "\"It's not a question of happiness, it's a requirement. Consider the alternative.\" — Douglas Horton" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1f/douglas-horton-11608_alternatives_it-s-not-a-question-of-happiness-it-s-a_2968432.png" --- # It's not a question of happiness, it's a requirement… ![“It's not a question of happiness, it's a requirement. Consider the alternative.” quote by Douglas Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1f/douglas-horton-11608_alternatives_it-s-not-a-question-of-happiness-it-s-a_2968432.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1f/douglas-horton-11608_alternatives_it-s-not-a-question-of-happiness-it-s-a_2968432.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1f/douglas-horton-11608_alternatives_it-s-not-a-question-of-happiness-it-s-a_2968432.png) > “It's not a question of happiness, it's a requirement. Consider the alternative.” [Douglas Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-horton/) ## 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 not optional; it is essential, and neglecting it has serious consequences. **In simple terms:** Happiness is required. Key Takeaway Prioritize well‑being. Themes well‑being necessity mental health Mood reflective motivational Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - workplace culture - personal health - education policy - family life Key Concepts Positive psychology human needs Questions to Reflect On - What does happiness mean to you? - How can societies ensure basic happiness? A Different Perspective May seem simplistic for complex issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alternatives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alternatives/) [Consider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consider/) [Consider Alternative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consider-alternative-1497379/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Happiness Requirement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness-requirement-4557486/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Question Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/question-happiness-3715785/) [Requirement Consider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/requirement-consider-4557487/) [Requirements](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/requirements/) ## Related quotes > [“Still, happiness will depend on conditions favoring it. Lose those conditions and you lose your happiness. So, if your ability to affect happiness is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bikram-dhillon/still-happiness-will-depend-on-conditions-favoring-it-lose-those/) [Bikram Dhillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bikram-dhillon/) > [“Life is not a question of how much happiness we want, it is how happiness uses time to make our wants into need.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kasey-collin-p-dumdum/life-is-not-a-question-of-how-much-happiness-we-want-it-is-how/) [Kasey Collin P. Dumdum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kasey-collin-p-dumdum/) > [“We often assume that the question, “How can I be happy?” can be successfully answered without reference to the love of God and our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-s-horton/we-often-assume-that-the-question-how-can-i-be-happy-can-be/) [Michael S. 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Consider the alternative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-mcluhan/life-consider-the-alternative/) [Marshall McLuhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-mcluhan/) > [Old age isn't so bad when you consider the alternative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-chevalier/old-age-isn-t-so-bad-when-you-consider-the-alternative/) [Maurice Chevalier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-chevalier/) > [“It's great to be alive, isn't it? Especially when you consider the alternative.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-ross/it-s-great-to-be-alive-isn-t-it-especially-when-you-consider-the/) [Jonathan Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ross/) > [Being traded is like celebrating your 100th birthday. It might not be the happiest occasion in the world, but consider the alternative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-garagiola/being-traded-is-like-celebrating-your-100th-birthday-it-might-not-be/) [Joe Garagiola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-garagiola/) > [The National Flood Insurance Program is a voluntary program. If a community really feels that the building insurance requirements are too burdensome, they don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-blumenauer/the-national-flood-insurance-program-is-a-voluntary-program-if-a/) [Earl Blumenauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-blumenauer/) > [You have, unfortunately, a K-12 educational system where the requirements to graduate are not the requirements to be college and career-ready. So if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-chertavian/you-have-unfortunately-a-k-12-educational-system-where-the/) [Gerald Chertavian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-chertavian/) > [Anarchism is a definite intellectual current in the life of our times, whose adherents advocate the abolition of economic monopolies and of all political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-rocker/anarchism-is-a-definite-intellectual-current-in-the-life-of-our-times/) [Rudolf Rocker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-rocker/) > [As an undergraduate at Amherst College, I was devoted to Dickensian novels and antiestablishment journalism while marginally fulfilling premedical requirements.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-e-varmus/as-an-undergraduate-at-amherst-college-i-was-devoted-to-dickensian/) [Harold E. Varmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-e-varmus/) > [The whole purpose of annual reviews is to keep you abreast of whether or not you are fulfilling the requirements of tenure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-finkelstein/the-whole-purpose-of-annual-reviews-is-to-keep-you-abreast-of-whether/) [Norman Finkelstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-finkelstein/) ## More by Douglas Horton > [Why ask why? If it's raining it just is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-horton/why-ask-why-if-it-s-raining-it-just-is/) [Douglas Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-horton/) > [Being sorry is the highest act of selfishness, seeing value only after discarding it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-horton/being-sorry-is-the-highest-act-of-selfishness-seeing-value-only-after/) [Douglas Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-horton/) > [The more we are filled with thoughts of lust the less we find true romantic love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-horton/the-more-we-are-filled-with-thoughts-of-lust-the-less-we-find-true/) [Douglas Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-horton/) > [If wishes were fishes we'd all be throwing nets. If wishes were horses we'd all ride.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-horton/if-wishes-were-fishes-we-d-all-be-throwing-nets-if-wishes-were-horses/) [Douglas Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-horton/) > [Materialism is the only form of distraction from true bliss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-horton/materialism-is-the-only-form-of-distraction-from-true-bliss/) [Douglas Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-horton/) > [While seeking revenge, dig two graves - one for yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-horton/while-seeking-revenge-dig-two-graves-one-for-yourself/) [Douglas Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-horton/) > [If food were free, why work?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-horton/if-food-were-free-why-work/) [Douglas Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-horton/) > [Thought precedes action, action does not always precede thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-horton/thought-precedes-action-action-does-not-always-precede-thought/) [Douglas Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-horton/) > [Man worships because God lays His hand to the dust of our experience, and man miraculously becomes a living soul - and knows it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-horton/man-worships-because-god-lays-his-hand-to-the-dust-of-our-experience/) [Douglas Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-horton/) > [Seeing the light is a choice, not seeing the light is no choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-horton/seeing-the-light-is-a-choice-not-seeing-the-light-is-no-choice/) [Douglas Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-horton/) > [First rule of Economics 101: our desires are insatiable. Second rule: we can stomach only three Big Macs at a time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-horton/first-rule-of-economics-101-our-desires-are-insatiable-second-rule-we/) [Douglas Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-horton/) > [We may not always get what we want, but surely we will get what we deserve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-horton/we-may-not-always-get-what-we-want-but-surely-we-will-get-what-we/) [Douglas Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-horton/) > [Sherrill On Easter Day the veil between time and eternity thins to gossamer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-horton/sherrill-on-easter-day-the-veil-between-time-and-eternity-thins-to/) [Douglas Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-horton/) > [As the fly bangs against the window attempting freedom while the door stands open, so we bang against death ignoring heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-horton/as-the-fly-bangs-against-the-window-attempting-freedom-while-the-door/) [Douglas Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-horton/) > [Beauty is variable, ugliness is constant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-horton/beauty-is-variable-ugliness-is-constant/) [Douglas Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-horton/) [Explore all 59 Douglas Horton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-horton/) ## More Alternatives quotes > [I am very sad that some designers are still using real fur when the fake alternatives are so effective and so easily obtainable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twiggy/i-am-very-sad-that-some-designers-are-still-using-real-fur-when-the/) [Twiggy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twiggy/) > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. 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The rigidity of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-mission-of-christian-humility-in-social-life-is-not-merely-to/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [Maximise the alternative forms in which a user might receive a service, and the alternative sources of supply.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-chipp/maximise-the-alternative-forms-in-which-a-user-might-receive-a/) [Don Chipp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-chipp/) > [In the last few years, the very idea of telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth is dredged up only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-musto/in-the-last-few-years-the-very-idea-of-telling-the-truth-the-whole/) [Michael Musto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-musto/) > [Altermodern is an in-progress redefinition of modernity in the era of globalisation, stressing the experience of wandering in time, space and mediums. 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