--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Someone once asked me what I regarded as…" description: "\"Someone once asked me what I regarded as the three most important requirements for happiness. My answer was: A feeling that you have been honest with y..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ed/eleanor-roosevelt-381_ability_someone-once-asked-me-what-i-regarded-as_1501238.jpg" --- # Someone once asked me what I regarded as the three most… ![“Someone once asked me what I regarded as the three most important requirements for happiness. My answer was: A feeling that you have been honest with yourself and those around you; a feeling that you have done the best you could both in your personal life and in your work; and the ability to love…” quote by Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ed/eleanor-roosevelt-381_ability_someone-once-asked-me-what-i-regarded-as_1501238.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ed/eleanor-roosevelt-381_ability_someone-once-asked-me-what-i-regarded-as_1501238.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ed/eleanor-roosevelt-381_ability_someone-once-asked-me-what-i-regarded-as_1501238.jpg) > “Someone once asked me what I regarded as the three most important requirements for happiness. My answer was: A feeling that you have been honest with yourself and those around you; a feeling that you have done the best you could both in your personal life and in your work; and the ability to love others.” [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Happiness stems from self‑honesty, doing one's best in personal and professional life, and loving others. **In simple terms:** Honesty, effort, love are key to happiness. Key Takeaway Practice integrity, give your best, love others. Themes integrity effort love happiness Mood hopeful thoughtful encouraging Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - career planning - relationship building - personal growth - volunteering Key Concepts self‑actualization ethical living emotional intelligence Questions to Reflect On - What does being honest with yourself look like daily? - How can you better love those around you? A Different Perspective External success alone cannot guarantee happiness without inner honesty. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Ability to love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability-to-love/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest/) [Honest with yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest-with-yourself/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Love others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-others/) [Personal life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal-life/) ## Related quotes > [It's such a horrible feeling to not be honest to who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo/it-s-such-a-horrible-feeling-to-not-be-honest-to-who-you-are/) MO > [I did some more soul searching. I asked myself, "What do I want more than happiness?" and there was only one answer - the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marci-shimoff/i-did-some-more-soul-searching-i-asked-myself-what-do-i-want-more/) [Marci Shimoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marci-shimoff/) > [“Happiness is not always the answer let the other emotions out is sometimes what is needed”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-burgess/happiness-is-not-always-the-answer-let-the-other-emotions-out-is/) Michael Burgess > [To be stupid and selfish and to have good health are the three requirements for happiness. Though if stupidity is lacking, the others are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-be-stupid-and-selfish-and-to-have-good-health-are-the-three-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To be stupid, selfish, and have good health are three requirements for happiness, though if stupidity is lacking, all is lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-flaubert/to-be-stupid-selfish-and-have-good-health-are-three-requirements-for/) [Gustave Flaubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-flaubert/) > [To be stupid, and selfish, and to have good health are the three requirements for happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/to-be-stupid-and-selfish-and-to-have-good-health-are-the-three/) [Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/) > [The Internet is a very intimate entertainment experience. I'm in my own apartment talking to people, and I want them to feel like they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-helbig/the-internet-is-a-very-intimate-entertainment-experience-i-m-in-my/) [Grace Helbig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-helbig/) > [I am very open with regards to emotion and really being honest with yourself for how you are feeling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judi-love/i-am-very-open-with-regards-to-emotion-and-really-being-honest-with/) [Judi Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judi-love/) > [I think it's just really good to be honest with yourself and if I'm not feeling up for something I have no problem staying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madison-keys/i-think-it-s-just-really-good-to-be-honest-with-yourself-and-if-i-m/) [Madison Keys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madison-keys/) > [You just need to be honest with how you're feeling. But, a lot of women are afraid of it because they think, 'Oh, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-osmond/you-just-need-to-be-honest-with-how-you-re-feeling-but-a-lot-of-women/) [Marie Osmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-osmond/) > [I find that in life all you can do is try to be honest about who you are and how you're feeling, and trust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-adams/i-find-that-in-life-all-you-can-do-is-try-to-be-honest-about-who-you/) [Amy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-adams/) > [That's our job as artists is to be honest about what we're feeling. And what we're feeling is not always going to be perfect.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pharrell-williams/that-s-our-job-as-artists-is-to-be-honest-about-what-we-re-feeling/) [Pharrell Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pharrell-williams/) > [The most fun part about working out is being done - getting through the workout, let's be honest. But that feeling afterward? Yeah, that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/venus-williams/the-most-fun-part-about-working-out-is-being-done-getting-through-the/) [Venus Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/venus-williams/) > [“Fisher twined his fingers with mine and when he did, the feeling was the best thing in the world, like it was always better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenna-yovanoff/fisher-twined-his-fingers-with-mine-and-when-he-did-the-feeling-was/) [Brenna Yovanoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenna-yovanoff/) > [“If you spend too much time thinking about doing something, you won’t ever have enough time to experience it or feel it. And feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-lister/if-you-spend-too-much-time-thinking-about-doing-something-you-won-t/) [Ann Lister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-lister/) ## More by Eleanor Roosevelt > [My experience has been that work is almost the best way to pull oneself out of the depths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/my-experience-has-been-that-work-is-almost-the-best-way-to-pull/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [experience should teach us that it is always the unexpected that does occur.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/experience-should-teach-us-that-it-is-always-the-unexpected-that-does/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [To be mature you have to realize what you value most... Not to arrive at a clear understanding of one's own values is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/to-be-mature-you-have-to-realize-what-you-value-most-not-to-arrive-at/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [I'm enormously interested in freedom and retaining the right to have whatever economy we want and to shape it as we want and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/i-m-enormously-interested-in-freedom-and-retaining-the-right-to-have/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [When you look fear in the face, you are able to say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror. I can take the next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/when-you-look-fear-in-the-face-you-are-able-to-say-to-yourself-i/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [The destiny of human rights is in the hands of all our citizens in all our communities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/the-destiny-of-human-rights-is-in-the-hands-of-all-our-citizens-in/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [You can never really live anyone else's life, not even your child's. The influence you exert is through your own life, and what you've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/you-can-never-really-live-anyone-else-s-life-not-even-your-child-s/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [“One of the things I believe most intensely is that every child’s why should be answered with care—and with respect. If you do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/one-of-the-things-i-believe-most-intensely-is-that-every-child-s-why/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [What we must learn to do is to create unbreakable bonds between the sciences and the humanities. We cannot procrastinate. The world of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/what-we-must-learn-to-do-is-to-create-unbreakable-bonds-between-the/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [Never allow a person to tell you no who doesn't have the power to say yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/never-allow-a-person-to-tell-you-no-who-doesn-t-have-the-power-to-say/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [Do not stop thinking of life as an adventure. You have no security unless you can live bravely, excitingly, imaginatively; unless you can choose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/do-not-stop-thinking-of-life-as-an-adventure-you-have-no-security/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [We stand today at the threshold of a great event both in the life of the United Nations and in the life of mankind,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/we-stand-today-at-the-threshold-of-a-great-event-both-in-the-life-of/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [All of us ... should remember that no amount of flag-waving, pledging allegiance, or fervent singing of the national anthem is evidence that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/all-of-us-should-remember-that-no-amount-of-flag-waving-pledging/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [Some friends leave footprints in your heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/some-friends-leave-footprints-in-your-heart/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [If we want a free and peaceful world, if we want to make the deserts bloom and man grow to greater dignity as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/if-we-want-a-free-and-peaceful-world-if-we-want-to-make-the-deserts/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) [Explore all 612 Eleanor Roosevelt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Someone once asked me what I regarded as the three most important requirements for happiness. 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