--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People tend to think that happiness is a…" description: "\"“People tend to think that happiness is a stroke of luck, something that will descend like fine weather if you're fortunate. But happiness is the resul..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/584/elizabeth-gilbert-131_around-the-world_people-tend-to-think-that-happiness-is-a_210713.jpg" --- # People tend to think that happiness is a stroke of luck… ![“People tend to think that happiness is a stroke of luck, something that will descend like fine weather if you're fortunate. But happiness is the result of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to…” quote by Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/584/elizabeth-gilbert-131_around-the-world_people-tend-to-think-that-happiness-is-a_210713.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/584/elizabeth-gilbert-131_around-the-world_people-tend-to-think-that-happiness-is-a_210713.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/584/elizabeth-gilbert-131_around-the-world_people-tend-to-think-that-happiness-is-a_210713.jpg) > ““People tend to think that happiness is a stroke of luck, something that will descend like fine weather if you're fortunate. But happiness is the result of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly.”” [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) ## 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 random luck; it requires active pursuit and personal effort. **In simple terms:** Happiness comes from effort, not chance. Key Takeaway Actively seek and create your own happiness. Themes happiness effort personal responsibility Mood hopeful determined Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - career planning - relationship building - daily gratitude practice - travel for growth Key Concepts psychology well‑being agency Questions to Reflect On - What actions can you take today to increase your happiness? - How does effort change your perception of joy? A Different Perspective Luck alone cannot guarantee happiness; external circumstances still matter. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Around the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/around-the-world/) [Fine weather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fine-weather/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) ## Related quotes > [“People universally tend to think that happiness is a stroke of luck, something that will maybe descend upon you like fine weather if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/people-universally-tend-to-think-that-happiness-is-a-stroke-of-luck/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“I keep remembering one of my Guru's teachings about happiness. She says that people universally tend to think that happiness is a stroke of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/i-keep-remembering-one-of-my-guru-s-teachings-about-happiness-she/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/happiness-is-the-consequence-of-personal-effort-you-fight-for-it-4/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/happiness-is-the-consequence-of-personal-effort-you-fight-for-it-2/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/happiness-is-the-consequence-of-personal-effort-you-fight-for-it-3/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“Happiness is the consequence of personal effort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/happiness-is-the-consequence-of-personal-effort/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/happiness-is-the-consequence-of-personal-effort-you-fight-for-it/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You must fight for it, strive for it, and insist upon it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/happiness-is-the-consequence-of-personal-effort-you-must-fight-for-it/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [Happiness, however, is not the result of any one single cause. It is the result of many ideal states of being grouped together into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-d-larson/happiness-however-is-not-the-result-of-any-one-single-cause-it-is-the/) [Christian D. Larson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-d-larson/) > [Happiness is the result of inner maturity. It depends on us alone, and requires patient work, carried out from day to day. Happiness must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthieu-ricard/happiness-is-the-result-of-inner-maturity-it-depends-on-us-alone-and/) [Matthieu Ricard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthieu-ricard/) > [Happiness is not the result of circumstance. It is the result of loving others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lloyd-d-newell/happiness-is-not-the-result-of-circumstance-it-is-the-result-of/) [Lloyd D. Newell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lloyd-d-newell/) > [“Happiness is the result of a life well lived”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-dover/happiness-is-the-result-of-a-life-well-lived/) [Danny Dover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-dover/) > [The result of law inviolate is perfection–right–negative happiness. The result of law violate is imperfection, wrong, positive pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/the-result-of-law-inviolate-is-perfection-right-negative-happiness/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [Everybody strains after happiness, and the result is that nobody's happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/everybody-strains-after-happiness-and-the-result-is-that-nobody-s/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [Happiness is the realization of God in the heart. Happiness is the result of praise and thanksgiving, of faith, of acceptance; a quiet tranquil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/white-eagle/happiness-is-the-realization-of-god-in-the-heart-happiness-is-the/) White Eagle ## More by Elizabeth Gilbert > [That's your friend. My husband is my best friend. He's not the mirror that holds up my flaws. He's just the guy who's like,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/that-s-your-friend-my-husband-is-my-best-friend-he-s-not-the-mirror/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“Not to mention that I have finally arrived at that age where a woman starts to question whether the wisest way to get over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/not-to-mention-that-i-have-finally-arrived-at-that-age-where-a-woman/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“The Buddha taught that all human suffering is rooted in desire. Don't we all know this to be true? 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I had a sudden horrifying image of the woman I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/both-the-five-year-olds-looked-at-me-with-bewilderment-and-a-bit-of/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“Clearing out all your misery gets you out of the way. You cease being an obstacle, not only to yourself but to anyone else.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/clearing-out-all-your-misery-gets-you-out-of-the-way-you-cease-being/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [The ingredients of both darkness and light are equally present in all of us,...The madness of this planet is largely a result of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/the-ingredients-of-both-darkness-and-light-are-equally-present-in-all/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [I was full of a hot, powerful sadness and would have loved to burst into the comfort of tears, but tried hard not to,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/i-was-full-of-a-hot-powerful-sadness-and-would-have-loved-to-burst/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“I live in nature where everything is connected, circular. The seasons are circular. The planet is circular, and so is the planet around the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/i-live-in-nature-where-everything-is-connected-circular-the-seasons/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“His spelling was several degrees beyond arbitrary, and his punctuation brought reason to sigh with unhappiness. But”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/his-spelling-was-several-degrees-beyond-arbitrary-and-his-punctuation/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [Before you realize this truth, say the Yogis, you will always be in despair, a notion nicely expressed in this exasperated line from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/before-you-realize-this-truth-say-the-yogis-you-will-always-be-in/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [I actually have a great deal of respect for antidepressants; I think they can be enormously mighty tools toward recovery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/i-actually-have-a-great-deal-of-respect-for-antidepressants-i-think/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) [Explore all 1,156 Elizabeth Gilbert quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) ## More Around the world quotes > [Public infrastructure around the world is facing unprecedented stress, with hurricanes, cyclones, floods and forest fires all increasing in frequency and intensity. It's easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/public-infrastructure-around-the-world-is-facing-unprecedented-stress/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [I guess, it's a father's dream for his daughter to be known around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-soberano/i-guess-it-s-a-father-s-dream-for-his-daughter-to-be-known-around-the/) [Liza Soberano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-soberano/) > [Look at music for what it's worth around the world and not just America. In other countries, people are still buying CDs and going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/look-at-music-for-what-it-s-worth-around-the-world-and-not-just/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [Throughout our history, the words of the Declaration have inspired immigrants from around the world to set sail to our shores. 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America was a source for division around the world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/we-know-the-candidate-barack-obama-what-he-was-like-the-anti-war/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [Since 'coming out,' I've marched in gay pride parades all around the world, I've filled my home full of rainbow tat and I've become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-carr/since-coming-out-i-ve-marched-in-gay-pride-parades-all-around-the/) [Liz Carr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-carr/) > [Once, as an experiment, I travelled around the world with a single suit. Before I left, I went to a tailor in Savile Row…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-hamilton/once-as-an-experiment-i-travelled-around-the-world-with-a-single-suit/) [George Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-hamilton/) > [Thanks to all members of the military around the world for giving me the ultimate motivation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalya-neidhart/thanks-to-all-members-of-the-military-around-the-world-for-giving-me/) [Natalya Neidhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalya-neidhart/) > [I look at what's happening around the world and I see Iran four years closer to a bomb. I see the Middle East with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/i-look-at-what-s-happening-around-the-world-and-i-see-iran-four-years/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [“The low point occurred in July, during Romney’s junior week abroad, in which the press became increasingly frustrated over Romney’s refusal to talk to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/the-low-point-occurred-in-july-during-romney-s-junior-week-abroad-in/) [Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/) > [I believe there definitely are good things about social networking. 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