--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Happiness is in the doing not in getting…" description: "\"Happiness is in the doing not in getting what you want.\" — Ethan Hawke" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec4/ethan-hawke-1828_getting_happiness-is-in-the-doing-not-in-getting_1597437.png" --- # Happiness is in the doing not in getting what you want. ![“Happiness is in the doing not in getting what you want.” quote by Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec4/ethan-hawke-1828_getting_happiness-is-in-the-doing-not-in-getting_1597437.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec4/ethan-hawke-1828_getting_happiness-is-in-the-doing-not-in-getting_1597437.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec4/ethan-hawke-1828_getting_happiness-is-in-the-doing-not-in-getting_1597437.png) > “Happiness is in the doing not in getting what you want.” [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Happiness comes from active engagement rather than acquiring desired outcomes. **In simple terms:** Joy is found in doing, not getting. Key Takeaway Focus on meaningful actions. Themes happiness activity mindset Mood content reflective Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - work projects - creative hobbies - volunteering - learning new skills Key Concepts psychology existentialism Questions to Reflect On - What activities bring you genuine joy? - How can you shift focus from results to process? A Different Perspective May overlook external factors that affect wellbeing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Doing Getting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-getting-1909490/) [Getting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/getting/) [Getting Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/getting-want/) [Getting what you want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/getting-what-you-want/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Happiness Doing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness-doing-522395/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [What you want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/what-you-want/) ## Related quotes > [Manners are a way of getting what you want without appearing to be an absolute swine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/manners-are-a-way-of-getting-what-you-want-without-appearing-to-be-an/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [It's not getting what you want that's the hard part, it's deciding what you want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-potter/it-s-not-getting-what-you-want-that-s-the-hard-part-it-s-deciding/) [Alexandra Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-potter/) > [Satisfaction isn't so much getting what you want as wanting what you have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-myers/satisfaction-isn-t-so-much-getting-what-you-want-as-wanting-what-you/) [David Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-myers/) > [Sometimes, not getting what you want can be the most valuable experience of your entire life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/sometimes-not-getting-what-you-want-can-be-the-most-valuable/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [The first step to getting what you want is to have the courage to get rid of what you don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/the-first-step-to-getting-what-you-want-is-to-have-the-courage-to-get/) [Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/) > [... there are two ways of being unhappy. Not getting what you want is one. Getting what you want is the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/there-are-two-ways-of-being-unhappy-not-getting-what-you-want-is-one/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [The first secret of getting what you want is knowing what you want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-d-hlavaty/the-first-secret-of-getting-what-you-want-is-knowing-what-you-want/) [Arthur D. Hlavaty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-d-hlavaty/) > [The first step in getting what you want from life-decide what you want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-stein/the-first-step-in-getting-what-you-want-from-life-decide-what-you-want/) [Ben Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-stein/) > [Fear has only two causes: the thought of losing what you have or the thought of not getting what you want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-katie/fear-has-only-two-causes-the-thought-of-losing-what-you-have-or-the/) [Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/) > [The price of getting what you want, is getting what once you wanted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/the-price-of-getting-what-you-want-is-getting-what-once-you-wanted/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [Joy is not the result of getting what you want; it is the way to get what you want. In the deepest sense, joy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/joy-is-not-the-result-of-getting-what-you-want-it-is-the-way-to-get/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) > [In this age of getting what you want and getting it now, the simple pleasure of browsing is often forgotten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hodgkinson/in-this-age-of-getting-what-you-want-and-getting-it-now-the-simple/) [Tom Hodgkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hodgkinson/) > [Happiness isn't about getting what you want all the time; it's about loving what you have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asher-roth/happiness-isn-t-about-getting-what-you-want-all-the-time-it-s-about/) [Asher Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asher-roth/) > [It's not about getting what you want. It's about experiencing what you really need by becoming more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/it-s-not-about-getting-what-you-want-it-s-about-experiencing-what-you/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [The secret to happiness, of course, is not getting what you want; it’s wanting what you get,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-trebek/the-secret-to-happiness-of-course-is-not-getting-what-you-want-it-s/) [Alex Trebek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-trebek/) ## More by Ethan Hawke > [If you study the history of mankind, it seems to be a history of violence. Certainly the history of art, whether you look at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/if-you-study-the-history-of-mankind-it-seems-to-be-a-history-of/) [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) > [Time is what creates trust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/time-is-what-creates-trust/) [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) > [To be married to another famous person was a huge pressure, one I didn't enjoy. And it had nothing to do with her. She's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/to-be-married-to-another-famous-person-was-a-huge-pressure-one-i-didn/) [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) > [Friends can hurt you, but the possibility of pain with lovers is so much greater because your expectations are so high. You don't ask…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/friends-can-hurt-you-but-the-possibility-of-pain-with-lovers-is-so/) [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) > [If you don't risk doing something foolish, you'll never do anything special.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/if-you-don-t-risk-doing-something-foolish-you-ll-never-do-anything/) [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) > [Most of us float with the river and there are a few people who move the river. Robert DeNiro is definitely one of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/most-of-us-float-with-the-river-and-there-are-a-few-people-who-move/) [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) > [Often you see a famous actor who says they produced something, when all they did was claim to have an idea at a dinner…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/often-you-see-a-famous-actor-who-says-they-produced-something-when/) [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) > [In truth, the world is a complicated place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/in-truth-the-world-is-a-complicated-place/) [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) > [I think that if you walk through this life and I end up being a bad father, then it won't matter anything else I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/i-think-that-if-you-walk-through-this-life-and-i-end-up-being-a-bad/) [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) > [Directing is like putting together a collage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/directing-is-like-putting-together-a-collage/) [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) > [There is no trick to writing a believable love story, a heartbreaking scene or real-sounding dialogue. All you need is to tell the truth.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/there-is-no-trick-to-writing-a-believable-love-story-a-heartbreaking/) [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) > [There's some kind of actors that can radically change who they are from movie to movie. I've never really been that kind of actor.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/there-s-some-kind-of-actors-that-can-radically-change-who-they-are/) [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) > [It's a really unique job that is a little schizophrenic and you have to kind of do it with a sense of humor.The trick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/it-s-a-really-unique-job-that-is-a-little-schizophrenic-and-you-have/) [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) > [My first car was kind of sad. My first car was when my parents had completely worn out their Toyota Corolla that they had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/my-first-car-was-kind-of-sad-my-first-car-was-when-my-parents-had/) [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) > [ The script \[of Regression\] wasn't the draw for me. It was largely Alejandro \[Amenabar\] and his way of talking. To hear him talking about… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/the-script-of-regression-wasn-t-the-draw-for-me-it-was-largely/) [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) [Explore all 205 Ethan Hawke quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) ## More Getting quotes > [I once told someone I could act. They totally bought it. I've been getting away with it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-once-told-someone-i-could-act-they-totally-bought-it-i-ve-been/) [Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/) > [My favorite job is the next one. Its such a gratifying experience getting to creatively keep trying something new and push things in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-craig-smith/my-favorite-job-is-the-next-one-its-such-a-gratifying-experience/) [Roger Craig Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-craig-smith/) > [I actually like getting out of my comfort zone. It shakes me up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-sheehy/i-actually-like-getting-out-of-my-comfort-zone-it-shakes-me-up/) [Gail Sheehy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-sheehy/) > [I was a very good student. Procrastinating gives me anxiety, and getting a B really ticked me off. Sure, I didn't always want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josie-loren/i-was-a-very-good-student-procrastinating-gives-me-anxiety-and/) [Josie Loren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josie-loren/) > [Fossil fuels, including oil, are running out and supplies are getting harder to find. If we do nothing, prices will continue to rise and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-powell/fossil-fuels-including-oil-are-running-out-and-supplies-are-getting/) [Lucy Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-powell/) > [The reason I got into acting was not to explore myself. I was a reader, I didn't care about acting. I got into it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/campbell-scott/the-reason-i-got-into-acting-was-not-to-explore-myself-i-was-a-reader/) [Campbell Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/campbell-scott/) > [Sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying or getting overly angry or to maintain control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-haysbert/sometimes-you-have-to-laugh-to-keep-from-crying-or-getting-overly/) [Dennis Haysbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-haysbert/) > [I am getting nowhere with you and I can't let you go and I cant get through.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ani-difranco/i-am-getting-nowhere-with-you-and-i-can-t-let-you-go-and-i-cant-get/) [Ani DiFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ani-difranco/) > [People look at me like I'm on my way out of the game. I'm just getting started.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carmelo-anthony/people-look-at-me-like-i-m-on-my-way-out-of-the-game-i-m-just-getting/) [Carmelo Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carmelo-anthony/) > [I never liked Hans Christian Andersen because I knew he was always getting at me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien-2/i-never-liked-hans-christian-andersen-because-i-knew-he-was-always/) [J. R. R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien-2/) > [I know a lot of people that have had fake Twitters... actors and musicians that I know. It's sort of a problem. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zooey-deschanel/i-know-a-lot-of-people-that-have-had-fake-twitters-actors-and/) [Zooey Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zooey-deschanel/) > [Films are tricky because for years you're getting told you're about to make it and you're about to be busy for four or six…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mills/films-are-tricky-because-for-years-you-re-getting-told-you-re-about/) [Mike Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mills/) > [Sometimes the challenge of beating the jet lag and getting a decent sleep can be as hard to solve as finding the right setup…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romain-grosjean/sometimes-the-challenge-of-beating-the-jet-lag-and-getting-a-decent/) [Romain Grosjean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romain-grosjean/) > [I hate to say this, but this place is getting to me. I think I'm getting the Fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-gonzo/i-hate-to-say-this-but-this-place-is-getting-to-me-i-think-i-m/) [Dr Gonzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-gonzo/) > [Some people are great at dieting and train somewhat inconsistently - for those people, getting on a great training program and following it will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-romaniello/some-people-are-great-at-dieting-and-train-somewhat-inconsistently/) [John Romaniello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-romaniello/) [Browse all 3,109 Getting quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/getting/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Happiness is in the doing not in getting what you want.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ethan Hawke" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/happiness-is-in-the-doing-not-in-getting-what-you-want/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Getting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/happiness-is-in-the-doing-not-in-getting-what-you-want/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec4/ethan-hawke-1828_getting_happiness-is-in-the-doing-not-in-getting_1597437.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec4/ethan-hawke-1828_getting_happiness-is-in-the-doing-not-in-getting_1597437.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec4/ethan-hawke-1828_getting_happiness-is-in-the-doing-not-in-getting_1597437.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Happiness is in the doing not in getting what you want.” — Ethan Hawke", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ethan Hawke", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Happiness is in the doing not...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/happiness-is-in-the-doing-not-in-getting-what-you-want/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/happiness-is-in-the-doing-not-in-getting-what-you-want/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```