--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Before strongly desiring anything, we…" description: "\"Before strongly desiring anything, we should look carefully into the happiness of its present owner.\" — Francois de La Rochefoucauld" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cec/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_happiness_before-strongly-desiring-anything-we-sho_1238803.png" --- # Before strongly desiring anything, we should look… ![“Before strongly desiring anything, we should look carefully into the happiness of its present owner.” quote by Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cec/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_happiness_before-strongly-desiring-anything-we-sho_1238803.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cec/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_happiness_before-strongly-desiring-anything-we-sho_1238803.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cec/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_happiness_before-strongly-desiring-anything-we-sho_1238803.png) > “Before strongly desiring anything, we should look carefully into the happiness of its present owner.” [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Consider the happiness of current owners before desiring something. **In simple terms:** Think of current owners’ joy before wanting. Key Takeaway Check others’ satisfaction first. Themes ethics empathy desire Mood thoughtful reflective Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - shopping - gift giving - career advancement - relationship building Key Concepts moral philosophy social awareness Questions to Reflect On - Whose happiness matters in your desire? - Can desire be ethical? A Different Perspective Desire may ignore personal fulfillment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Carefully Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carefully-happiness-3860356/) [Desiring Look](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desiring-look-3860358/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Look Carefully](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/look-carefully-727863/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [Owners](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/owners/) [Present Owner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/present-owner-3285686/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Strongly Desiring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strongly-desiring-3860357/) ## Related quotes > [I think an owner needs to be present. When an owner is not present that's when things tend to go awry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-l-dolan/i-think-an-owner-needs-to-be-present-when-an-owner-is-not-present/) [James L. Dolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-l-dolan/) > [“If you listen carefully, you can hear these things. If you look carefully, you'll see what you're after”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/if-you-listen-carefully-you-can-hear-these-things-if-you-look/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Look carefully at the closest associations in your life, for that is the direction you are heading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-eikenberry/look-carefully-at-the-closest-associations-in-your-life-for-that-is/) [Kevin Eikenberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-eikenberry/) > [When I look carefully, I find that everything I want and need is actually there already, waiting for me to recognize its potential.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-i-look-carefully-i-find-that-everything-i-want-and-need-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Lovers offered only what they offered and nothing more, and what they offered came with provisos: believe what you want and don't look carefully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-kushner/lovers-offered-only-what-they-offered-and-nothing-more-and-what-they/) [Rachel Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-kushner/) > [In new situations, I look carefully at appearances. In familiar ones, I glance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/in-new-situations-i-look-carefully-at-appearances-in-familiar-ones-i/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [“My mother was teaching me that the inside of something was not necessarily its outside. Always look carefully, she told me. Look with more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/my-mother-was-teaching-me-that-the-inside-of-something-was-not/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [“Look at it carefully so that you will be sure to recognise it in case you travel some day to the African desert. And,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/look-at-it-carefully-so-that-you-will-be-sure-to-recognise-it-in-case/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupéry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [“Why tolerate darkness? Everything is here and clear, if only we look carefully.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-matel/why-tolerate-darkness-everything-is-here-and-clear-if-only-we-look/) [yann matel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-matel/) > [“If you don't find it in the index, look very carefully throughout the catalogue.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sears-roebuck/if-you-don-t-find-it-in-the-index-look-very-carefully-throughout-the/) [Sears Roebuck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sears-roebuck/) > [Nothing is boring if you look at carefully.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freeman-dyson/nothing-is-boring-if-you-look-at-carefully/) [Freeman Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freeman-dyson/) > [Look carefully at what is of value in others and respect that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mata-amritanandamayi/look-carefully-at-what-is-of-value-in-others-and-respect-that/) [Mata Amritanandamayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mata-amritanandamayi/) > [Having grown up as a young Army officer in the Vietnam era, I had an instinctual sort of notion that you have to look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-reed/having-grown-up-as-a-young-army-officer-in-the-vietnam-era-i-had-an/) [Jack Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-reed/) > [“Everywhere is full of dreams - and if you look very carefully – everywhere is also full of nightmares!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/everywhere-is-full-of-dreams-and-if-you-look-very-carefully/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Remember, when you hear them beginning to say "freedom" look carefully-. see who it is they want you to butcher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-comfort/remember-when-you-hear-them-beginning-to-say-freedom-look-carefully/) [Alex Comfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-comfort/) ## More by Francois de La Rochefoucauld > [Our own distrust gives a fair pretence for the knavery of other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/our-own-distrust-gives-a-fair-pretence-for-the-knavery-of-other-people/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Behind many acts that are thought ridiculous there lie wise and weighty motives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/behind-many-acts-that-are-thought-ridiculous-there-lie-wise-and/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [“Passion often makes a madman of the cleverest man, and renders the greatest fools clever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/passion-often-makes-a-madman-of-the-cleverest-man-and-renders-the/) [François de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Perseverance is neither praiseworthy nor blameworthy; for it seems to be only the enduring of certain inclinations and opinions which men neither give themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/perseverance-is-neither-praiseworthy-nor-blameworthy-for-it-seems-to/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [A woman is faithful to her first lover for a long time - unless she happens to take a second.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/a-woman-is-faithful-to-her-first-lover-for-a-long-time-unless-she/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [We are almost always wearied in the company of persons with whom we are not permitted to be weary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/we-are-almost-always-wearied-in-the-company-of-persons-with-whom-we/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [The love of new acquaintance comes not so much from being weary of what we had before, or from any satisfaction there is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/the-love-of-new-acquaintance-comes-not-so-much-from-being-weary-of/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [It is sometimes necessary to play the fool to avoid being deceived by cunning men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/it-is-sometimes-necessary-to-play-the-fool-to-avoid-being-deceived-by/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [The intention of never deceiving often exposes us to deception.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/the-intention-of-never-deceiving-often-exposes-us-to-deception/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Jealousy springs more from love of self than from love of another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/jealousy-springs-more-from-love-of-self-than-from-love-of-another/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Our distrust of another justifies his deceit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/our-distrust-of-another-justifies-his-deceit/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [No persons are more frequently wrong, than those who will not admit they are wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/no-persons-are-more-frequently-wrong-than-those-who-will-not-admit/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Jealousy is always born with love, but does not die with it. In jealousy there is more of self-love than of love to another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/jealousy-is-always-born-with-love-but-does-not-die-with-it-in/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [The greatest of all gifts is the power to estimate things at their true worth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/the-greatest-of-all-gifts-is-the-power-to-estimate-things-at-their/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [We have not strength enough to follow our reason so far as it would carry us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/we-have-not-strength-enough-to-follow-our-reason-so-far-as-it-would/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) [Explore all 1,134 Francois de La Rochefoucauld quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) ## More Happiness quotes > [Life is full of change. 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He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) > [The happy have whole days,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colley-cibber/the-happy-have-whole-days/) [Colley Cibber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colley-cibber/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [I've got nothing to do today but smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-ve-got-nothing-to-do-today-but-smile/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Her dignity consists in being unknown to the world; her glory is in the esteem of her husband; her pleasures in the happiness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/her-dignity-consists-in-being-unknown-to-the-world-her-glory-is-in/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [The size of a man's understanding might always be justly measured by his mirth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-size-of-a-man-s-understanding-might-always-be-justly-measured-by/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Positive thinking evokes more energy, more initiative, more happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/positive-thinking-evokes-more-energy-more-initiative-more-happiness/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) [Pancho Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pancho-barnes/) [Browse all 40,288 Happiness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Before strongly desiring anything, we should look carefully into the happiness of its present owner.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Francois de La Rochefoucauld" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/before-strongly-desiring-anything-we-should-look-carefully-into-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Happiness" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/before-strongly-desiring-anything-we-should-look-carefully-into-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cec/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_happiness_before-strongly-desiring-anything-we-sho_1238803.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cec/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_happiness_before-strongly-desiring-anything-we-sho_1238803.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cec/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_happiness_before-strongly-desiring-anything-we-sho_1238803.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Before strongly desiring anything, we should look carefully into the happiness of its present owner.” — Francois de La Rochefoucauld", "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": "Francois de La Rochefoucauld", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Before strongly desiring anything, we should...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/before-strongly-desiring-anything-we-should-look-carefully-into-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/before-strongly-desiring-anything-we-should-look-carefully-into-the/#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 } } ] } ```