--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Before we passionately desire a thing, we…" description: "\"Before we passionately desire a thing, we should examine the happiness of its possessor.\" — Francois de La Rochefoucauld" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43f/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_desire_before-we-passionately-desire-a-thing-we_1523817.png" --- # Before we passionately desire a thing, we should examine… ![“Before we passionately desire a thing, we should examine the happiness of its possessor.” quote by Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43f/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_desire_before-we-passionately-desire-a-thing-we_1523817.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43f/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_desire_before-we-passionately-desire-a-thing-we_1523817.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43f/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_desire_before-we-passionately-desire-a-thing-we_1523817.png) > “Before we passionately desire a thing, we should examine the happiness of its possessor.” [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. Before desiring something, consider whether its owner is happy; desire should not cause harm or envy. **In simple terms:** Consider the happiness of the owner before desiring. Key Takeaway Reflect on others' happiness first. Themes ethics desire empathy reflection contentment Mood introspective calm Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - consumer choices - relationship advice - career aspirations Key Concepts Moral philosophy human behavior Questions to Reflect On - Is your desire rooted in admiration or envy? - How can you find contentment without comparison? A Different Perspective Desire can be healthy if not driven by envy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) ## Related quotes > [There are certain people who so ardently and passionately desire a thing, that from dread of losing it they leave nothing undone to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/there-are-certain-people-who-so-ardently-and-passionately-desire-a/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [Were we perfectly acquainted with the object, we should never passionately desire it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/were-we-perfectly-acquainted-with-the-object-we-should-never/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Whatever you ardently and passionately desire, that you obtain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/whatever-you-ardently-and-passionately-desire-that-you-obtain/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [If any two men desire the same thing, which nevertheless they cannot both enjoy, they become enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hobbes/if-any-two-men-desire-the-same-thing-which-nevertheless-they-cannot/) [Thomas Hobbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hobbes/) > [Desire is the first thing a modern dancer should have. Skill can be developed. But if you don't have desire as a modern dancer,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/desire-is-the-first-thing-a-modern-dancer-should-have-skill-can-be/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) > [Desire is the thing you want in incipiency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-emilie-cady/desire-is-the-thing-you-want-in-incipiency/) [H. Emilie Cady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-emilie-cady/) > [“I think no more than a week after I started writing I ran into the first block. It's hard to describe it in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/i-think-no-more-than-a-week-after-i-started-writing-i-ran-into-the-2/) [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) > [Think before you desire a thing. There is every possibility that it will be fulfilled, and then you will suffer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osho/think-before-you-desire-a-thing-there-is-every-possibility-that-it/) [Osho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osho/) > [If you desire one thing for so long, its a given that you will miss other things along the way. Thats how it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/berserk/if-you-desire-one-thing-for-so-long-its-a-given-that-you-will-miss/) Berserk > [We never do what we wish when we wish it, and when we desire a thing earnestly, and it does arrive, that or we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-never-do-what-we-wish-when-we-wish-it-and-when-we-desire-a-thing/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [All my life I have been haunted by the obsession that to desire a thing or to love a thing intensely is to place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/all-my-life-i-have-been-haunted-by-the-obsession-that-to-desire-a/) [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) > [“A character’s want is a superficial conscious desire for the thing they think they need in order to present themselves to the world, a”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-yorke/a-character-s-want-is-a-superficial-conscious-desire-for-the-thing/) [John Yorke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-yorke/) > [“If there is a real desire, if the thing desired is really light, the desire for light produces it. There is a real desire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/if-there-is-a-real-desire-if-the-thing-desired-is-really-light-the/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [Hope is the confusion of the desire for a thing with its probability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/hope-is-the-confusion-of-the-desire-for-a-thing-with-its-probability/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [I believe that you cannot go any further than you can think. I certainly believe if you don't desire a thing, you will never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charleszetta-waddles/i-believe-that-you-cannot-go-any-further-than-you-can-think-i/) [Charleszetta Waddles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charleszetta-waddles/) ## 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 Desire quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) Ted Martinez > [Passion is what you need to be good, an unforgiving passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-easton/passion-is-what-you-need-to-be-good-an-unforgiving-passion/) [David Easton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-easton/) > [I want the municipality to be a helping hand to the man with a desire of sympathy, to help the fallen when it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burns/i-want-the-municipality-to-be-a-helping-hand-to-the-man-with-a-desire/) [John Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burns/) > [Ye youths and virgins, when your generous blood Has drunk the warmth of fifteen summers, now The loves invite; now to new rapture wakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-armstrong/ye-youths-and-virgins-when-your-generous-blood-has-drunk-the-warmth/) [John Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-armstrong/) > [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/) > [“THE ESSENCE OF YOUR DESIRE IS A FEELING”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-laporte/the-essence-of-your-desire-is-a-feeling/) [Danielle LaPorte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-laporte/) > [On the brink of being satiated, desire still appears infinite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rostand/on-the-brink-of-being-satiated-desire-still-appears-infinite/) [Jean Rostand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rostand/) > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [He caught her, she fell, he caught her in his arms, he held her tightly unconscious of what he was doing. He held her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/he-caught-her-she-fell-he-caught-her-in-his-arms-he-held-her-tightly/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“The deepest urge in human nature is the desire to be important.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/the-deepest-urge-in-human-nature-is-the-desire-to-be-important/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [In discovering books, you became free to explore the full range of human motives, desires, secrets, and lies. All my life, people have scolded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/in-discovering-books-you-became-free-to-explore-the-full-range-of/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) > [I have never been in, nor have I had any strong particular desire to be in, what is termed a costume drama, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-freeman/i-have-never-been-in-nor-have-i-had-any-strong-particular-desire-to/) [Martin Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-freeman/) > [Now I am in the place I call this wide wide Heaven because it includes all my simplest desires but also the most humble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/now-i-am-in-the-place-i-call-this-wide-wide-heaven-because-it/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [“from THE DEVIL YOU KNOW : She wanted him too. He could see it in the rapid rise of her breasts. He could smell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emery-lee/from-the-devil-you-know-she-wanted-him-too-he-could-see-it-in-the/) [Emery Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emery-lee/) [Browse all 15,155 Desire quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Before we passionately desire a thing, we should examine the happiness of its possessor.", "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-we-passionately-desire-a-thing-we-should-examine-the-happiness/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Desire" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/before-we-passionately-desire-a-thing-we-should-examine-the-happiness/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43f/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_desire_before-we-passionately-desire-a-thing-we_1523817.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43f/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_desire_before-we-passionately-desire-a-thing-we_1523817.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43f/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_desire_before-we-passionately-desire-a-thing-we_1523817.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Before we passionately desire a thing, we should examine the happiness of its possessor.” — 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 we passionately desire a thing,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/before-we-passionately-desire-a-thing-we-should-examine-the-happiness/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/before-we-passionately-desire-a-thing-we-should-examine-the-happiness/#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 } } ] } ```