--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Man only likes to count his troubles, but…" description: "\"Man only likes to count his troubles, but he does not count his joys.\" — Fyodor Dostoevsky" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce2/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_happiness_man-only-likes-to-count-his-troubles-but_3054396.png" --- # Man only likes to count his troubles, but he does not… ![“Man only likes to count his troubles, but he does not count his joys.” quote by Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce2/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_happiness_man-only-likes-to-count-his-troubles-but_3054396.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce2/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_happiness_man-only-likes-to-count-his-troubles-but_3054396.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce2/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_happiness_man-only-likes-to-count-his-troubles-but_3054396.png) > “Man only likes to count his troubles, but he does not count his joys.” [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People focus on problems but overlook happiness, skewing perspective toward negativity. **In simple terms:** We notice troubles more than joys. Key Takeaway Balance attention between hardships and blessings. Themes perception gratitude mindset Mood thoughtful reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - daily reflection - mental health - relationship counseling Key Concepts existentialism psychology Questions to Reflect On - How can you deliberately notice daily joys? - What habits shift focus to positivity? A Different Perspective Neglecting joys can deepen dissatisfaction. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Count Joys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/count-joys-240191/) [Count Troubles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/count-troubles-963227/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Likes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/likes/) [Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man/) [Man Likes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-likes-291351/) [Trouble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trouble/) [Troubles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/troubles/) [Troubles Does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/troubles-does-4927632/) ## Related quotes > [“Man only likes to count his troubles; he doesn't calculate his happiness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/man-only-likes-to-count-his-troubles-he-doesn-t-calculate-his/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [“Man is fond of reckoning up his troubles, but does not count his joys.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/man-is-fond-of-reckoning-up-his-troubles-but-does-not-count-his-joys/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [Men like to to count their troubles; few calculate their happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/men-like-to-to-count-their-troubles-few-calculate-their-happiness/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [Man is fond of counting his troubles, but he does not count his joys. If he counted them up as he ought to, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/man-is-fond-of-counting-his-troubles-but-he-does-not-count-his-joys/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [“Count your joys instead of your woes; Count your friends instead of your foes." - Irish Saying”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cedric-kelly/count-your-joys-instead-of-your-woes-count-your-friends-instead-of-2/) [Cedric Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cedric-kelly/) > [Count your joys instead of your woes; count your friends instead of your foes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irish-proverb/count-your-joys-instead-of-your-woes-count-your-friends-instead-of/) [Irish Proverb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irish-proverb/) > [This, this indeed is to be accursed, For if we mortals love, or if we sing, We count our joys not by what we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-laurence-dunbar/this-this-indeed-is-to-be-accursed-for-if-we-mortals-love-or-if-we/) [Paul Laurence Dunbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-laurence-dunbar/) > [There’s something sexy in cooking for a man who likes my food. Am I growing up?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-boyden/there-s-something-sexy-in-cooking-for-a-man-who-likes-my-food-am-i/) [Joseph Boyden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-boyden/) > [I am not sure how much I would like being married if I wasn't married to him. A man who likes flea markets and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynda-barry/i-am-not-sure-how-much-i-would-like-being-married-if-i-wasn-t-married/) [Lynda Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynda-barry/) > [Cleverness is a quality a man likes to have in his wife as long as she is some distance away from him. Up close,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/cleverness-is-a-quality-a-man-likes-to-have-in-his-wife-as-long-as/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [The sort of man who likes to spend his time watching a cage of monkeys chase one another, or a lion gnaw its tail,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/the-sort-of-man-who-likes-to-spend-his-time-watching-a-cage-of/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [No man likes to be surpassed by those of this own level.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/livy/no-man-likes-to-be-surpassed-by-those-of-this-own-level/) [Livy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/livy/) > [A man likes his wife to be just clever enough to appreciate his cleverness, and just stupid enough to admire it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israel-zangwill/a-man-likes-his-wife-to-be-just-clever-enough-to-appreciate-his/) [Israel Zangwill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israel-zangwill/) > [No man likes to live under the eye of perpetual disapprobation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/no-man-likes-to-live-under-the-eye-of-perpetual-disapprobation/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“curiously enough, it is the man who likes things as they are who really makes them better. The”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/curiously-enough-it-is-the-man-who-likes-things-as-they-are-who/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) ## More by Fyodor Dostoevsky > [Believe to the end, even if all men went astray and you were left the only one faithful; bring your offering even then and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/believe-to-the-end-even-if-all-men-went-astray-and-you-were-left-the/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [... you are a man still young, so to say, in your first youth and so put intellect above everything ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/you-are-a-man-still-young-so-to-say-in-your-first-youth-and-so-put/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [“There is only one salvation for you: take yourself up, and make yourself responsible for all the sins of men. For indeed it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/there-is-only-one-salvation-for-you-take-yourself-up-and-make/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [“It is true I am a complete stranger to these people, but they are not strangers to me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/it-is-true-i-am-a-complete-stranger-to-these-people-but-they-are-not/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [Everything seems stupid when it fails.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/everything-seems-stupid-when-it-fails/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [Love to throw yourself on the earth and kiss it. Kiss the earth and love it with an unceasing, consuming love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/love-to-throw-yourself-on-the-earth-and-kiss-it-kiss-the-earth-and/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [They have this social justification for every nasty thing they do!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/they-have-this-social-justification-for-every-nasty-thing-they-do/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [Be the sun and all will see you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/be-the-sun-and-all-will-see-you/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [If you are penitent, you love. And if you love you are of God. All things are atoned for, all things are saved by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/if-you-are-penitent-you-love-and-if-you-love-you-are-of-god-all/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [“To kill for murder is a punishment incomparably worse than the crime itself. Murder by legal sentence is immeasurably more terrible than murder by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/to-kill-for-murder-is-a-punishment-incomparably-worse-than-the-crime/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [“You magnify your failure to a crime, Vasya.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/you-magnify-your-failure-to-a-crime-vasya/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [The death of a child is the greatest reason to doubt the existence of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/the-death-of-a-child-is-the-greatest-reason-to-doubt-the-existence-of/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [In a way there's only a fine shade of difference between the healthy and the deranged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/in-a-way-there-s-only-a-fine-shade-of-difference-between-the-healthy/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [“Now answer me, sincerely, honestly, who lives past forty? I'll tell you who does: fools and scoundrels.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/now-answer-me-sincerely-honestly-who-lives-past-forty-i-ll-tell-you/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [“There are crimes that are truly uncomely. With crimes, whatever they may be, the more blood, the more horror there is, the more imposing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/there-are-crimes-that-are-truly-uncomely-with-crimes-whatever-they/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) [Explore all 642 Fyodor Dostoevsky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) ## More Happiness quotes > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Remember that your natural state is joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/remember-that-your-natural-state-is-joy/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [Balance suggests a perfect equilibrium. There is no such thing. That is a false expectation… There are going to be priorities and dimensions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-morrison/balance-suggests-a-perfect-equilibrium-there-is-no-such-thing-that-is/) [Denise Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-morrison/) > [“WE CAN'T ALWAYS CONTROL OUR CIRCUMSTANCES BUT WE CAN CONTROL OUR ATTITUDE. WE MUST BE MORE CONCERNED WITH WHAT WE DO WITH WHAT HAPPENS…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-j-ashton/we-can-t-always-control-our-circumstances-but-we-can-control-our/) [MARVIN J. ASHTON](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-j-ashton/) > [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/) [Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/) > [Sometimes we wish for the feel but we never understand that we have to give a lot to get the feel !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reynolds/sometimes-we-wish-for-the-feel-but-we-never-understand-that-we-have/) [Robert Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reynolds/) > [Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like its heaven on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/sing-like-no-one-s-listening-love-like-you-ve-never-been-hurt-dance/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“It was beautiful. 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": "Man only likes to count his troubles, but he does not count his joys.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Fyodor Dostoevsky" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/man-only-likes-to-count-his-troubles-but-he-does-not-count-his-joys/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Happiness" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/man-only-likes-to-count-his-troubles-but-he-does-not-count-his-joys/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce2/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_happiness_man-only-likes-to-count-his-troubles-but_3054396.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce2/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_happiness_man-only-likes-to-count-his-troubles-but_3054396.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce2/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_happiness_man-only-likes-to-count-his-troubles-but_3054396.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Man only likes to count his troubles, but he does not count his joys.” — Fyodor Dostoevsky", "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": "Fyodor Dostoevsky", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Man only likes to count his...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/man-only-likes-to-count-his-troubles-but-he-does-not-count-his-joys/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/man-only-likes-to-count-his-troubles-but-he-does-not-count-his-joys/#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 } } ] } ```