--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We can laugh from either joy or…" description: "\"We can laugh from either joy or happiness, but we weep only from grief or joy...Without the pain of farewell, there is no joy in reunion...without the ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59d/george-vaillant-30630_captivity_we-can-laugh-from-either-joy-or-happines_189614.png" --- # We can laugh from either joy or happiness, but we weep… ![“We can laugh from either joy or happiness, but we weep only from grief or joy...Without the pain of farewell, there is no joy in reunion...without the pain of captivity, we don't experience the joy of freedom.” quote by George Vaillant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59d/george-vaillant-30630_captivity_we-can-laugh-from-either-joy-or-happines_189614.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59d/george-vaillant-30630_captivity_we-can-laugh-from-either-joy-or-happines_189614.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59d/george-vaillant-30630_captivity_we-can-laugh-from-either-joy-or-happines_189614.png) > “We can laugh from either joy or happiness, but we weep only from grief or joy...Without the pain of farewell, there is no joy in reunion...without the pain of captivity, we don't experience the joy of freedom.” [George Vaillant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-vaillant/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Joy and grief are intertwined; without experiencing loss, we cannot fully appreciate happiness, freedom, or reunion. **In simple terms:** Pain gives meaning to joy and freedom. Key Takeaway Embrace both joy and sorrow. Themes emotions duality growth Mood melancholic hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - grief counseling - celebrations - personal reflection - life transitions Key Concepts psychology existentialism Questions to Reflect On - How does loss shape your appreciation of joy? - Can you find meaning in suffering? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on pain can hinder happiness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Captivity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/captivity/) [Farewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/farewell/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Grief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grief/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) [Reunion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reunion/) ## Related quotes > [“Yet that grief and this joy were alike outside all the ordinary conditions of life; they were loop-holes, as it were, in that ordinary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/yet-that-grief-and-this-joy-were-alike-outside-all-the-ordinary/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“True joy is never the enemy of godly grief. Joy is what trains and equips us to bear it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-k-grieser/true-joy-is-never-the-enemy-of-godly-grief-joy-is-what-trains-and/) [Hannah K. Grieser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-k-grieser/) > [No one really understands the grief or joy of another. We always imagine that we are approaching some other, but our lines of travel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-schubert/no-one-really-understands-the-grief-or-joy-of-another-we-always/) [Franz Schubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-schubert/) > [Merciful God, release us from the time of trial and oppression, that we may witness to the eternal hope of grief becoming joy and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/merciful-god-release-us-from-the-time-of-trial-and-oppression-that-we/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“All I can tell you is this. Some hearts break from grief some from joy. Some even break from love. But hearts break because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-m-wilsonson/all-i-can-tell-you-is-this-some-hearts-break-from-grief-some-from-joy/) Catherine M. Wilsonson > [The leaf, still green, must someday fall such grief and joy to live at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-a-barron/the-leaf-still-green-must-someday-fall-such-grief-and-joy-to-live-at/) [T.A. Barron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-a-barron/) > [“All he knew and felt was that what was happening was what had happened nearly a year before in the hotel of the country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/all-he-knew-and-felt-was-that-what-was-happening-was-what-had/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [In the midst of excitement, grief, joy, and solitude, I remind myself every moment that the sole mission of my life is to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kedar-joshi/in-the-midst-of-excitement-grief-joy-and-solitude-i-remind-myself/) [Kedar Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kedar-joshi/) > [“Whether grief or joy tears taste the same.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arun-prabhu-aradhya/whether-grief-or-joy-tears-taste-the-same/) [Arun Prabhu- aradhya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arun-prabhu-aradhya/) > [The difference between shallow happiness and a deep, sustaining joy is sorrow. Happiness lives where sorrow is not. When sorrow arrives, happiness dies. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-difference-between-shallow-happiness-and-a-deep-sustaining-joy-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [No one really understands the grief or joy of another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-schubert/no-one-really-understands-the-grief-or-joy-of-another/) [Franz Schubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-schubert/) > [“Do not be overcome by grief but overcome grief with joy. When we’re overcome with grief we’re focusing on the state of our own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-houge/do-not-be-overcome-by-grief-but-overcome-grief-with-joy-when-we-re/) [Adam Houge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-houge/) > [Death is as casual and often as unexpected as birth. It is as difficult to define grief as joy. Each is finite. Each will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-bishop/death-is-as-casual-and-often-as-unexpected-as-birth-it-is-as/) [Jim Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-bishop/) > [“There are some who would vow that life isn’t fair. They believe the worst is yet to come, that evil will always conquer good,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-harris/there-are-some-who-would-vow-that-life-isn-t-fair-they-believe-the/) [Rebecca Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-harris/) > [But that had been grief--this was joy. Yet that grief and this joy were alike outside all the ordinary conditions of life; they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/but-that-had-been-grief-this-was-joy-yet-that-grief-and-this-joy-were/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) ## More by George Vaillant > [If you want to treat an illness that has no easy cure, first of all, treat them with hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-vaillant/if-you-want-to-treat-an-illness-that-has-no-easy-cure-first-of-all/) [George Vaillant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-vaillant/) > [Happiness is only the cart; love is the horse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-vaillant/happiness-is-only-the-cart-love-is-the-horse/) [George Vaillant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-vaillant/) > [It is not stress that kills us. It is effective adaptation to stress that allows us to live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-vaillant/it-is-not-stress-that-kills-us-it-is-effective-adaptation-to-stress/) [George Vaillant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-vaillant/) > [Whether we live to a vigorous old age lies not so much in our stars or in our genes but in ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-vaillant/whether-we-live-to-a-vigorous-old-age-lies-not-so-much-in-our-stars/) [George Vaillant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-vaillant/) > [It is all too common for caterpillars to become butterflies and then to maintain that in their youth they had been little butterflies. Maturation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-vaillant/it-is-all-too-common-for-caterpillars-to-become-butterflies-and-then/) [George Vaillant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-vaillant/) > [Our lives become the sum of all whom we have loved. It is important not to waste anyone. One task of living out the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-vaillant/our-lives-become-the-sum-of-all-whom-we-have-loved-it-is-important/) [George Vaillant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-vaillant/) > [Anxiety and depression are the price you pay for a well-lived life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-vaillant/anxiety-and-depression-are-the-price-you-pay-for-a-well-lived-life/) [George Vaillant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-vaillant/) > [It's very hard, for most of us to tolerate being loved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-vaillant/it-s-very-hard-for-most-of-us-to-tolerate-being-loved/) [George Vaillant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-vaillant/) > [The only thing that really matters in life are your relationships to other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-vaillant/the-only-thing-that-really-matters-in-life-are-your-relationships-to/) [George Vaillant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-vaillant/) > [Our lives are like the talents in the parable of the three stewards. It is something that has been given to us for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-vaillant/our-lives-are-like-the-talents-in-the-parable-of-the-three-stewards/) [George Vaillant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-vaillant/) > [Life ain't easy. Terrible things happen to everyone. You have to keep your sense of humor, give something of yourself to others, make friends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-vaillant/life-ain-t-easy-terrible-things-happen-to-everyone-you-have-to-keep/) [George Vaillant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-vaillant/) > [Creativity can never be explained by appeal to reason alone. Like the birth of a child, creativity compels us not to explanation but to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-vaillant/creativity-can-never-be-explained-by-appeal-to-reason-alone-like-the/) [George Vaillant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-vaillant/) > [Aging happy and well, instead of sad and sick, is at least under some personal control. We have considerable control over our weight, our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-vaillant/aging-happy-and-well-instead-of-sad-and-sick-is-at-least-under-some/) [George Vaillant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-vaillant/) > [Joy is connection… The more areas in your life you can make connection, the better,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-vaillant/joy-is-connection-the-more-areas-in-your-life-you-can-make-connection/) [George Vaillant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-vaillant/) > [The recent years of the Grant Study have shown that our lives when we are old are the sum of all of our loves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-vaillant/the-recent-years-of-the-grant-study-have-shown-that-our-lives-when-we/) [George Vaillant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-vaillant/) [Explore all 17 George Vaillant quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-vaillant/) ## More Captivity quotes > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [When a captive lion steps out of his cage, he comes into a wider world than the lion who has known only the wilds.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukio-mishima/when-a-captive-lion-steps-out-of-his-cage-he-comes-into-a-wider-world/) [Yukio Mishima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukio-mishima/) > [Release your majestic mind, embrace your untamed inner spirit. Break free from captivity, avoid society.. You were born to be free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-muller/release-your-majestic-mind-embrace-your-untamed-inner-spirit-break/) Melanie Muller > [“bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-baker/bringing-every-thought-into-captivity-to-the-obedience-of-christ/) [Heidi Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-baker/) > [“From the pavement, I could see the window of Albertine’s room, that window, formerly quite black, at night, when she was not staying in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/from-the-pavement-i-could-see-the-window-of-albertine-s-room-that/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [Attempts to defend amusement parks and circuses on the grounds that they 'educate' people about animals should not be taken seriously. Such enterprises are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/attempts-to-defend-amusement-parks-and-circuses-on-the-grounds-that/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [A man is saved no faster than he gets knowledge. For if he does not get knowledge, he will be brought into captivity by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-smith-jr/a-man-is-saved-no-faster-than-he-gets-knowledge-for-if-he-does-not/) [Joseph Smith, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-smith-jr/) > [“They put me and more 300 companions of misfortune and captivity in the strait and infected basement of a ship. Thirty days of cruel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-firmina-dos-reis/they-put-me-and-more-300-companions-of-misfortune-and-captivity-in/) Maria Firmina dos Reis > [“In situations of captivity the perpetrator becomes the most powerful person in the life of the victim, and the psychology of the victim is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-lewis-herman/in-situations-of-captivity-the-perpetrator-becomes-the-most-powerful/) [Judith Lewis Herman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-lewis-herman/) > [“An unbroken horse erects his mane, paws the ground and starts back impetuously at the sight of the bridle; while one which is properly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rousseau-jean-jacques/an-unbroken-horse-erects-his-mane-paws-the-ground-and-starts-back/) [Rousseau Jean-Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rousseau-jean-jacques/) > [The less control people had over their work, the higher their blood pressure during work hours. Moreover, blood pressure at home was unrelated to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/the-less-control-people-had-over-their-work-the-higher-their-blood/) [Sheena Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/) > [We get into captivity because of our foolishness and we are more foolish that we want to admit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-giglio/we-get-into-captivity-because-of-our-foolishness-and-we-are-more/) [Louie Giglio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-giglio/) > [“It is up to you whether social, intelligent and wonderful creatures are to be freed from their chains and cages where ruthless people keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natascha-kampusch/it-is-up-to-you-whether-social-intelligent-and-wonderful-creatures/) [Natascha Kampusch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natascha-kampusch/) > [“Stability and order have always been paid for with captivity and blood. (76)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-doria-russell/stability-and-order-have-always-been-paid-for-with-captivity-and/) [Mary Doria Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-doria-russell/) > [“Mary was like a caged tiger in the first days of her captivity. Keen, alert, and watchful, she listened tensely each dawn for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-george/mary-was-like-a-caged-tiger-in-the-first-days-of-her-captivity-keen/) [Margaret George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-george/) [Browse all 180 Captivity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/captivity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We can laugh from either joy or happiness, but we weep only from grief or joy...Without the pain of farewell, there is no joy in reunion...without the pain of captivity, we don't experience the joy of freedom.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Vaillant" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-vaillant/we-can-laugh-from-either-joy-or-happiness-but-we-weep-only-from-grief/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Captivity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-vaillant/we-can-laugh-from-either-joy-or-happiness-but-we-weep-only-from-grief/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59d/george-vaillant-30630_captivity_we-can-laugh-from-either-joy-or-happines_189614.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59d/george-vaillant-30630_captivity_we-can-laugh-from-either-joy-or-happines_189614.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59d/george-vaillant-30630_captivity_we-can-laugh-from-either-joy-or-happines_189614.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We can laugh from either joy or happiness, but we weep only from grief or joy...Without the pain of…” — George Vaillant", "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": "George Vaillant", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-vaillant/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We can laugh from either joy...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-vaillant/we-can-laugh-from-either-joy-or-happiness-but-we-weep-only-from-grief/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-vaillant/we-can-laugh-from-either-joy-or-happiness-but-we-weep-only-from-grief/#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 } } ] } ```