--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The greatest joys and the greatest…" description: "\"The greatest joys and the greatest sorrows we experience are in family relationships. The joys come from putting the welfare of others above our own. T..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8d/henry-b-eyring-1096_absence_the-greatest-joys-and-the-greatest-sorro_2922027.jpg" --- # The greatest joys and the greatest sorrows we experience… ![“The greatest joys and the greatest sorrows we experience are in family relationships. The joys come from putting the welfare of others above our own. That is what love is. And the sorrow comes primarily from selfishness, which is the absence of love. The ideal God holds for us is to form families…” quote by Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8d/henry-b-eyring-1096_absence_the-greatest-joys-and-the-greatest-sorro_2922027.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8d/henry-b-eyring-1096_absence_the-greatest-joys-and-the-greatest-sorro_2922027.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8d/henry-b-eyring-1096_absence_the-greatest-joys-and-the-greatest-sorro_2922027.jpg) > “The greatest joys and the greatest sorrows we experience are in family relationships. The joys come from putting the welfare of others above our own. That is what love is. And the sorrow comes primarily from selfishness, which is the absence of love. The ideal God holds for us is to form families in the way most likely to lead to happiness and away from sorrow.” [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Family bonds bring deep joy when we prioritize others, and cause pain when we act selfishly; love is self‑sacrifice, sorrow is its lack. **In simple terms:** Family love gives joy; selfishness brings sorrow. Key Takeaway Cultivate self‑less love in family life. Themes family love self‑sacrifice joy sorrow Mood reflective hopeful Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - marriage counseling - parenting - elder care - conflict resolution Key Concepts Christian ethics psychology of relationships Questions to Reflect On - How can you practice self‑less love without losing self‑care? - What boundaries protect love from resentment? A Different Perspective Self‑sacrifice can be exhausting and may enable dependency if not balanced. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absence/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Family relationship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family-relationship/) [Grief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grief/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Ideals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideals/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Selfishness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selfishness/) [Sorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sorrow/) [Welfare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/welfare/) ## Related quotes > [One of the greatest sorrows of human existence is that some people aren't happy merely to be alive but find their happiness only in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/one-of-the-greatest-sorrows-of-human-existence-is-that-some-people/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [He warned me the greediest wishes cause the greatest sorrows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/he-warned-me-the-greediest-wishes-cause-the-greatest-sorrows/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [To be able to talk to your heart’s content about a book you like with someone who feels the same way about it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/to-be-able-to-talk-to-your-heart-s-content-about-a-book-you-like-with-2/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [I just want to say, creating music with Childish Gambino has been one of the greatest joys of my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-goransson/i-just-want-to-say-creating-music-with-childish-gambino-has-been-one/) [Ludwig Goransson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-goransson/) > [Miss life's simplest blessings and you'll miss out on life's greatest joys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sharma/miss-life-s-simplest-blessings-and-you-ll-miss-out-on-life-s-greatest/) [Robin Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sharma/) > [The live concerts are still one of the two greatest joys of my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-young/the-live-concerts-are-still-one-of-the-two-greatest-joys-of-my-life/) [James Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-young/) > [One of the greatest joys in life is watching a child laugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demi-lovato/one-of-the-greatest-joys-in-life-is-watching-a-child-laugh/) [Demi Lovato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demi-lovato/) > [Every morning when I awake, the greatest of joys is mine: that of being Salvador Dali.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvador-dali/every-morning-when-i-awake-the-greatest-of-joys-is-mine-that-of-being/) [Salvador Dali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvador-dali/) > [Eating good food is, to me, one of life's greatest joys, and I will never punish myself for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-shor/eating-good-food-is-to-me-one-of-life-s-greatest-joys-and-i-will/) [Miriam Shor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-shor/) > [“To be able to talk to your heart's content about a book you like with someone is one of the greatest joys that life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/to-be-able-to-talk-to-your-heart-s-content-about-a-book-you-like-with/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [The greatest joys in life are found not only in what we do and feel, but also in our quiet hopes and labors for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-greatest-joys-in-life-are-found-not-only-in-what-we-do-and-feel/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [One of the greatest joys of being an artist is that you start to see beauty where you didn't before, and once you start…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anh-do/one-of-the-greatest-joys-of-being-an-artist-is-that-you-start-to-see/) [Anh Do](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anh-do/) > [The greatest joys are found not only in what we do and feel, but also in what we hope for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-greatest-joys-are-found-not-only-in-what-we-do-and-feel-but-also/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“To be in love with the person who want to "Be the one that you can't live without" and is willing to prove it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-j-barrier/to-be-in-love-with-the-person-who-want-to-be-the-one-that-you-can-t/) [Ellen J. 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