--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is no happiness in having or in…" description: "\"There is no happiness in having or in getting, but only in giving.\" — Henry Drummond" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe0/henry-drummond-18931_generosity_there-is-no-happiness-in-having-or-in-ge_1888669.png" --- # There is no happiness in having or in getting, but only in… ![“There is no happiness in having or in getting, but only in giving.” quote by Henry Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe0/henry-drummond-18931_generosity_there-is-no-happiness-in-having-or-in-ge_1888669.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe0/henry-drummond-18931_generosity_there-is-no-happiness-in-having-or-in-ge_1888669.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe0/henry-drummond-18931_generosity_there-is-no-happiness-in-having-or-in-ge_1888669.png) > “There is no happiness in having or in getting, but only in giving.” [Henry Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-drummond/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True happiness comes from generosity, not from possessing or receiving material things. **In simple terms:** Happiness is in giving. Key Takeaway Focus on giving to find joy. Themes generosity contentment selflessness Mood warm encouraging Type inspirational motivational When to use this quote - charity work - volunteering - daily acts of kindness Key Concepts altruism psychology well‑being Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance giving with self‑care? - What small acts can you start today? A Different Perspective Giving can be exhausting without boundaries. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Generosity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generosity/) [Getting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/getting/) [Getting Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/getting-giving-855236/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Happiness Having](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness-having/) [Having](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/having/) [Having Getting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/having-getting-2309926/) [Only](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/only/) ## Related quotes > [Remember that there is no happiness in having or in getting, but only in giving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/og-mandino/remember-that-there-is-no-happiness-in-having-or-in-getting-but-only-2/) [Og Mandino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/og-mandino/) > [“There is no happiness in having and getting, only in giving.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/there-is-no-happiness-in-having-and-getting-only-in-giving/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [There is no real happiness in having or getting, but only in giving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-eldon-tanner/there-is-no-real-happiness-in-having-or-getting-but-only-in-giving/) [Nathan Eldon Tanner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-eldon-tanner/) > [Love is not about getting - but giving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-van-dyke/love-is-not-about-getting-but-giving/) [Henry Van Dyke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-van-dyke/) > [Happiness is not about having everything , its loving what you have and trying to make the best out of it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu/happiness-is-not-about-having-everything-its-loving-what-you-have-and/) [Ritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu/) > [Happiness…is having a friend like you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unknow/happiness-is-having-a-friend-like-you/) [Unknow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/unknow/) > [Life, is not a having and a getting, but a being and a becoming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myrna-loy/life-is-not-a-having-and-a-getting-but-a-being-and-a-becoming/) [Myrna Loy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myrna-loy/) > [Life is not in having and getting, but in being and becoming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-arnold/life-is-not-in-having-and-getting-but-in-being-and-becoming/) [Matthew Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-arnold/) > [Life is not about having and getting. It's about being and becoming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myrna-loy/life-is-not-about-having-and-getting-it-s-about-being-and-becoming/) [Myrna Loy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myrna-loy/) > [It's not the having, it's the getting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-taylor/it-s-not-the-having-it-s-the-getting/) [Elizabeth Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-taylor/) > [Life is not having and getting, but being and becoming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-arnold/life-is-not-having-and-getting-but-being-and-becoming/) [Matthew Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-arnold/) > [Its not the having, its the getting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-taylor/its-not-the-having-its-the-getting/) [Elizabeth Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-taylor/) > [Once you start getting into giving back, it gets addictive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coy-bowles/once-you-start-getting-into-giving-back-it-gets-addictive/) [Coy Bowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coy-bowles/) > [Love is not getting, but giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-van-dyke/love-is-not-getting-but-giving/) [Henry Van Dyke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-van-dyke/) > [I learned that real happiness doesn’t come from getting but from giving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-bernstein/i-learned-that-real-happiness-doesn-t-come-from-getting-but-from/) [Gabrielle Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-bernstein/) ## More by Henry Drummond > [On the last analysis, then, love is life. Love never faileth and life never faileth so long as there is love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-drummond/on-the-last-analysis-then-love-is-life-love-never-faileth-and-life/) [Henry Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-drummond/) > [To love abundantly is to live abundantly, and to love forever is to live forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-drummond/to-love-abundantly-is-to-live-abundantly-and-to-love-forever-is-to/) [Henry Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-drummond/) > [“Do you know the meaning of the word ‘gentleman’? It means someone who does things gently. That is the whole art and mystery of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-drummond/do-you-know-the-meaning-of-the-word-gentleman-it-means-someone-who/) [Henry Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-drummond/) > [Happiness... consists in giving, and in serving others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-drummond/happiness-consists-in-giving-and-in-serving-others/) [Henry Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-drummond/) > [You will find as you look back upon your life that the moments when you have truly lived are the moments when you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-drummond/you-will-find-as-you-look-back-upon-your-life-that-the-moments-when/) [Henry Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-drummond/) > [Our success in influencing or elevating others is in proportion to their belief in our belief in them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-drummond/our-success-in-influencing-or-elevating-others-is-in-proportion-to/) [Henry Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-drummond/) > [To become Christ-like is the only thing in the whole world worth caring for, the thing before which every ambition of man is folly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-drummond/to-become-christ-like-is-the-only-thing-in-the-whole-world-worth/) [Henry Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-drummond/) > [No man can become a saint in his sleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-drummond/no-man-can-become-a-saint-in-his-sleep/) [Henry Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-drummond/) > [I wonder why it is we are not all kinder to each other ... How much the world needs it! How easily it is done!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-drummond/i-wonder-why-it-is-we-are-not-all-kinder-to-each-other-how-much-the/) [Henry Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-drummond/) > [“You will find as you look upon your life that the moments that you truely live are the moments you have done things in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-drummond/you-will-find-as-you-look-upon-your-life-that-the-moments-that-you/) [Henry Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-drummond/) > [“Love is the fulfilling of the law." Did you ever think what he meant by that? In those days men were working the passage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-drummond/love-is-the-fulfilling-of-the-law-did-you-ever-think-what-he-meant-by/) [Henry Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-drummond/) > [“He that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God. God is love. Therefore love. Without distinction, without calculation, without procrastination, love. Lavish it upon the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-drummond/he-that-dwelleth-in-love-dwelleth-in-god-god-is-love-therefore-love/) [Henry Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-drummond/) > [“Patience; kindness; generosity; humility; courtesy; unselfishness; good temper; guilelessness; sincerity—these make up the supreme gift, the stature of the perfect man.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-drummond/patience-kindness-generosity-humility-courtesy-unselfishness-good-2/) [Henry Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-drummond/) > [You will find as you look back upon your life that the moments when you have really lived are the moments when you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-drummond/you-will-find-as-you-look-back-upon-your-life-that-the-moments-when-2/) [Henry Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-drummond/) > [“Any experiment that can benefit by one hairsbreadth any single human life is a thousand times worth trying.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-drummond/any-experiment-that-can-benefit-by-one-hairsbreadth-any-single-human/) [Henry Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-drummond/) [Explore all 32 Henry Drummond quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-drummond/) ## More Generosity quotes > [The greatest charity you can contribute to is yourself. Instead of spending a dollar to help feed hungry children, why not spend that dollar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/the-greatest-charity-you-can-contribute-to-is-yourself-instead-of/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [In this choice of inheritance we have given to our frame of polity the image of a relation in blood; binding up the constitution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/in-this-choice-of-inheritance-we-have-given-to-our-frame-of-polity/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [I would have none of that rigid circumspect charity which is never done without scrutiny, and which always mistrusts the truth of the necessities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-massillon/i-would-have-none-of-that-rigid-circumspect-charity-which-is-never/) [Jean Baptiste Massillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baptiste-massillon/) > [I'm publicist, patron of nine charities, creative director, food consultant, recipe developer - and mum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-monroe/i-m-publicist-patron-of-nine-charities-creative-director-food/) [Jack Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-monroe/) > [The next time you're looking at a charity, don't ask about the rate of their overhead. Ask about the scale of their dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-next-time-you-re-looking-at-a-charity-don-t-ask-about-the-rate-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Businesses acting as businesses, not as charitable donors, are the most powerful force for addressing the pressing issues society face(s)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-elumelu/businesses-acting-as-businesses-not-as-charitable-donors-are-the-most/) [Tony Elumelu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-elumelu/) > [Both fact and logic seem to me to support the view that savings invested in privately owned economic tools of production amount to an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-a-harper/both-fact-and-logic-seem-to-me-to-support-the-view-that-savings/) [F. A. Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-a-harper/) > [Capitalists have done more good for society through their charitable giving, philanthropy and generosity than all their critics combined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cook/capitalists-have-done-more-good-for-society-through-their-charitable/) [James Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cook/) > [I think more and more people are becoming much more sensitive to what they do with their money when they die, especially if they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-rippon/i-think-more-and-more-people-are-becoming-much-more-sensitive-to-what/) [Angela Rippon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-rippon/) > [Children must early learn the the beauty of generosity. They are taught to give what they prize most, that they may taste the happiness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/children-must-early-learn-the-the-beauty-of-generosity-they-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [(I)f we are going to be kind, let it be out of simple generosity, not because we fear guilt or retribution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-f-we-are-going-to-be-kind-let-it-be-out-of-simple-generosity-not/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I was always clear that I didn't want to just do pure charity. My thinking was definitely about looking at the levers in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohini-nilekani/i-was-always-clear-that-i-didn-t-want-to-just-do-pure-charity-my/) [Rohini Nilekani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohini-nilekani/) > [Love doesnt stake claims. It is free for the giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-minagar/love-doesnt-stake-claims-it-is-free-for-the-giving/) [Melody Minagar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-minagar/) > [“THE UNFORGIVEN Tell me if you've ever had to deal with these kinds of people: The kind who take and don't give. The kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/the-unforgiven-tell-me-if-you-ve-ever-had-to-deal-with-these-kinds-of/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [“Secure-attachment 7Rs show more generosity than average. Thus 7R has something to do with generosity—but its effect is entirely context dependent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/secure-attachment-7rs-show-more-generosity-than-average-thus-7r-has/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) [Browse all 3,867 Generosity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generosity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There is no happiness in having or in getting, but only in giving.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry Drummond" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-drummond/there-is-no-happiness-in-having-or-in-getting-but-only-in-giving/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Generosity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-drummond/there-is-no-happiness-in-having-or-in-getting-but-only-in-giving/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe0/henry-drummond-18931_generosity_there-is-no-happiness-in-having-or-in-ge_1888669.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe0/henry-drummond-18931_generosity_there-is-no-happiness-in-having-or-in-ge_1888669.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe0/henry-drummond-18931_generosity_there-is-no-happiness-in-having-or-in-ge_1888669.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There is no happiness in having or in getting, but only in giving.” — Henry Drummond", "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": "Henry Drummond", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-drummond/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There is no happiness in having...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-drummond/there-is-no-happiness-in-having-or-in-getting-but-only-in-giving/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-drummond/there-is-no-happiness-in-having-or-in-getting-but-only-in-giving/#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 } } ] } ```