---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Reason shows me that if my happiness is…"
description: "\"Reason shows me that if my happiness is desirable and good, the equal happiness of any other person must be equally desirable.\" — Henry Sidgwick"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2c/henry-sidgwick-52182_desirable_reason-shows-me-that-if-my-happiness-is_1372144.jpg"
---

#  Reason shows me that if my happiness is desirable and…

![“Reason shows me that if my happiness is desirable and good, the equal happiness of any other person must be equally desirable.” quote by Henry Sidgwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2c/henry-sidgwick-52182_desirable_reason-shows-me-that-if-my-happiness-is_1372144.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2c/henry-sidgwick-52182_desirable_reason-shows-me-that-if-my-happiness-is_1372144.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2c/henry-sidgwick-52182_desirable_reason-shows-me-that-if-my-happiness-is_1372144.jpg)

> “Reason shows me that if my happiness is desirable and good, the equal happiness of any other person must be equally desirable.”

[Henry Sidgwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-sidgwick/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

If one's happiness is good, then everyone else's happiness should be equally valued, implying universal moral consideration.

**In simple terms:** All happiness matters equally.

Key Takeaway

Treat others' well‑being as your own.

Themes

ethics utilitarianism equality happiness philosophy

Mood

thoughtful serious

Type

philosophical ethical

When to use this quote

- policy making
- personal relationships
- community building
- education curricula

Key Concepts

Moral equality well‑being social justice

Questions to Reflect On

- What conflicts arise when happiness goals clash?
- How to prioritize competing well‑being claims?

A Different Perspective

Balancing personal desires with others' needs can be complex.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/)

## Related quotes

> [Liberty is equally desirable to the good and to the bad, to the brave and to the dastardly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-major/liberty-is-equally-desirable-to-the-good-and-to-the-bad-to-the-brave/)

[John Major](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-major/)

> [“But it is not emancipation that the great majority seeks. When pressed, most men will admit that it takes but little to be happy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/but-it-is-not-emancipation-that-the-great-majority-seeks-when-pressed/)

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> [“One person's courage will help the other person to be equally brave.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/one-person-s-courage-will-help-the-other-person-to-be-equally-brave/)

[Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/)

> [As a building is resistant to forces acting upon it, a person must be equally tenacious in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/as-a-building-is-resistant-to-forces-acting-upon-it-a-person-must-be/)

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> [A powerful person is equally cool with their flaws and things that aren't powerful about them at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omari-hardwick/a-powerful-person-is-equally-cool-with-their-flaws-and-things-that/)

[Omari Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omari-hardwick/)

> [“A person cannot be equally divided between two contradictory identities. And if that's what happened, doesn't it stand to reason that when it came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shimon-ballas/a-person-cannot-be-equally-divided-between-two-contradictory/)

Shimon Ballas

> [Pleasure does not equal happiness; it's part of happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-k-smith/pleasure-does-not-equal-happiness-it-s-part-of-happiness/)

[Ian K. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-k-smith/)

> [It's pretty easy to see that... wealth doesn't really equal happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-yauch/it-s-pretty-easy-to-see-that-wealth-doesn-t-really-equal-happiness/)

[Adam Yauch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-yauch/)

> [There is no happiness in the world equal to the happiness of being good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-whitall-smith/there-is-no-happiness-in-the-world-equal-to-the-happiness-of-being/)

[Hannah Whitall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-whitall-smith/)

> [“Stress does not equal happiness”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darlene-dawne/stress-does-not-equal-happiness/)

[Darlene Dawne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darlene-dawne/)

> [Being in love is associated with emotions of joy and happiness, but happiness is not just about good feelings its also about the absence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumar-anupam/being-in-love-is-associated-with-emotions-of-joy-and-happiness-but/)

[Kumar Anupam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumar-anupam/)

> [Things to be done offer themselves, I suppose, because they are in themselves desirable; not because it is desirable to have something to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/things-to-be-done-offer-themselves-i-suppose-because-they-are-in/)

[Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/)

> [It was both necessary and desirable for us to be so strong at sea that no Sea Power could attack us without risk, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernhard-von-bulow/it-was-both-necessary-and-desirable-for-us-to-be-so-strong-at-sea/)

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> [I'm happy to be considered desirable. I love it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sarandon/i-m-happy-to-be-considered-desirable-i-love-it/)

[Susan Sarandon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sarandon/)

> [At times of recession, running a budget deficit is highly desirable. Once the economy begins to recover, you have to balance the budget. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/at-times-of-recession-running-a-budget-deficit-is-highly-desirable/)

[George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/)

## More by Henry Sidgwick

> [Society is like a schoolmaster who estimates boys according to their conformity to a standard that is easiest for running a school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-sidgwick/society-is-like-a-schoolmaster-who-estimates-boys-according-to-their/)

[Henry Sidgwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-sidgwick/)

> [I do not see why the axiom of Prudence should not be questioned, when it conflicts with present inclination, on a ground similar to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-sidgwick/i-do-not-see-why-the-axiom-of-prudence-should-not-be-questioned-when/)

[Henry Sidgwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-sidgwick/)

> [We think so because all other people think so; Or because-or because-after all, we do think so; Or because we were told so, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-sidgwick/we-think-so-because-all-other-people-think-so-or-because-or-because/)

[Henry Sidgwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-sidgwick/)

> [“For we conceive it as the aim of a philosopher, as such, to do somewhat more than define and formulate the common normal opinions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-sidgwick/for-we-conceive-it-as-the-aim-of-a-philosopher-as-such-to-do-somewhat/)

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> [“Truthspeaking is only valuable as a means to the preservation of society: only if it be admitted that it is valuable on this ground…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-sidgwick/truthspeaking-is-only-valuable-as-a-means-to-the-preservation-of/)

[Henry Sidgwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-sidgwick/)

> [One has to kill a few of one’s natural selves to let the rest grow — a very painful slaughter of innocents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-sidgwick/one-has-to-kill-a-few-of-one-s-natural-selves-to-let-the-rest-grow-a/)

[Henry Sidgwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-sidgwick/)

[Explore all 7 Henry Sidgwick quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-sidgwick/)

## More Desirable quotes

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[Ginger Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ginger-rogers/)

Browse all 509 Desirable quotes

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