--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Happiness is inward, and not outward; and…" description: "\"Happiness is inward, and not outward; and so, it does not depend on what we have, but on what we are.\" — Henry Van Dyke" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47a/henry-van-dyke-2453_happiness_happiness-is-inward-and-not-outward-and_1158237.png" --- # Happiness is inward, and not outward; and so, it does not… ![“Happiness is inward, and not outward; and so, it does not depend on what we have, but on what we are.” quote by Henry Van Dyke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47a/henry-van-dyke-2453_happiness_happiness-is-inward-and-not-outward-and_1158237.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47a/henry-van-dyke-2453_happiness_happiness-is-inward-and-not-outward-and_1158237.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47a/henry-van-dyke-2453_happiness_happiness-is-inward-and-not-outward-and_1158237.png) > “Happiness is inward, and not outward; and so, it does not depend on what we have, but on what we are.” [Henry Van Dyke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-van-dyke/) ## 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 stems from inner character, not external possessions or circumstances **In simple terms:** Happiness comes from within, not from what we own Key Takeaway Cultivate inner virtues for lasting joy Themes contentment inner peace philosophy Mood calm thoughtful Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - daily meditation - gratitude practice - minimalist lifestyle Key Concepts self‑worth non‑attachment character development Questions to Reflect On - What inner qualities do you nurture? - How do you handle external setbacks? A Different Perspective External circumstances can still affect mood despite inner work ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Happiness Inward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness-inward-3003892/) [Inward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inward/) [Inward Outward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inward-outward-1376918/) [Outward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outward/) [Outward Does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outward-does-3305475/) ## Related quotes > [“May the inward and outward man be as one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/may-the-inward-and-outward-man-be-as-one/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [A man must seek his happiness and inward peace from objects which cannot be taken away from him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-von-humboldt/a-man-must-seek-his-happiness-and-inward-peace-from-objects-which/) [Wilhelm von Humboldt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-von-humboldt/) > [The reflection of you is a reflection of me be it inward or outward!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kostallanetz-evans/the-reflection-of-you-is-a-reflection-of-me-be-it-inward-or-outward/) [Kostallanetz Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kostallanetz-evans/) > [Fuck Friends…They only destroy what happiness you have. People must learn that happiness is an inward appreciation of oneself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/fuck-friends-they-only-destroy-what-happiness-you-have-people-must/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The Window to the Universe Opens Inward and Outward.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-lee-edstrom/the-window-to-the-universe-opens-inward-and-outward/) [Daniel Lee Edstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-lee-edstrom/) > [May the outward and inward man be at one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/may-the-outward-and-inward-man-be-at-one/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [The outward work will never be puny if the inward work is great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meister-eckhart/the-outward-work-will-never-be-puny-if-the-inward-work-is-great/) [Meister Eckhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meister-eckhart/) > [The evidence points to central Asia as man's original home, for the general movement of human migrations has been outward from that region and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellsworth-huntington/the-evidence-points-to-central-asia-as-man-s-original-home-for-the/) [Ellsworth Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellsworth-huntington/) > [Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-van-dyke/gratitude-is-the-inward-feeling-of-kindness-received-thankfulness-is/) [Henry Van Dyke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-van-dyke/) > [Be grateful that you only see the outward man. Be grateful that you never see the passions, the hatreds, the jealousies, the malice, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-bester/be-grateful-that-you-only-see-the-outward-man-be-grateful-that-you/) [Alfred Bester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-bester/) > [Errors of taste are very often the outward sign of a deep fault of sensibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-miller/errors-of-taste-are-very-often-the-outward-sign-of-a-deep-fault-of/) [Jonathan Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-miller/) > [All outward means of grace, if separate from the spirit of God, cannot profit, or conduce, in any degree, either to the knowledge or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wesley/all-outward-means-of-grace-if-separate-from-the-spirit-of-god-cannot/) [John Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wesley/) > [Human improvement is from within outward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-anthony-froude/human-improvement-is-from-within-outward/) [James Anthony Froude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-anthony-froude/) > [Outward appearances mean everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-elkeles/outward-appearances-mean-everything/) [Simone Elkeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-elkeles/) > [Live within; be not shaken by outward happenings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-aurobindo/live-within-be-not-shaken-by-outward-happenings/) [Sri Aurobindo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-aurobindo/) ## More by Henry Van Dyke > [I know that Europe's wonderful, yet something seems to lack;The Past is too much with her, and the people looking back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-van-dyke/i-know-that-europe-s-wonderful-yet-something-seems-to-lack-the-past/) [Henry Van Dyke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-van-dyke/) > [The Bible does not profess to make men omniscient, but simply to tell them enough to make them happy and good, if they will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-van-dyke/the-bible-does-not-profess-to-make-men-omniscient-but-simply-to-tell/) [Henry Van Dyke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-van-dyke/) > [So in the heart, When, fading slowly down the past, Fond memories depart, And each that leaves it seems the last; Long after all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-van-dyke/so-in-the-heart-when-fading-slowly-down-the-past-fond-memories-depart/) [Henry Van Dyke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-van-dyke/) > [It is with rivers as it is with people: the greatest are not always the most agreeable nor the best to live with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-van-dyke/it-is-with-rivers-as-it-is-with-people-the-greatest-are-not-always/) [Henry Van Dyke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-van-dyke/) > [A little while the rose, And after that the thorn; An hour of dewy morn, And then the glamour goes. Ah, love in beauty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-van-dyke/a-little-while-the-rose-and-after-that-the-thorn-an-hour-of-dewy-morn/) [Henry Van Dyke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-van-dyke/) > [A peace that depends on fear is nothing but a suppressed war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-van-dyke/a-peace-that-depends-on-fear-is-nothing-but-a-suppressed-war/) [Henry Van Dyke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-van-dyke/) > [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/) > [Favorite People, Favorite Places, Favorite Memories of the past ... These are the joys of a lifetime Those are the things that last](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-van-dyke/favorite-people-favorite-places-favorite-memories-of-the-past-these/) [Henry Van Dyke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-van-dyke/) > [Religion? Yes, I know it well; I've heard its prayers and creeds, And seen men put them all to shame with poor, half-hearted deeds.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-van-dyke/religion-yes-i-know-it-well-i-ve-heard-its-prayers-and-creeds-and/) [Henry Van Dyke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-van-dyke/) > [It is better to desire the things we have than to have the things we desire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-van-dyke/it-is-better-to-desire-the-things-we-have-than-to-have-the-things-we/) [Henry Van Dyke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-van-dyke/) > [Jazz: Music invented for the torture of imbeciles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-van-dyke/jazz-music-invented-for-the-torture-of-imbeciles/) [Henry Van Dyke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-van-dyke/) > [Lord, when my spirit shall return to thee, At the foot of a friendly tree let my body be buried, That this dust may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-van-dyke/lord-when-my-spirit-shall-return-to-thee-at-the-foot-of-a-friendly/) [Henry Van Dyke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-van-dyke/) > [Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-van-dyke/gratitude-is-the-inward-feeling-of-kindness-received-thankfulness-is/) [Henry Van Dyke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-van-dyke/) > [In warlike pomp, with banners flowing, The regiments of autumn stood: I saw their gold and scarlet glowing From every hillside, every wood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-van-dyke/in-warlike-pomp-with-banners-flowing-the-regiments-of-autumn-stood-i/) [Henry Van Dyke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-van-dyke/) > [There is a better thing than the observance of Christmas day, and that is, keeping Christmas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-van-dyke/there-is-a-better-thing-than-the-observance-of-christmas-day-and-that/) [Henry Van Dyke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-van-dyke/) [Explore all 165 Henry Van Dyke quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-van-dyke/) ## 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": "Happiness is inward, and not outward; and so, it does not depend on what we have, but on what we are.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry Van Dyke" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-van-dyke/happiness-is-inward-and-not-outward-and-so-it-does-not-depend-on-what/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Happiness" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-van-dyke/happiness-is-inward-and-not-outward-and-so-it-does-not-depend-on-what/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47a/henry-van-dyke-2453_happiness_happiness-is-inward-and-not-outward-and_1158237.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47a/henry-van-dyke-2453_happiness_happiness-is-inward-and-not-outward-and_1158237.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47a/henry-van-dyke-2453_happiness_happiness-is-inward-and-not-outward-and_1158237.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Happiness is inward, and not outward; and so, it does not depend on what we have, but on what we are.” — Henry Van Dyke", "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 Van Dyke", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-van-dyke/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Happiness is inward, and not outward;...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-van-dyke/happiness-is-inward-and-not-outward-and-so-it-does-not-depend-on-what/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-van-dyke/happiness-is-inward-and-not-outward-and-so-it-does-not-depend-on-what/#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 } } ] } ```