--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If getting is the key to your happiness…" description: "\"“If getting is the key to your happiness your key will open few doors. If giving is the key to your happiness you will find few doors locked.”\" — James..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca9/james-howe-12263_door_if-getting-is-the-key-to-your-happiness_2884181.jpg" --- # If getting is the key to your happiness your key will open… ![“If getting is the key to your happiness your key will open few doors. If giving is the key to your happiness you will find few doors locked.” quote by James Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca9/james-howe-12263_door_if-getting-is-the-key-to-your-happiness_2884181.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca9/james-howe-12263_door_if-getting-is-the-key-to-your-happiness_2884181.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca9/james-howe-12263_door_if-getting-is-the-key-to-your-happiness_2884181.jpg) > ““If getting is the key to your happiness your key will open few doors. If giving is the key to your happiness you will find few doors locked.”” [James Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howe/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Happiness comes from giving, not receiving; generosity opens more opportunities than selfishness. **In simple terms:** Giving brings happiness, receiving does not. Key Takeaway Focus on giving to find fulfillment. Themes generosity happiness purpose Mood reflective encouraging Type ethical inspirational When to use this quote - volunteering - relationship building - career advancement Key Concepts self‑interest altruism Questions to Reflect On - How does giving affect your wellbeing? - What barriers stop you from giving? A Different Perspective Giving may not always be reciprocated. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Door](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/door/) [Getting Key](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/getting-key-4014932/) [Giving Key](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving-key-2854863/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Happiness Doors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness-doors-4014931/) [Happiness Key](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness-key-743690/) [Key Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/key-happiness/) ## Related quotes > [Success is not the key to happiness, happiness is the key to success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-cain/success-is-not-the-key-to-happiness-happiness-is-the-key-to-success-3/) [Herman Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-cain/) > [Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. 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Happiness is they key to success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kourtnee-willams/success-isn-t-the-key-to-happiness-happiness-is-they-key-to-success/) [Kourtnee Willams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kourtnee-willams/) > [“Giving is the key to all success in all applications of human life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/giving-is-the-key-to-all-success-in-all-applications-of-human-life/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [Some people wish they could put some sort of lock on their heart. 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If I give or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rasheed-ogunlaru/by-simple-mathematics-giving-is-key-to-the-world-you-seek-to-live-in/) [Rasheed Ogunlaru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rasheed-ogunlaru/) > [When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/when-i-was-5-years-old-my-mother-always-told-me-that-happiness-was-2/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [When I was 5 years old my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. 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WHEN I WENT TO SKOOL, THEY…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/youness/when-i-was-5-years-oldd-my-mom-always-told-me-that-happiness-is-the/) [YOUNESS](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/youness/) ## More by James Howe > [“Who do you see when you think of you? Are you an outsider, Cool, distant, angry, swimming against the current, or are you in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howe/who-do-you-see-when-you-think-of-you-are-you-an-outsider-cool-distant/) [James Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howe/) > [“The future is a trickster rabbit, full of surprises. Only the past is predictable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howe/the-future-is-a-trickster-rabbit-full-of-surprises-only-the-past-is/) [James Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howe/) > [So does being cool mean you get to go around calling other people names?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howe/so-does-being-cool-mean-you-get-to-go-around-calling-other-people/) [James Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howe/) > [“I am who I say I am, I'm not some fantasy of how you think you think you know or who I ought to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howe/i-am-who-i-say-i-am-i-m-not-some-fantasy-of-how-you-think-you-think/) [James Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howe/) > [And that's an even greater love: to love somebody when he's a little...worn at the edges. —Teddy Bear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howe/and-that-s-an-even-greater-love-to-love-somebody-when-he-s-a-little/) [James Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howe/) > [Crying can help, too. 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He was another Christmas present from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howe/i-hated-that-the-soldier-doll-had-my-name-i-mean-please-i-didn-t-play/) [James Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howe/) > [“At this point, Chester started to bathe his tail, which is a cat's way of changing a subject he finds uncomfortable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howe/at-this-point-chester-started-to-bathe-his-tail-which-is-a-cat-s-way/) [James Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howe/) > [“Harold: "It so happens I was discussing great works of literature with Toby." 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That of the myriads who Before us passed the door of Darkness through, Not one returns to tell us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/strange-is-it-not-that-of-the-myriads-who-before-us-passed-the-door/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [When one door closes another doesn't just open, you can either open the same door or open a different one...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-one-door-closes-another-doesn-t-just-open-you-can-either-open/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I wonder: when a Jehovah's Witness dies and goes to Heaven, does God hide behind the door and pretend He's not home?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-celio/i-wonder-when-a-jehovah-s-witness-dies-and-goes-to-heaven-does-god/) [Brian Celio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-celio/) > [We can't love a place or a person if we always have one foot out the door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-weiner/we-can-t-love-a-place-or-a-person-if-we-always-have-one-foot-out-the/) [Eric Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-weiner/) > [Kindness unlocks doors that were thought to be closed forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unkown/kindness-unlocks-doors-that-were-thought-to-be-closed-forever/) [Unkown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/unkown/) > [Dear parents,knocking while open the door to my bedroom kind of defeats the purpose of knocking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/dear-parents-knocking-while-open-the-door-to-my-bedroom-kind-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There are times when we can feel destiny close around us like a fist around a doorknob. 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I am closing the door on managing the Mets and probably everybody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-torre/i-won-t-be-managing-the-mets-i-am-closing-the-door-on-managing-the/) [Joe Torre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-torre/) > [If opportunity doesnt knock, build a door…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-opportunity-doesnt-knock-build-a-door/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Couples Therapy' is pretty big for me because it's opening the door to a new audience - a hip-hop following, which I feel is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carmen-carrera/couples-therapy-is-pretty-big-for-me-because-it-s-opening-the-door-to/) [Carmen Carrera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carmen-carrera/) > [“Happiness isn't something that you plan for. It comes knocking unexpectedly, just like opportunity. 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