--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If this life is unhappy, it is a burden…" description: "\"If this life is unhappy, it is a burden to us, which it is difficult to bear; if it is in every respect happy, it is dreadful to be deprived of it; so ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/275/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_anxiety_if-this-life-is-unhappy-it-is-a-burden-t_1934339.jpg" --- # If this life is unhappy, it is a burden to us, which it is… ![“If this life is unhappy, it is a burden to us, which it is difficult to bear; if it is in every respect happy, it is dreadful to be deprived of it; so that in either case the result is the same, for we must exist in anxiety and apprehension.” quote by Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/275/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_anxiety_if-this-life-is-unhappy-it-is-a-burden-t_1934339.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/275/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_anxiety_if-this-life-is-unhappy-it-is-a-burden-t_1934339.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/275/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_anxiety_if-this-life-is-unhappy-it-is-a-burden-t_1934339.jpg) > “If this life is unhappy, it is a burden to us, which it is difficult to bear; if it is in every respect happy, it is dreadful to be deprived of it; so that in either case the result is the same, for we must exist in anxiety and apprehension.” [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life inevitably brings anxiety whether it feels burdensome or missed, leading to a constant state of apprehension. **In simple terms:** Both happiness and unhappiness cause anxiety. Key Takeaway Accept uncertainty and seek inner calm. Themes anxiety existence philosophy Mood reflective somber Type philosophical existential When to use this quote - daily stress - relationship loss - career uncertainty - health concerns Key Concepts Stoicism existentialism human condition Questions to Reflect On - How do you react to inevitable uncertainty? - What practices help you find peace amid anxiety? A Different Perspective Anxiety can be mitigated through mindfulness and perspective shifts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anxiety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxiety/) [Apprehension](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apprehension/) [Bears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bears/) [Burden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burden/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Unhappy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-unhappy/) [This life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/this-life/) [Unhappy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unhappy/) ## Related quotes > [If our life is unhappy it is painful to bear; if it is happy it is horrible to lose, So the one is pretty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/if-our-life-is-unhappy-it-is-painful-to-bear-if-it-is-happy-it-is/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [When life is unhappy it is hard to endure, when it is happy it is terrible to think of it ending. 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Life will be unhappy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/not-to-follow-the-dharma-leads-to-disaster-life-will-be-unhappy/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [I think I didn't know what I was creating, as much as I knew what I didn't want to do. And I didn't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/i-think-i-didn-t-know-what-i-was-creating-as-much-as-i-knew-what-i/) [Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/) > [If you have to go through life being unhappy to conform to society around you, that's not a very good deal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dell/if-you-have-to-go-through-life-being-unhappy-to-conform-to-society/) [Michael Dell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dell/) > [Sometimes in life you are so unhappy, you just want to give up on everything!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nickey-noeth/sometimes-in-life-you-are-so-unhappy-you-just-want-to-give-up-on/) [Nickey Noeth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nickey-noeth/) > [I looked at the ceiling and wished this life was over. This unhappy life that had started out so confidently. I thought I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/i-looked-at-the-ceiling-and-wished-this-life-was-over-this-unhappy/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) ## More by Jean de la Bruyere > [I cannot forbid a person to marry several wives, for it does not contradict Scripture. MARTIN LUTHER, letter to Chancellor Gregory Brück, January 13,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/i-cannot-forbid-a-person-to-marry-several-wives-for-it-does-not/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [The unfaithful woman, if she is known for such by the person concerned, is only unfaithful. If she is thought faithful, she is perfidious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/the-unfaithful-woman-if-she-is-known-for-such-by-the-person-concerned/) [Jean De La Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [What greater weakness can there be than not to know what is the source of one's being, of one's life, of one's senses, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/what-greater-weakness-can-there-be-than-not-to-know-what-is-the/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [Some people pretend they never were in love and never wrote poetry; two weaknesses which they dare not own -- one of the heart,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/some-people-pretend-they-never-were-in-love-and-never-wrote-poetry/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [How much wit, good-nature, indulgences, how many good offices and civilities, are required among friends to accomplish in some years what a lovely face…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/how-much-wit-good-nature-indulgences-how-many-good-offices-and/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [A man starts upon a sudden, takes Pen, Ink, and Paper, and without ever having had a thought of it before, resolves within himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/a-man-starts-upon-a-sudden-takes-pen-ink-and-paper-and-without-ever/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [Born merely for the purpose of digestion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/born-merely-for-the-purpose-of-digestion/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [A man of variable mind is not one man, but several men in one; he multiplies himself as often as he changes his taste…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/a-man-of-variable-mind-is-not-one-man-but-several-men-in-one-he/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [He who knows how to wait for what he desires does not feel very desperate if he fails in obtaining it; and he, on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/he-who-knows-how-to-wait-for-what-he-desires-does-not-feel-very/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [The court is like a palace built of marble; I mean that it is made up of very hard but very polished people. \[Fr.,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/the-court-is-like-a-palace-built-of-marble-i-mean-that-it-is-made-up/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [Grief that is dazed and speechless is out of fashion: the modern woman mourns her husband loudly and tells you the whole story of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/grief-that-is-dazed-and-speechless-is-out-of-fashion-the-modern-woman/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [Every hour in itself, as it respects us in particular, is the only one we can call our own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/every-hour-in-itself-as-it-respects-us-in-particular-is-the-only-one/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [To express truth is to write naturally, forcibly, and delicately.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/to-express-truth-is-to-write-naturally-forcibly-and-delicately/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [We perceive wen love begins and wen it declines by our embarrassment when alone together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/we-perceive-wen-love-begins-and-wen-it-declines-by-our-embarrassment/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [I call those men worldly, earthly, or coarse, whose hearts and minds are wholly fixed on this earth, that small part of the universe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/i-call-those-men-worldly-earthly-or-coarse-whose-hearts-and-minds-are/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) [Explore all 464 Jean de la Bruyere quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) ## More Anxiety quotes > [“Anything that you find yourself worrying about regularly may find you suddenly wanting unrealistic changes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nagisa-tatsumi/anything-that-you-find-yourself-worrying-about-regularly-may-find-you/) Nagisa Tatsumi > [Bein Crazy is the least of my worries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/bein-crazy-is-the-least-of-my-worries/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [The answer to deep anxiety is the deep adoration of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/the-answer-to-deep-anxiety-is-the-deep-adoration-of-god/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [“Fear of seeing a police car pull into the drive. Fear of falling asleep at night. Fear of not falling asleep. Fear of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-carver/fear-of-seeing-a-police-car-pull-into-the-drive-fear-of-falling/) [Raymond Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-carver/) > [I get nervous when I don't get nervous. If I'm nervous I know I'm going to have a good show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beyonce-knowles/i-get-nervous-when-i-don-t-get-nervous-if-i-m-nervous-i-know-i-m/) [Beyonce Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beyonce-knowles/) > [“Every invention comes through anxiousness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rakesh-wadhwani/every-invention-comes-through-anxiousness/) [Rakesh Wadhwani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rakesh-wadhwani/) > [“Do Not Be Anxious 25 e “Therefore I tell you,  f do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-not-be-anxious-25-e-therefore-i-tell-you-f-do-not-be-anxious-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Nothing happens on its own, you have to make things happen. 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