--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We wish to constitute all the happiness…" description: "\"We wish to constitute all the happiness, or, if that cannot be, the misery of the one we love.\" — Jean de la Bruyere" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/223/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_happiness_we-wish-to-constitute-all-the-happiness_99183.jpg" --- # We wish to constitute all the happiness, or, if that… ![“We wish to constitute all the happiness, or, if that cannot be, the misery of the one we love.” quote by Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/223/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_happiness_we-wish-to-constitute-all-the-happiness_99183.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/223/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_happiness_we-wish-to-constitute-all-the-happiness_99183.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/223/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_happiness_we-wish-to-constitute-all-the-happiness_99183.jpg) > “We wish to constitute all the happiness, or, if that cannot be, the misery of the one we love.” [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. People often prioritize the happiness of loved ones over personal comfort, sometimes accepting personal suffering for their wellbeing. **In simple terms:** We sacrifice self for loved ones’ happiness. Key Takeaway Love can drive self‑sacrifice, even into misery. Themes love self‑sacrifice ethics emotional bonds Mood empathetic somber Type moral philosophical When to use this quote - caring for an ill parent - supporting a partner’s career - donating time to charity - making personal sacrifices for a child Key Concepts altruism moral dilemma Practical Applications - communicate boundaries while caring - evaluate the cost of sacrifice Questions to Reflect On - When does self‑sacrifice become unhealthy? - How can we balance personal wellbeing with caring for others? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Misery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misery/) [Self love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-love/) [Selfishness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selfishness/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/) ## Related quotes > [Conscious virtue is the only solid foundation of all happiness; for riches, power, rank, or whatever, in the common acceptation ofthe word, is supposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/conscious-virtue-is-the-only-solid-foundation-of-all-happiness-for/) [Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/) > [“I am only resolved to act in that manner, which will, in my own opinion, constitute my happiness,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/i-am-only-resolved-to-act-in-that-manner-which-will-in-my-own-opinion-2/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [A multitude of small delights constitute happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-baudelaire/a-multitude-of-small-delights-constitute-happiness/) [Charles Baudelaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-baudelaire/) > [I am only resolved to act in that manner, which will, in my own opinion, constitute my happiness, without reference to you, or to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/i-am-only-resolved-to-act-in-that-manner-which-will-in-my-own-opinion/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [“Happiness is a frame of mind. 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Love is a big piece of dark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/watching-waiting-stalking-searching-skulking-smiling-love-is-not-all/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [People love misery, they love to feel sorry for themselves, and they definitely don't want to be enlightened. That's the first thing they tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/people-love-misery-they-love-to-feel-sorry-for-themselves-and-they/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Ordinary human love results in misery. Love for God brings blessedness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarada-devi/ordinary-human-love-results-in-misery-love-for-god-brings-blessedness/) [Sarada Devi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarada-devi/) > [Love had never got a hold on me. Until you stepped out of a dream. My life once a misery. Now your love has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/koop/love-had-never-got-a-hold-on-me-until-you-stepped-out-of-a-dream-my/) [Koop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/koop/) ## 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 Happiness quotes > [Life is full of change. 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