---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My liveliest delight was in having…"
description: "\"My liveliest delight was in having conquered myself.\" — Jean-Jacques Rousseau"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/942/jean-jacques-rousseau-418_conquered_my-liveliest-delight-was-in-having-conqu_1030252.png"
---

#  My liveliest delight was in having conquered myself.

![“My liveliest delight was in having conquered myself.” quote by Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/942/jean-jacques-rousseau-418_conquered_my-liveliest-delight-was-in-having-conqu_1030252.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/942/jean-jacques-rousseau-418_conquered_my-liveliest-delight-was-in-having-conqu_1030252.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/942/jean-jacques-rousseau-418_conquered_my-liveliest-delight-was-in-having-conqu_1030252.png)

> “My liveliest delight was in having conquered myself.”

[Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/)

## About This Quote

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

Finds greatest joy in mastering one's own impulses and achieving self‑control

**In simple terms:** Joy comes from self‑mastery

Key Takeaway

Practice self‑discipline, seek inner peace

Themes

philosophy self‑control joy

Mood

reflective inspired

Type

philosophical motivational

When to use this quote

- daily meditation
- habit formation
- conflict resolution

Key Concepts

autonomy personal growth

Questions to Reflect On

- What inner obstacles do you need to conquer?
- How does self‑mastery affect relationships?

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Conquered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conquered/) [Delight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delight/) [Delight Having](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delight-having-2348303/) [Having Conquered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/having-conquered-1422783/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Liveliest Delight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liveliest-delight-2348302/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/)

## Related quotes

> [It was one of those moments of perfect tiredness, of having conquered not only the work at hand, but the night who had blocked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/it-was-one-of-those-moments-of-perfect-tiredness-of-having-conquered/)

[Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/)

> [“He fought the men and he slayed the monsters and he bested the gods, and at last the hero, having conquered all, earned the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-schwab/he-fought-the-men-and-he-slayed-the-monsters-and-he-bested-the-gods/)

[Victoria Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-schwab/)

> [Do not ever go back to that from which decided to leave. As much as you did not ask, and how would you not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-monroe/do-not-ever-go-back-to-that-from-which-decided-to-leave-as-much-as/)

[Marilyn Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-monroe/)

> [“moments of perfect tiredness, of having conquered not only the work at hand, but the night who had blocked the way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/moments-of-perfect-tiredness-of-having-conquered-not-only-the-work-at/)

[Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/)

> [Men ought to know that from nothing else but the brain come joys, delights, laughter and sports, and sorrows, griefs, despondency, and lamentations. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hippocrates/men-ought-to-know-that-from-nothing-else-but-the-brain-come-joys/)

[Hippocrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hippocrates/)

> [I bow in reverence before the emotions of every melted heart…The more intense the delight in their presence, the more poignant the impression of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-martineau/i-bow-in-reverence-before-the-emotions-of-every-melted-heart-the-more/)

[James Martineau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-martineau/)

> [The delight we take in our senses is an implicit desire to know the ultimate reason for things, the highest cause. The desire for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josef-pieper/the-delight-we-take-in-our-senses-is-an-implicit-desire-to-know-the/)

[Josef Pieper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josef-pieper/)

> [The delight in natural things - colors, forms, scents - when there was nothing to restrain or hamper it, has often been a kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-augusta-ward/the-delight-in-natural-things-colors-forms-scents-when-there-was/)

[Mary Augusta Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-augusta-ward/)

> [YOUR love brings Me joy, happiness, delight, and ET CETERA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bokamoso-bruce-tlhwaele/your-love-brings-me-joy-happiness-delight-and-et-cetera/)

[Bokamoso Bruce Tlhwaele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bokamoso-bruce-tlhwaele/)

> [It is not merely the multiplicity of tints, the gladness of tone, or the balminess of the air which delight in the spring; it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/novalis/it-is-not-merely-the-multiplicity-of-tints-the-gladness-of-tone-or/)

[Novalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/novalis/)

> [Even the smallest landscape can offer pride of ownership not only to its inhabitants but to its neighbors. The world delights in a garden……](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-moir-messervy/even-the-smallest-landscape-can-offer-pride-of-ownership-not-only-to/)

[Julie Moir Messervy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-moir-messervy/)

> [“Few delights can equal the mere presence of one whom we trust utterly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/few-delights-can-equal-the-mere-presence-of-one-whom-we-trust-utterly/)

[George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/)

> [“You are a constant fucking delight. I don’t think anyone could ever doubt that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kylie-scott/you-are-a-constant-fucking-delight-i-don-t-think-anyone-could-ever/)

[Kylie Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kylie-scott/)

> [“The gift of words, the source of enjoyment, the source of delight that comes within and the unfading beauty and energy of words.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euginia-herlihy/the-gift-of-words-the-source-of-enjoyment-the-source-of-delight-that/)

[Euginia Herlihy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euginia-herlihy/)

> [Here's the reality. The image of a white Jesus has been used to justify enslavement, conquest, colonialism, the genocide of indigenous peoples. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/here-s-the-reality-the-image-of-a-white-jesus-has-been-used-to/)

[Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/)

## More by Jean-Jacques Rousseau

> [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/)

> [Take the course opposite to custom and you will almost always do well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/take-the-course-opposite-to-custom-and-you-will-almost-always-do-well/)

[Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/)

> [Everything we do not have at our birth and which we need when we are grown is given to us by education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/everything-we-do-not-have-at-our-birth-and-which-we-need-when-we-are/)

[Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/)

> [The first person who, having enclosed a plot of land, took it into his head to say this is mine and found people simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/the-first-person-who-having-enclosed-a-plot-of-land-took-it-into-his/)

[Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/)

> [...in respect of riches, no citizen shall ever be wealthy enough to buy another, and none poor enough to be forced to sell himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/in-respect-of-riches-no-citizen-shall-ever-be-wealthy-enough-to-buy/)

[Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/)

> [Take from the philosopher the pleasure of being heard and his desire for knowledge ceases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/take-from-the-philosopher-the-pleasure-of-being-heard-and-his-desire/)

[Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/)

> [Men, in general, are not this or that, they are what they are made to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/men-in-general-are-not-this-or-that-they-are-what-they-are-made-to-be/)

[Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/)

> [I would rather be a man of paradoxes than a man of prejudices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/i-would-rather-be-a-man-of-paradoxes-than-a-man-of-prejudices/)

[Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/)

> [“O Fabricius! What would your great soul have thought, if to your own misfortune you had been called back to life and had seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/o-fabricius-what-would-your-great-soul-have-thought-if-to-your-own/)

[Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/)

> [“The sword wears out its sheath, as it is sometimes said. That is my story. My passions have made me live, and my passions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/the-sword-wears-out-its-sheath-as-it-is-sometimes-said-that-is-my/)

[Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/)

> [Whence do I get my rules of conduct? I find them in my heart. Whatever I feel to be good is good. Whatever I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/whence-do-i-get-my-rules-of-conduct-i-find-them-in-my-heart-whatever/)

[Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/)

> [“If one divided all of human science into two parts - the one common to all men, the other particular to the learned -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/if-one-divided-all-of-human-science-into-two-parts-the-one-common-to/)

[Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/)

> [The social compact sets up among the citizens as equality of such kind, that they all bind themselves to observe the same conditions and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/the-social-compact-sets-up-among-the-citizens-as-equality-of-such/)

[Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/)

> [I do not know is a phrase which becomes us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/i-do-not-know-is-a-phrase-which-becomes-us/)

[Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/)

> [“How could I become wicked, when I had nothing but examples of gentleness before my eyes, and none around me but the best people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/how-could-i-become-wicked-when-i-had-nothing-but-examples-of/)

[Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/)

[Explore all 518 Jean-Jacques Rousseau quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/)

## More Conquered quotes

> [Here's the reality. The image of a white Jesus has been used to justify enslavement, conquest, colonialism, the genocide of indigenous peoples. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/here-s-the-reality-the-image-of-a-white-jesus-has-been-used-to/)

[Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/)

> [Defeat furnishes good material to the poets and the artists, but none of us care to have the glory of the conquered apply to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-glaspell/defeat-furnishes-good-material-to-the-poets-and-the-artists-but-none/)

[Susan Glaspell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-glaspell/)

> [“We were thinking, we have conquered time but, ‘HE’ replied in 2020.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajesh-walecha/we-were-thinking-we-have-conquered-time-but-he-replied-in-2020/)

[Rajesh Walecha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajesh-walecha/)

> [My honour was not yielded, but conquered merely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cleopatra/my-honour-was-not-yielded-but-conquered-merely/)

[Cleopatra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cleopatra/)

> [The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-de-coubertin/the-essential-thing-is-not-to-have-conquered-but-to-have-fought-well/)

[Pierre de Coubertin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-de-coubertin/)

> [Of course, mankind would not have landed on the Moon in 1969, were it not for two things: conquered Nazi rocket technology and post-war…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duke/of-course-mankind-would-not-have-landed-on-the-moon-in-1969-were-it/)

[Charles Duke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duke/)

> [I came, I saw, I conquered From record sales to sold out concerts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/i-came-i-saw-i-conquered-from-record-sales-to-sold-out-concerts/)

[Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/)

> [Like us many have spoken over this spring, but they were gone in the twinkling of an eye. We conquered the world with bravery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babur/like-us-many-have-spoken-over-this-spring-but-they-were-gone-in-the/)

[Babur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babur/)

> [“Life was terrible. It was as though they could understand, as though they could read in one another’s eyes, that the power which had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vasily-grossman/life-was-terrible-it-was-as-though-they-could-understand-as-though/)

[Vasily Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vasily-grossman/)

> [When the enemies' land force is once conquered and expelled from the continent, our Marine will rise as if by enchantment and become, within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-jones/when-the-enemies-land-force-is-once-conquered-and-expelled-from-the/)

[John Paul Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-jones/)

> [Do not ever go back to that from which decided to leave. As much as you did not ask, and how would you not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-monroe/do-not-ever-go-back-to-that-from-which-decided-to-leave-as-much-as/)

[Marilyn Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-monroe/)

> [Addiction is rarely conquered alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-hopkins/addiction-is-rarely-conquered-alone/)

[Ellen Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-hopkins/)

> [“Boy, there are people who conquered half the world, slaughtered whole populations, wiped cultures off the face of the planet, and you know what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-maberry/boy-there-are-people-who-conquered-half-the-world-slaughtered-whole/)

[Jonathan Maberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-maberry/)

> [A nation is not conquered which is perpetually to be conquered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/a-nation-is-not-conquered-which-is-perpetually-to-be-conquered/)

[Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/)

> [Only through time time is conquered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/only-through-time-time-is-conquered/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

[Browse all 256 Conquered quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conquered/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "My liveliest delight was in having conquered myself.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jean-Jacques Rousseau"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/my-liveliest-delight-was-in-having-conquered-myself/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Conquered"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/my-liveliest-delight-was-in-having-conquered-myself/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/942/jean-jacques-rousseau-418_conquered_my-liveliest-delight-was-in-having-conqu_1030252.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/942/jean-jacques-rousseau-418_conquered_my-liveliest-delight-was-in-having-conqu_1030252.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/942/jean-jacques-rousseau-418_conquered_my-liveliest-delight-was-in-having-conqu_1030252.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“My liveliest delight was in having conquered myself.” — Jean-Jacques Rousseau",
                "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": "Jean-Jacques Rousseau",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "My liveliest delight was in having...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/my-liveliest-delight-was-in-having-conquered-myself/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/my-liveliest-delight-was-in-having-conquered-myself/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
