--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We take it for granted that life is hard…" description: "\"We take it for granted that life is hard and feel lucky to have whatever happiness we get. We do not look upon happiness as a birthright, nor do we exp..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f0/jean-liedloff-31409_birthright_we-take-it-for-granted-that-life-is-hard_1002479.jpg" --- # We take it for granted that life is hard and feel lucky to… ![“We take it for granted that life is hard and feel lucky to have whatever happiness we get. We do not look upon happiness as a birthright, nor do we expect it to be more than peace or contentment. Real joy, the state in which the Yequana spend much of their lives, is exceedingly rare among us.” quote by Jean Liedloff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f0/jean-liedloff-31409_birthright_we-take-it-for-granted-that-life-is-hard_1002479.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f0/jean-liedloff-31409_birthright_we-take-it-for-granted-that-life-is-hard_1002479.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f0/jean-liedloff-31409_birthright_we-take-it-for-granted-that-life-is-hard_1002479.jpg) > “We take it for granted that life is hard and feel lucky to have whatever happiness we get. We do not look upon happiness as a birthright, nor do we expect it to be more than peace or contentment. Real joy, the state in which the Yequana spend much of their lives, is exceedingly rare among us.” [Jean Liedloff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-liedloff/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Happiness is often taken for granted, seen as rare and fleeting, while true joy—like that of the Yequana—is uncommon and requires deeper appreciation. **In simple terms:** True joy is rare and often overlooked. Key Takeaway Seek deeper appreciation of happiness. Themes happiness contentment joy cultural perspective Mood contemplative serene Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - daily gratitude practice - community building - mental health initiatives - cultural exchange programs Key Concepts psychology of well‑being anthropology mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - What practices foster lasting contentment? - How can we view happiness as a right? A Different Perspective Societal pressures can obscure genuine joy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Birthright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/birthright/) [Contentment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contentment/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Lucky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lucky/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Real joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-joy/) ## Related quotes > [“You were born of two flawed yet beautiful souls. Happiness is your birthright, and love is your guide.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-leigh-mercree/you-were-born-of-two-flawed-yet-beautiful-souls-happiness-is-your/) [Amy Leigh Mercree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-leigh-mercree/) > [Each of us has a genuine capacity for love, forgiveness, wisdom and compassion. Meditation awakens these qualities so that we can discover for ourselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-salzberg/each-of-us-has-a-genuine-capacity-for-love-forgiveness-wisdom-and/) [Sharon Salzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-salzberg/) > [Happiness is your birthright. Live it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh-yogi/happiness-is-your-birthright-live-it/) [Harbhajan Singh Yogi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh-yogi/) > [The belief that happiness has to be deserved has led to centuries of pain, guilt, and deception. So firmly have we clung to this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-holden/the-belief-that-happiness-has-to-be-deserved-has-led-to-centuries-of/) [Robert Holden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-holden/) > [Contentment is the only real wealth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-nobel/contentment-is-the-only-real-wealth/) [Alfred Nobel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-nobel/) > [“Life's too gorgeous to be sad! Why settle for a frown when you can turn that upside down into a smiley emoji? Dive into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/life-is-positive/life-s-too-gorgeous-to-be-sad-why-settle-for-a-frown-when-you-can/) Life is Positive > [If there is any one thing that will bring peace and contentment into the human heart, and into the family, it is to live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heber-j-grant/if-there-is-any-one-thing-that-will-bring-peace-and-contentment-into-2/) [Heber J. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heber-j-grant/) > [“If there is any one thing that will bring peace and contentment into the human heart, and into the family, it is to live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heber-j-grant/if-there-is-any-one-thing-that-will-bring-peace-and-contentment-into/) [Heber J. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heber-j-grant/) > [I acknowledge with great gratitude the peace and contentment we can find for ourselves in the spiritual cocoons of our homes, our sacrament meetings,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-e-faust/i-acknowledge-with-great-gratitude-the-peace-and-contentment-we-can/) [James E. Faust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-e-faust/) > [Peace and contentment come from being to totally happy with who you are and what you have, independent of anyone or anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/peace-and-contentment-come-from-being-to-totally-happy-with-who-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A prominent judge was asked what we, as citizens of the countries of the world, could do to reduce crime and disobedience to law…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-s-monson/a-prominent-judge-was-asked-what-we-as-citizens-of-the-countries-of/) [Thomas S. Monson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-s-monson/) > [The most difficult thing to adjust to, apparently, is peace and contentment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/the-most-difficult-thing-to-adjust-to-apparently-is-peace-and/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [Prayer can solve more problems, alleviate more suffering, prevent more transgression, and bring about greater peace and contentment in the human soul than can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-s-monson/prayer-can-solve-more-problems-alleviate-more-suffering-prevent-more/) [Thomas S. Monson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-s-monson/) > [Eventually, we reach the point where we start to realize that we are not going to find peace, contentment, happiness, strength, fearlessness - all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-finley/eventually-we-reach-the-point-where-we-start-to-realize-that-we-are/) [Guy Finley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-finley/) > [All your horse looks for is the thing that matters most, peace and contentment. Give it to him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buck-brannaman/all-your-horse-looks-for-is-the-thing-that-matters-most-peace-and/) [Buck Brannaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buck-brannaman/) ## More by Jean Liedloff > [This, at last, was where things were as they ought to be. Everything was in its place -- the tree, the earth underneath, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-liedloff/this-at-last-was-where-things-were-as-they-ought-to-be-everything-was/) [Jean Liedloff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-liedloff/) > [Happiness ceases to be a normal condition of being alive, and becomes a goal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-liedloff/happiness-ceases-to-be-a-normal-condition-of-being-alive-and-becomes/) [Jean Liedloff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-liedloff/) > [I would be ashamed to admit to the Indians that, where I come from, the women do not feel themselves capable of raising children…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-liedloff/i-would-be-ashamed-to-admit-to-the-indians-that-where-i-come-from-the/) [Jean Liedloff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-liedloff/) > [The two words that I've arrived at to describe what we all need to feel about ourselves, children and adults, in order to perceive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-liedloff/the-two-words-that-i-ve-arrived-at-to-describe-what-we-all-need-to/) [Jean Liedloff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-liedloff/) > [The broader unquestioned premises upon which my own culture founded its view of the human condition, such as the one that Unhappiness is as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-liedloff/the-broader-unquestioned-premises-upon-which-my-own-culture-founded/) [Jean Liedloff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-liedloff/) > [It is our genetic nature as a species to believe as young children that our parents and elders are right. We watch them to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-liedloff/it-is-our-genetic-nature-as-a-species-to-believe-as-young-children/) [Jean Liedloff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-liedloff/) > [Children need to see that they are assumed to be well-intentioned, naturally social people who are trying to do the right thing and who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-liedloff/children-need-to-see-that-they-are-assumed-to-be-well-intentioned/) [Jean Liedloff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-liedloff/) > [Our parents, our tribesman, our authority figures, clearly expect us to be bad or anti-social or greedy or selfish or dirty or destructive or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-liedloff/our-parents-our-tribesman-our-authority-figures-clearly-expect-us-to/) [Jean Liedloff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-liedloff/) > [I knew, even at eight, that the confusion of values thrust upon me by parents, teachers, other children, nannies, camp counselors, and others would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-liedloff/i-knew-even-at-eight-that-the-confusion-of-values-thrust-upon-me-by/) [Jean Liedloff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-liedloff/) > [It's perfectly clear that the millions of babies, who are crying at this very moment, want unanimously to be next to a live body.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-liedloff/it-s-perfectly-clear-that-the-millions-of-babies-who-are-crying-at/) [Jean Liedloff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-liedloff/) > [As a child I was attracted to Tarzan and everything that had to do with jungles. It seemed to me -- and this is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-liedloff/as-a-child-i-was-attracted-to-tarzan-and-everything-that-had-to-do/) [Jean Liedloff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-liedloff/) > [A baby's cry is precisely as serious as it sounds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-liedloff/a-baby-s-cry-is-precisely-as-serious-as-it-sounds/) [Jean Liedloff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-liedloff/) > [Our own system of trying to guess what or how much a child's mind can assimilate results in cross purposes, misunderstanding, disappointments, anger and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-liedloff/our-own-system-of-trying-to-guess-what-or-how-much-a-child-s-mind-can/) [Jean Liedloff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-liedloff/) > [Pain and illness, the deaths of those one loves, and discomforts and disappointments mar the happy norm, but they do not alter the fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-liedloff/pain-and-illness-the-deaths-of-those-one-loves-and-discomforts-and/) [Jean Liedloff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-liedloff/) > [Nobody's born rotten. You just don't have bad kids. It's not true. There is no such thing. But we can make them bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-liedloff/nobody-s-born-rotten-you-just-don-t-have-bad-kids-it-s-not-true-there/) [Jean Liedloff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-liedloff/) [Explore all 16 Jean Liedloff quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-liedloff/) ## More Birthright quotes > [“Do not trade your birthright as a mother for some bauble of passing value. Let your first interest be in your home. The baby…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-b-hinckley/do-not-trade-your-birthright-as-a-mother-for-some-bauble-of-passing/) [Gordon B. Hinckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-b-hinckley/) > [It is your birthright to live a life abundant in love. Make the commitment today to open your heart and let your love flow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-simon/it-is-your-birthright-to-live-a-life-abundant-in-love-make-the/) [David Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-simon/) > [Now, we are agreed, I and my destinies. The total world, Above, below, whate'er is seen or known, And all that men, and all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hartley-coleridge/now-we-are-agreed-i-and-my-destinies-the-total-world-above-below/) [Hartley Coleridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hartley-coleridge/) > [“You're not like other Wasps." "Aren't I?" Aagen smiled, but it was a painful smile. "No doubt you've killed my kinsmen by the score."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-tchaikovsky/you-re-not-like-other-wasps-aren-t-i-aagen-smiled-but-it-was-a/) [Adrian Tchaikovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-tchaikovsky/) > [I believe that many lives around us now can reflect this strange pattern of migration and movement. The question is: are we aware of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-dawes/i-believe-that-many-lives-around-us-now-can-reflect-this-strange/) [Kwame Dawes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-dawes/) > [We often block our own blessings because we don't feel inherently good enough or smart enough or pretty enough or worthy enough... You're worthy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/we-often-block-our-own-blessings-because-we-don-t-feel-inherently/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [Congress decides who becomes a citizen and how. To automatically say the 14th Amendment grants birthright citizenship, no, we can't change that. Amending the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/congress-decides-who-becomes-a-citizen-and-how-to-automatically-say/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [None of us is born thinking we are ordinary. Feeling special is an essential part of the human birthright. If you don't think you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shmuley-boteach/none-of-us-is-born-thinking-we-are-ordinary-feeling-special-is-an/) [Shmuley Boteach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shmuley-boteach/) > [It's like a woman's birthright to knit. It's primal. It's timeless. You don't need electricity to knit. You can do it with a candle,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracey-ullman/it-s-like-a-woman-s-birthright-to-knit-it-s-primal-it-s-timeless-you/) [Tracey Ullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracey-ullman/) > [Flourishing is everyone's birthright. I'm trying to break this hold that being smiley and cheery has on what people think the good life is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jurvetson/flourishing-is-everyone-s-birthright-i-m-trying-to-break-this-hold/) [Steve Jurvetson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jurvetson/) > [People shouldn't think that something is their birthright. They need to prove themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janhvi-kapoor/people-shouldn-t-think-that-something-is-their-birthright-they-need/) [Janhvi Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janhvi-kapoor/) > [It is your birthright to discover your sacred contract. It will guide you to find your divine destiny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-myss/it-is-your-birthright-to-discover-your-sacred-contract-it-will-guide/) [Caroline Myss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-myss/) > [Freedom is the alone unoriginated birthright of man, and belongs to him by force of his humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/freedom-is-the-alone-unoriginated-birthright-of-man-and-belongs-to/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [The Society is based on that great bottom law of human right, that nothing but crime can forfeit liberty. That no condition of birth,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dwight-weld/the-society-is-based-on-that-great-bottom-law-of-human-right-that/) Theodore Dwight Weld > [We have sold our birthright of freedom and justice for a mess of national security.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sloane-coffin/we-have-sold-our-birthright-of-freedom-and-justice-for-a-mess-of/) [William Sloane Coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sloane-coffin/) [Browse all 263 Birthright quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/birthright/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We take it for granted that life is hard and feel lucky to have whatever happiness we get. We do not look upon happiness as a birthright, nor do we expect it to be more than peace or contentment. 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