--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Life works upon a compensating balance…" description: "\"Life works upon a compensating balance, and the happiness we gain in one direction we lose in another.\" — Jerome K. Jerome" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58c/jerome-k-jerome-1155_balance_life-works-upon-a-compensating-balance-a_2777990.png" --- # Life works upon a compensating balance, and the happiness… ![“Life works upon a compensating balance, and the happiness we gain in one direction we lose in another.” quote by Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58c/jerome-k-jerome-1155_balance_life-works-upon-a-compensating-balance-a_2777990.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58c/jerome-k-jerome-1155_balance_life-works-upon-a-compensating-balance-a_2777990.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58c/jerome-k-jerome-1155_balance_life-works-upon-a-compensating-balance-a_2777990.png) > “Life works upon a compensating balance, and the happiness we gain in one direction we lose in another.” [Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life maintains equilibrium; gains in one area often cause losses in another, reflecting a compensatory balance. **In simple terms:** Balance requires trade‑offs. Key Takeaway Seek harmony, accept trade‑offs. Themes balance tradeoffs equilibrium Mood thoughtful balanced Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - career - health - relationships Key Concepts philosophy economics Questions to Reflect On - What areas are you sacrificing? - How can you create a net positive balance? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex causality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Balance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-work/) ## Related quotes > [I would think it a greater happiness to gain one soul to Christ than mountains of silver and gold to myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-henry/i-would-think-it-a-greater-happiness-to-gain-one-soul-to-christ-than/) [Matthew Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-henry/) > [No pang that is suffered by man or woman upon the earth will be without its compensating effect . . . if it be met with patience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-e-talmage/no-pang-that-is-suffered-by-man-or-woman-upon-the-earth-will-be/) [James E. 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Jerome > [“George goes to sleep at a bank from ten to four each day, except Saturdays, when they wake him up and put him outside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-k-jerome/george-goes-to-sleep-at-a-bank-from-ten-to-four-each-day-except/) [Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) > [“He would use a bit of string this time, and at the critical moment, when the old fool was leaning over the chair at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-k-jerome/he-would-use-a-bit-of-string-this-time-and-at-the-critical-moment/) [Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) > [Some people are under the impression that all that is required to make a good fisherman is the ability to tell lies easily and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-k-jerome/some-people-are-under-the-impression-that-all-that-is-required-to/) [Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) > [It is easy enough to say that poverty is no crime. No; if it were men wouldn't be ashamed of it. It is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-k-jerome/it-is-easy-enough-to-say-that-poverty-is-no-crime-no-if-it-were-men/) [Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) > [Love is woman's business,and in "business" we all lay aside our natural weaknesses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-k-jerome/love-is-woman-s-business-and-in-business-we-all-lay-aside-our-natural/) [Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) > [We are but the veriest, sorriest slaves of our stomach. Reach not after morality and righteousness, my friends; watch vigilantly your stomach, and diet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-k-jerome/we-are-but-the-veriest-sorriest-slaves-of-our-stomach-reach-not-after/) [Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) > [“There was no ground-floor — its ground-floor belonged to a house in the next court, and the front door opened direct upon a flight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-k-jerome/there-was-no-ground-floor-its-ground-floor-belonged-to-a-house-in-the/) [Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) > [“I can understand the ignorant masses loving to soak themselves in drink—oh, yes, it's very shocking that they should, of course—very shocking to us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-k-jerome/i-can-understand-the-ignorant-masses-loving-to-soak-themselves-in/) [Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) > [ They \[dogs\] never talk about themselves but listen to you while you talk about yourself, and keep up an appearance of being interested in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-k-jerome/they-dogs-never-talk-about-themselves-but-listen-to-you-while-you/) [Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) > [“And we sit there, by its margin, while the moon, who loves it too, stoops down to kiss it with a sister’s kiss, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-k-jerome/and-we-sit-there-by-its-margin-while-the-moon-who-loves-it-too-stoops/) [Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) > [“The only feeling that a closer intimacy has created in him for his wife is that of indulgent contempt. As there is no equality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-k-jerome/the-only-feeling-that-a-closer-intimacy-has-created-in-him-for-his/) [Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) > [Evil thought is a dangerous pet. It is safer to play with it from behind the iron bars of circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-k-jerome/evil-thought-is-a-dangerous-pet-it-is-safer-to-play-with-it-from/) [Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) > [If you are foolish enough to be contented, don't show it, but grumble with the rest; and if you can do with a little,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-k-jerome/if-you-are-foolish-enough-to-be-contented-don-t-show-it-but-grumble/) [Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) > [Life will always remain a gamble, with prizes sometimes for the imprudent, and blanks so often to the wise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-k-jerome/life-will-always-remain-a-gamble-with-prizes-sometimes-for-the/) [Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) > [“You can never rouse Harris. There is no poetry about Harris- no wild yearning for the unattainable. Harris never "weeps, he knows not why."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-k-jerome/you-can-never-rouse-harris-there-is-no-poetry-about-harris-no-wild/) [Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) [Explore all 267 Jerome K. Jerome quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) ## More Balance quotes > [Balance suggests a perfect equilibrium. There is no such thing. That is a false expectation… There are going to be priorities and dimensions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-morrison/balance-suggests-a-perfect-equilibrium-there-is-no-such-thing-that-is/) [Denise Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-morrison/) > [The bones of my architecture are very much related to the structure, to the physical fact of how a building can stand up; it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/the-bones-of-my-architecture-are-very-much-related-to-the-structure/) [Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/) > [I can still function when I don't have that balance I crave. 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Humphrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-h-humphrey/) > [“We don't need to strive towards balance, we rather need to work on the obstacles that are preventing the natural flow of balance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-alebraheem/we-don-t-need-to-strive-towards-balance-we-rather-need-to-work-on-the/) [A.A. Alebraheem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-alebraheem/) > [I think that kind of balance comes with the process of growing together as a band, the Little Dragon. We love to write, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukimi-nagano/i-think-that-kind-of-balance-comes-with-the-process-of-growing/) [Yukimi Nagano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukimi-nagano/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [At times of recession, running a budget deficit is highly desirable. Once the economy begins to recover, you have to balance the budget. 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Five hundred miles an hour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yanni/when-it-comes-down-to-music-i-have-no-balance-i-am-100-percent-it-is/) [Yanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yanni/) [Browse all 5,166 Balance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Life works upon a compensating balance, and the happiness we gain in one direction we lose in another.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jerome K. 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