--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'll suggest that the happiness…" description: "\"I'll suggest that the happiness hypothesis offered by Buddha and the Stoics should be amended: Happiness comes from within, and happiness comes from wi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/231/jonathan-haidt-1823_ancient_i-ll-suggest-that-the-happiness-hypothes_521508.jpg" --- # I'll suggest that the happiness hypothesis offered by… ![“I'll suggest that the happiness hypothesis offered by Buddha and the Stoics should be amended: Happiness comes from within, and happiness comes from without. We need the guidance of both ancient wisdom and modern science to get the balance right.” quote by Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/231/jonathan-haidt-1823_ancient_i-ll-suggest-that-the-happiness-hypothes_521508.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/231/jonathan-haidt-1823_ancient_i-ll-suggest-that-the-happiness-hypothes_521508.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/231/jonathan-haidt-1823_ancient_i-ll-suggest-that-the-happiness-hypothes_521508.jpg) > “I'll suggest that the happiness hypothesis offered by Buddha and the Stoics should be amended: Happiness comes from within, and happiness comes from without. We need the guidance of both ancient wisdom and modern science to get the balance right.” [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True well‑being requires inner contentment and external conditions, balanced by ancient insight and modern research. **In simple terms:** Both inner and outer factors matter for happiness. Key Takeaway Cultivate inner peace and shape supportive environments. Themes well‑being balance wisdom science Mood reflective optimistic Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - personal development - mental health - relationship building - workplace culture Key Concepts Stoicism Buddhism positive psychology Questions to Reflect On - How can you integrate inner practices with external actions? - What modern evidence supports ancient teachings? A Different Perspective Neglecting either side can lead to imbalance or false expectations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ancient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient/) [Ancient wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient-wisdom/) [Balance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance/) [Buddha Stoics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddha-stoics-4398790/) [Guidance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guidance/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Happiness Hypothesis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness-hypothesis-4398789/) [Hypothesis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hypothesis/) [Hypothesis Offered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hypothesis-offered-4398793/) [Modern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern/) [Modern science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern-science/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Stoicism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stoicism/) [Stoics Amended](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stoics-amended-4398792/) [Suggest Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suggest-happiness-4398791/) ## Related quotes > [Or if the hypothesis were offered us of a world in which Messrs. Fourier's and Bellamy's and Morris's Utopias should all be outdone, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/or-if-the-hypothesis-were-offered-us-of-a-world-in-which-messrs/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [ “\[M\]ost Americans are still drawing some water from the Christian well. But a growing number are inventing their own versions of what Christianity means,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-douthat/m-ost-americans-are-still-drawing-some-water-from-the-christian-well/) [Ross Douthat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-douthat/) > [“Adam was told to name the animals. Adam studied each kind and gave them a name based on his observations. Every animal “kind” has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ben-zehabe/adam-was-told-to-name-the-animals-adam-studied-each-kind-and-gave/) [Michael Ben Zehabe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ben-zehabe/) > [“The ancient wisdom of the masters says that even a mighty oak was once a nut like you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-brown/the-ancient-wisdom-of-the-masters-says-that-even-a-mighty-oak-was/) [Mark Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-brown/) > [“I will purge my mind of the airy claims of church and state, and observe the ancient wisdom of tribesman and peasant, who understood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/i-will-purge-my-mind-of-the-airy-claims-of-church-and-state-and/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [There is no kind of framework within which we can find consciousness in the plural; this is simply something we construct because of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-schrodinger/there-is-no-kind-of-framework-within-which-we-can-find-consciousness/) [Erwin Schrodinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-schrodinger/) > [Modern physics is describing what the ancient wisdom keepers of the Americas have long known. These shamans, known as 'the Earthkeepers,' say that we’re…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-villoldo/modern-physics-is-describing-what-the-ancient-wisdom-keepers-of-the/) [Alberto Villoldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-villoldo/) > [“Animals are not only beholders of great beauty, but they are also beholders of ancient wisdom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-friedenfeld/animals-are-not-only-beholders-of-great-beauty-but-they-are-also/) [Molly Friedenfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-friedenfeld/) > [It is true that neither the ancient wisdoms nor the modern sciences are complete in themselves. They do not stand alone. They call for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/it-is-true-that-neither-the-ancient-wisdoms-nor-the-modern-sciences/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [“Sometimes I think I live in a gap between two worlds, one world that I have to wake up to, be adherent of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riitta-klint/sometimes-i-think-i-live-in-a-gap-between-two-worlds-one-world-that-i/) [Riitta Klint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/riitta-klint/) > [“Ancient wisdom did not disappear. We simply stopped knowing how to listen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriela-jurosz-landa/ancient-wisdom-did-not-disappear-we-simply-stopped-knowing-how-to/) [Gabriela Jurosz-Landa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriela-jurosz-landa/) > [“The Bible frequently uses symmetries and inversions. By such comparisons (parallels and contrasts) the unique aspects of reality begin to emerge. Comparing two objects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ben-zehabe/the-bible-frequently-uses-symmetries-and-inversions-by-such/) [Michael Ben Zehabe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ben-zehabe/) > [“The Ottoman Turks were about to capture Constantinople, unleashing on Italy a migration of fleeing scholars with bundles of manuscripts containing the ancient wisdom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/the-ottoman-turks-were-about-to-capture-constantinople-unleashing-on/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“We know the value of the things for which we suffer. In this modern day and age, things and people are not actually losing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-joybell-c/we-know-the-value-of-the-things-for-which-we-suffer-in-this-modern/) [C. JoyBell C](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-joybell-c/) > [“You can become even a co-creator of this universe... an assurance coming from the Ancient Wisdom; provided you bear an appropriate WILL...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dinesh-kumar/you-can-become-even-a-co-creator-of-this-universe-an-assurance-coming/) [Dinesh Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dinesh-kumar/) ## More by Jonathan Haidt > [Love and work are to people what water and sunshine are to plants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/love-and-work-are-to-people-what-water-and-sunshine-are-to-plants/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [You can see the rider serving the elephant when people are morally dumbfounded. They have strong gut feelings about what is right and wrong,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/you-can-see-the-rider-serving-the-elephant-when-people-are-morally/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [Congress is full of good, decent, smart people who have devoted their lives to public service.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/congress-is-full-of-good-decent-smart-people-who-have-devoted-their/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [Once you understand the power of stimulus control, you can use it to your advantage by changing the stimuli in your environment and avoiding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/once-you-understand-the-power-of-stimulus-control-you-can-use-it-to/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [“The ethic of autonomy is based on the idea that people are, first and foremost, autonomous individuals with wants, needs, and preferences. People should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/the-ethic-of-autonomy-is-based-on-the-idea-that-people-are-first-and/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [I got interested in the American culture war back in 2004, and it's one of the only growth stocks I've ever invested in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/i-got-interested-in-the-american-culture-war-back-in-2004-and-it-s/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [I think of myself as a social scientist. In order to get hired and to get promoted, we're forced to declare a disciplinary and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/i-think-of-myself-as-a-social-scientist-in-order-to-get-hired-and-to/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [“We should not expect individuals to produce good, open-minded, truth-seeking reasoning, particularly when self-interest or reputational concerns are in play. But if you put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/we-should-not-expect-individuals-to-produce-good-open-minded-truth/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [The most powerful force ever known on this planet is human cooperation - a force for construction and destruction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/the-most-powerful-force-ever-known-on-this-planet-is-human/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [It only takes twenty generations of selective breeding to create large differences or appearance and behavior in other mammals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/it-only-takes-twenty-generations-of-selective-breeding-to-create/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [If you think half of America votes badly because they are stupid or religious, you are trapped in a matrix ... Take the red…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/if-you-think-half-of-america-votes-badly-because-they-are-stupid-or/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [“Our minds have the potential to become righteous about many different concerns, and only a few of these concerns are activated during childhood. Other”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/our-minds-have-the-potential-to-become-righteous-about-many-different/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [People who devote their lives to studying something often come to believe that the object of their fascination is the key to understanding everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/people-who-devote-their-lives-to-studying-something-often-come-to/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [“Nonetheless, if you are trying to change an organization or a society and you do not consider the effects of your changes on moral…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/nonetheless-if-you-are-trying-to-change-an-organization-or-a-society/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [If you have a personality predisposed to liberalism, you might gravitate more to the artsy crowd or the anti-establishment crowd. And then those peers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/if-you-have-a-personality-predisposed-to-liberalism-you-might/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) [Explore all 204 Jonathan Haidt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) ## More Ancient quotes > [“We ought to know the history of our ancient ancestors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/we-ought-to-know-the-history-of-our-ancient-ancestors/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [In ancient times, those who wished to illuminate the world with virtue first brought order to their nations. Wishing to order well their nations,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/in-ancient-times-those-who-wished-to-illuminate-the-world-with-virtue/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Ancient eyes had stared at me, filled with ancient grief. And something more. Something so alien and unexpected that I'd almost burst into tears.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/ancient-eyes-had-stared-at-me-filled-with-ancient-grief-and-something/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [“Whenever I think about ancient cultures nostalgia seizes me. Perhaps this is nothing but envy of the sweet slowness of the history of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/whenever-i-think-about-ancient-cultures-nostalgia-seizes-me-perhaps/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [I don't know if I've come of age, but I'm certainly older now. I feel shrunken, as if there's a tiny ancient Oliver Tate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-dunthorne/i-don-t-know-if-i-ve-come-of-age-but-i-m-certainly-older-now-i-feel/) [Joe Dunthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-dunthorne/) > [Tentatively I stood a great lump of wood on the chopping block and bought the axe down on it. It flew into two perfect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-garner/tentatively-i-stood-a-great-lump-of-wood-on-the-chopping-block-and/) [Helen Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-garner/) > [Men must speak English who can write Sanskrit; they must speak a modern language who write, perchance, an ancient and universal one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-must-speak-english-who-can-write-sanskrit-they-must-speak-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The Tao is the center of the universe, the good man's treasure, the bad man's refuge. Honors can be bought with fine words, respect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/the-tao-is-the-center-of-the-universe-the-good-man-s-treasure-the-bad/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [So too, monks, I saw the ancient path, the ancient road traveled by the Perfectly Enlightened Ones of the past. And what is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/so-too-monks-i-saw-the-ancient-path-the-ancient-road-traveled-by-the/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [Ancient societies had anthropomorphic gods: a huge pantheon expanding into centuries of dynastic drama; fathers and sons, martyred heroes, star-crossed lovers, the deaths of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hiddleston/ancient-societies-had-anthropomorphic-gods-a-huge-pantheon-expanding/) [Tom Hiddleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hiddleston/) > [My life shall be free and broad and great, and I will not be the slave to the sense delights which chained my ancient…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-london/my-life-shall-be-free-and-broad-and-great-and-i-will-not-be-the-slave/) [Jack London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-london/) > [Those of us with this ancient compulsion to tell stories sometimes start with a single kernel of something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-p-jones/those-of-us-with-this-ancient-compulsion-to-tell-stories-sometimes/) [Edward P. Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-p-jones/) > [All the stories I have told you are finally as useless as all ancient knowledge is to man and to us. Its images and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/all-the-stories-i-have-told-you-are-finally-as-useless-as-all-ancient/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) > [So what if I'm ninety-three? So what if I'm ancient and cranky and my body's a wreck? If they're willing to accept me and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gruen/so-what-if-i-m-ninety-three-so-what-if-i-m-ancient-and-cranky-and-my/) [Sara Gruen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gruen/) > [Science has revealed a universe that is vast, ancient, violent, strange, and beautiful, a universe of almost infinite variety and possibility one in which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-mlodinow/science-has-revealed-a-universe-that-is-vast-ancient-violent-strange/) [Leonard Mlodinow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-mlodinow/) [Browse all 2,415 Ancient quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'll suggest that the happiness hypothesis offered by Buddha and the Stoics should be amended: Happiness comes from within, and happiness comes from without. We need the guidance of both ancient wisdom and modern science to get the balance right.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jonathan Haidt" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/i-ll-suggest-that-the-happiness-hypothesis-offered-by-buddha-and-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ancient" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/i-ll-suggest-that-the-happiness-hypothesis-offered-by-buddha-and-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/231/jonathan-haidt-1823_ancient_i-ll-suggest-that-the-happiness-hypothes_521508.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/231/jonathan-haidt-1823_ancient_i-ll-suggest-that-the-happiness-hypothes_521508.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/231/jonathan-haidt-1823_ancient_i-ll-suggest-that-the-happiness-hypothes_521508.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I'll suggest that the happiness hypothesis offered by Buddha and the Stoics should be amended: Happiness…” — Jonathan Haidt", "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": "Jonathan Haidt", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I'll suggest that the happiness hypothesis...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/i-ll-suggest-that-the-happiness-hypothesis-offered-by-buddha-and-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/i-ll-suggest-that-the-happiness-hypothesis-offered-by-buddha-and-the/#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 } } ] } ```