--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You are unhappy because you believe in…" description: "\"You are unhappy because you believe in such a thing as happy.\" — Lorrie Moore" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb8/lorrie-moore-870_believe_you-are-unhappy-because-you-believe-in-s_62216.png" --- # You are unhappy because you believe in such a thing as… ![“You are unhappy because you believe in such a thing as happy.” quote by Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb8/lorrie-moore-870_believe_you-are-unhappy-because-you-believe-in-s_62216.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb8/lorrie-moore-870_believe_you-are-unhappy-because-you-believe-in-s_62216.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb8/lorrie-moore-870_believe_you-are-unhappy-because-you-believe-in-s_62216.png) > “You are unhappy because you believe in such a thing as happy.” [Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote highlights the paradox that the concept of happiness creates an expectation, and the failure to meet that expectation leads to dissatisfaction. **In simple terms:** Happiness as a self‑fulfilling expectation. Key Takeaway Unrealistic ideals cause discontent. Themes paradox expectation psychology well‑being self‑perception Mood reflective melancholic thoughtful Type philosophical observational When to use this quote - seeking fulfillment - evaluating life goals - dealing with disappointment - reflecting on personal values Key Concepts happiness belief unhappiness cognitive dissonance Practical Applications - therapy counseling - personal development workshops Questions to Reflect On - What assumptions do you hold about happiness? - How might redefining happiness change your experience? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Unhappy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unhappy/) ## Related quotes > [There is much less envy of the rich by the poor than there is of the happy by the unhappy; by those who believe,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/there-is-much-less-envy-of-the-rich-by-the-poor-than-there-is-of-the-2/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [There is much less envy of the rich by the poor than there is of the happy by the unhappy; by those who believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/there-is-much-less-envy-of-the-rich-by-the-poor-than-there-is-of-the-3/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [And when Elvis was unhappy, believe me, everyone was unhappy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priscilla-presley/and-when-elvis-was-unhappy-believe-me-everyone-was-unhappy/) [Priscilla Presley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priscilla-presley/) > [“Many people are unhappy because they believe their life is much worse off than somebody else's projected image on social media.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/many-people-are-unhappy-because-they-believe-their-life-is-much-worse/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [The thing that made me happy is you live to see the next day and you get an opportunity to do it again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-davis/the-thing-that-made-me-happy-is-you-live-to-see-the-next-day-and-you/) [Vernon Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-davis/) > [I think it's the same simple thing for everyone - to be happy, and have love in your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juliette-binoche/i-think-it-s-the-same-simple-thing-for-everyone-to-be-happy-and-have/) [Juliette Binoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juliette-binoche/) > [When critics say we're no good, it's just the cool thing to do. I'm happy with the songs I write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jani-lane/when-critics-say-we-re-no-good-it-s-just-the-cool-thing-to-do-i-m/) [Jani Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jani-lane/) > [As for my career, I always said to my kids, 'You don't cry because it's over, you're happy because it happened.' That's the main…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-burns/as-for-my-career-i-always-said-to-my-kids-you-don-t-cry-because-it-s/) [Pat Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-burns/) > [I have only one life, and I can't do all. If I do one thing well, I'm happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rithy-panh/i-have-only-one-life-and-i-can-t-do-all-if-i-do-one-thing-well-i-m/) [Rithy Panh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rithy-panh/) > [The most important thing is to be happy myself with what I am doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rokia-traore/the-most-important-thing-is-to-be-happy-myself-with-what-i-am-doing/) [Rokia Traore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rokia-traore/) > [If you could do something that would make people happy, and it would cost you neither money nor time, would you do it? If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-niven/if-you-could-do-something-that-would-make-people-happy-and-it-would/) [David Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-niven/) > [When you were with me you were the only thing that made me happy, now that your not here I'm just… empty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coral/when-you-were-with-me-you-were-the-only-thing-that-made-me-happy-now/) [Coral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coral/) > [“Is there such a thing as being too happy?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-m-mullen/is-there-such-a-thing-as-being-too-happy/) [Shannon M Mullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-m-mullen/) > [In a good mood!!! Dont know why, I guess its just a good thing to always b happy right>? haha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-a-good-mood-dont-know-why-i-guess-its-just-a-good-thing-to-always/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The only thing that is enough to keep me happy all my life is your presence in it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-thing-that-is-enough-to-keep-me-happy-all-my-life-is-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Lorrie Moore > [But I believed in starting over. There was finally, I knew, only rupture and hurt and falling short between all persons, but, Shirley, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/but-i-believed-in-starting-over-there-was-finally-i-knew-only-rupture/) [Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/) > [I'm very interested in what people will do for money. Money: it's timeless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/i-m-very-interested-in-what-people-will-do-for-money-money-it-s/) [Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/) > [“One of the problems with people in Chicago, she remembered, was that they were never lonely at the same time. Their sadness occurred in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/one-of-the-problems-with-people-in-chicago-she-remembered-was-that/) [Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/) > [“If you had forgotten, it would quickly come back to you. Aloneness was like riding a bike. At gunpoint. With the gun in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/if-you-had-forgotten-it-would-quickly-come-back-to-you-aloneness-was/) [Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/) > [Once love had seemed like magic. Now it seemed like tricks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/once-love-had-seemed-like-magic-now-it-seemed-like-tricks/) [Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/) > [“Observing others go through them, he used to admire midlife crises, the courage and shamelessness and existential daring of them, but after he'd watched…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/observing-others-go-through-them-he-used-to-admire-midlife-crises-the/) [Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/) > [Start dating someone who is funny, someone who has what in high school you called a "really great sense of humor" and what now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/start-dating-someone-who-is-funny-someone-who-has-what-in-high-school/) [Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/) > [“Amber was not shy. If she had been shy, not one of us would be at Perkins right now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/amber-was-not-shy-if-she-had-been-shy-not-one-of-us-would-be-at/) [Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/) > [People will do anything, anything, for a really nice laugh,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/people-will-do-anything-anything-for-a-really-nice-laugh/) [Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/) > [“Farmers aren't rich. They have land but no money." Actually, my father didn't even have that much land. He had once stood on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/farmers-aren-t-rich-they-have-land-but-no-money-actually-my-father/) [Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/) > [“My grandmother, who, when I visited, stared at me with the staggering, arrogant stare of the dying, the wise vapidity of the already gone;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/my-grandmother-who-when-i-visited-stared-at-me-with-the-staggering/) [Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/) > [I count too heavily on birthdays, though I know I shouldn't. Inevitably I begin to assess my life by them, figure out how I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/i-count-too-heavily-on-birthdays-though-i-know-i-shouldn-t-inevitably/) [Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/) > [“Life is sad. Here is someone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/life-is-sad-here-is-someone/) [Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/) > [I had never feared insomnia before--like prison, wouldn't it just give you more time to read?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/i-had-never-feared-insomnia-before-like-prison-wouldn-t-it-just-give/) [Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/) > [Usually she ordered a cup of coffee and a cup of tea, as well as a brownie, propping up her sadness with chocolate and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/usually-she-ordered-a-cup-of-coffee-and-a-cup-of-tea-as-well-as-a/) [Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/) [Explore all 340 Lorrie Moore quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You are unhappy because you believe in such a thing as happy.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lorrie Moore" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/you-are-unhappy-because-you-believe-in-such-a-thing-as-happy/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Believe" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/you-are-unhappy-because-you-believe-in-such-a-thing-as-happy/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb8/lorrie-moore-870_believe_you-are-unhappy-because-you-believe-in-s_62216.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb8/lorrie-moore-870_believe_you-are-unhappy-because-you-believe-in-s_62216.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb8/lorrie-moore-870_believe_you-are-unhappy-because-you-believe-in-s_62216.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You are unhappy because you believe in such a thing as happy.” — Lorrie Moore", "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": "Lorrie Moore", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You are unhappy because you believe...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/you-are-unhappy-because-you-believe-in-such-a-thing-as-happy/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/you-are-unhappy-because-you-believe-in-such-a-thing-as-happy/#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 } } ] } ```