--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When what we are is what we want to be…" description: "\"When what we are is what we want to be, that's happiness.\" — Malcolm Forbes" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a4/malcolm-forbes-1510_happiness_when-what-we-are-is-what-we-want-to-be-t_286192.jpg" --- # When what we are is what we want to be, that's happiness. ![“When what we are is what we want to be, that's happiness.” quote by Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a4/malcolm-forbes-1510_happiness_when-what-we-are-is-what-we-want-to-be-t_286192.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a4/malcolm-forbes-1510_happiness_when-what-we-are-is-what-we-want-to-be-t_286192.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a4/malcolm-forbes-1510_happiness_when-what-we-are-is-what-we-want-to-be-t_286192.jpg) > “When what we are is what we want to be, that's happiness.” [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Happiness arises when self‑identity aligns with personal aspirations. **In simple terms:** Being what you want to be brings happiness. Key Takeaway Align identity with goals. Themes self‑identity aspiration happiness Mood reflective optimistic Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - career planning - personal development - goal setting Key Concepts psychology self‑actualization Questions to Reflect On - Do you see a gap between who you are and who you want to be? - What steps can bridge that gap? A Different Perspective Alignment may be unrealistic if circumstances limit possibilities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Want Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-happiness/) ## Related quotes > [“We think if we want something we need to hold onto it, grasp at it for ourselves-including happiness. If we want happiness we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-e-miller/we-think-if-we-want-something-we-need-to-hold-onto-it-grasp-at-it-for/) [Brian E. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-e-miller/) > [Success is getting what you want. Happiness is liking what you get.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jackson-brown-jr/success-is-getting-what-you-want-happiness-is-liking-what-you-get/) [H. Jackson Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jackson-brown-jr/) > [“I want to be the 'WHY' behind your happiness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faraaz-kazi/i-want-to-be-the-why-behind-your-happiness/) [Faraaz Kazi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faraaz-kazi/) > [Do u want happiness in life? If yes¦. Then nevr be a begger of love, always be a donar of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/do-u-want-happiness-in-life-if-yes-then-nevr-be-a-begger-of-love/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [“Anna said. “I’m a student of happiness, you know. It’s all I really want—happiness, every day for the rest of my life. Sometimes happiness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-t-sullivan/anna-said-i-m-a-student-of-happiness-you-know-it-s-all-i-really-want/) [Mark T. Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-t-sullivan/) > [Everybody want's happiness, Nobody want's pain, But you can't have a rainbow with out a little rain <3](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/latest/everybody-want-s-happiness-nobody-want-s-pain-but-you-can-t-have-a/) [Latest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/latest/) > [I've given up wanting to make a killing or be a bigshot. I just want to find happiness and maybe open up a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/i-ve-given-up-wanting-to-make-a-killing-or-be-a-bigshot-i-just-want/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [Do you want happiness in life? Then remember this: never be beggars of love, always be a donor of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-you-want-happiness-in-life-then-remember-this-never-be-beggars-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you want to find happiness that will last, set yourself free from the ghosts of the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/if-you-want-to-find-happiness-that-will-last-set-yourself-free-from/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [If we reason that we want happiness for others, not for ourselves, then we ought justly to be suspected of failing to recognize human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-von-humboldt/if-we-reason-that-we-want-happiness-for-others-not-for-ourselves-then/) [Wilhelm von Humboldt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-von-humboldt/) > [If you said I want happiness. First remove I, that's ego, then remove want, that's desire. See? Now you are left with happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buddha/if-you-said-i-want-happiness-first-remove-i-that-s-ego-then-remove/) [Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buddha/) > [I think if we want to find happiness by finding a life partner, then it's a little selfish. You should be complete within yourself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shahid-kapoor/i-think-if-we-want-to-find-happiness-by-finding-a-life-partner-then/) [Shahid Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shahid-kapoor/) > [I want fame more than I can tell. But more than I want fame I want happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-maclane/i-want-fame-more-than-i-can-tell-but-more-than-i-want-fame-i-want/) [Mary MacLane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-maclane/) > [The secret gives you anything you want; happiness, health, and wealth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/the-secret-gives-you-anything-you-want-happiness-health-and-wealth/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [“Life is not a question of how much happiness we want, it is how happiness uses time to make our wants into need.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kasey-collin-p-dumdum/life-is-not-a-question-of-how-much-happiness-we-want-it-is-how/) [Kasey Collin P. Dumdum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kasey-collin-p-dumdum/) ## More by Malcolm Forbes > [Once in a while there's wisdom in recognizing that the Boss is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/once-in-a-while-there-s-wisdom-in-recognizing-that-the-boss-is/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [Can you understand why the Congress, most states and most cities refuse to pass legislation requiring the registration and licensing of any and all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/can-you-understand-why-the-congress-most-states-and-most-cities/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [ I don't think anybody can be a success who doesn't like what they do. \[But it's\] no job if it has no challenge; there's… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/i-don-t-think-anybody-can-be-a-success-who-doesn-t-like-what-they-do/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [Why, just a couple of economic seasons ago, was idle cash considered an indication of bad management or lazy management? Because it meant that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/why-just-a-couple-of-economic-seasons-ago-was-idle-cash-considered-an/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [Real writers-that is, capital W Writers-rarely make much money. Their biggest reward is the occasional reader's response… Commentators-in-print voicing big fat opinions-you might call…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/real-writers-that-is-capital-w-writers-rarely-make-much-money-their/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [When things are bad, we take comfort in the thought that they could always be worse. And when they are, we find hope in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/when-things-are-bad-we-take-comfort-in-the-thought-that-they-could/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [Some people as a result of adversity are sadder, wiser, kinder, more human. Most of us are better, though, when things go better. Knowing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/some-people-as-a-result-of-adversity-are-sadder-wiser-kinder-more/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [The best vision is insight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/the-best-vision-is-insight/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [When you don't understand, it's sometimes easier to look like you do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/when-you-don-t-understand-it-s-sometimes-easier-to-look-like-you-do/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [It's so much easier to suggest solutions when you don't know too much about the problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/it-s-so-much-easier-to-suggest-solutions-when-you-don-t-know-too-much/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [Security isn't securities. It's knowing that someone cares whether you are or cease to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/security-isn-t-securities-it-s-knowing-that-someone-cares-whether-you/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [It is unfortunate we can't buy many business executives for what they are worth and sell them for what they think they are worth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/it-is-unfortunate-we-can-t-buy-many-business-executives-for-what-they/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [It is all one to me if a man comes from Sing Sing Prison or Harvard. We hire a man, not his history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/it-is-all-one-to-me-if-a-man-comes-from-sing-sing-prison-or-harvard/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [Compliment others on the virtues they have; and they're not half as pleased as being complimented for the ones they don't have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/compliment-others-on-the-virtues-they-have-and-they-re-not-half-as/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [. . . the most difficult thing asked by our young is not our earnings but our ears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/the-most-difficult-thing-asked-by-our-young-is-not-our-earnings-but/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) [Explore all 232 Malcolm Forbes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) ## More Happiness quotes > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Remember that your natural state is joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/remember-that-your-natural-state-is-joy/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [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/) > [“WE CAN'T ALWAYS CONTROL OUR CIRCUMSTANCES BUT WE CAN CONTROL OUR ATTITUDE. WE MUST BE MORE CONCERNED WITH WHAT WE DO WITH WHAT HAPPENS…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-j-ashton/we-can-t-always-control-our-circumstances-but-we-can-control-our/) [MARVIN J. ASHTON](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-j-ashton/) > [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/) [Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/) > [Sometimes we wish for the feel but we never understand that we have to give a lot to get the feel !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reynolds/sometimes-we-wish-for-the-feel-but-we-never-understand-that-we-have/) [Robert Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reynolds/) > [Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like its heaven on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/sing-like-no-one-s-listening-love-like-you-ve-never-been-hurt-dance/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“It was beautiful. He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) > [The happy have whole days,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colley-cibber/the-happy-have-whole-days/) [Colley Cibber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colley-cibber/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [I've got nothing to do today but smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-ve-got-nothing-to-do-today-but-smile/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [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/) > [The size of a man's understanding might always be justly measured by his mirth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-size-of-a-man-s-understanding-might-always-be-justly-measured-by/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Positive thinking evokes more energy, more initiative, more happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/positive-thinking-evokes-more-energy-more-initiative-more-happiness/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) [Pancho Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pancho-barnes/) [Browse all 40,288 Happiness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When what we are is what we want to be, that's happiness.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Malcolm Forbes" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/when-what-we-are-is-what-we-want-to-be-that-s-happiness/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Happiness" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/when-what-we-are-is-what-we-want-to-be-that-s-happiness/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a4/malcolm-forbes-1510_happiness_when-what-we-are-is-what-we-want-to-be-t_286192.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a4/malcolm-forbes-1510_happiness_when-what-we-are-is-what-we-want-to-be-t_286192.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a4/malcolm-forbes-1510_happiness_when-what-we-are-is-what-we-want-to-be-t_286192.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When what we are is what we want to be, that's happiness.” — Malcolm Forbes", "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": "Malcolm Forbes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When what we are is what...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/when-what-we-are-is-what-we-want-to-be-that-s-happiness/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/when-what-we-are-is-what-we-want-to-be-that-s-happiness/#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 } } ] } ```