Happiness Quote by Marcel Proust
““In reality, there is in love a permanent strain of suffering which happiness neutralises, makes potential only, postpones, but which may at any moment become, what it would long since have been had we not obtained what we wanted, excruciating.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: In Search of Lost Time, Volume 1, 1913
Love carries an inherent suffering that happiness can only temporarily ease; unfulfilled desire may erupt into deeper pain.
In simple terms: Love brings pain that happiness only eases.
Key Takeaway
Accept that desire can cause lingering hurt.
Themes
love
suffering
desire
Mood
melancholic
reflective
Type
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- relationships
- grief counseling
- creative writing
- philosophical reflection
Key Concepts
existential pain
temporary relief
unfulfilled longing
Questions to Reflect On
- What does this say about the nature of desire?
- Can happiness truly neutralize longing?
A Different Perspective
Not all suffering is linked to love; other sources exist.
![“For her [Françoise], wealth was like a necessary condition without which virtue would lack both merit and charm. She made so little distinction between the two that she came to see their qualities as interchangeable, expecting material comfort from virtue and moral edification from wealth.” quote by Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/573/marcel-proust-114_character_for-her-fran-oise-wealth-was-like-a-nece_2687.jpg)
