--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I do not think that we have a “right” to…" description: "\"I do not think that we have a “right” to happiness. If happiness happens, say thanks.\" — Marlene Dietrich" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88a/marlene-dietrich-4460_actresses_i-do-not-think-that-we-have-a-right-to-h_566073.jpg" --- # I do not think that we have a “right” to happiness. If… ![“I do not think that we have a “right” to happiness. If happiness happens, say thanks.” quote by Marlene Dietrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88a/marlene-dietrich-4460_actresses_i-do-not-think-that-we-have-a-right-to-h_566073.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88a/marlene-dietrich-4460_actresses_i-do-not-think-that-we-have-a-right-to-h_566073.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88a/marlene-dietrich-4460_actresses_i-do-not-think-that-we-have-a-right-to-h_566073.jpg) > “I do not think that we have a “right” to happiness. If happiness happens, say thanks.” [Marlene Dietrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlene-dietrich/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Happiness is not a right but a gift; gratitude is appropriate when it arrives. **In simple terms:** Happiness is a gift, not a right. Key Takeaway Be grateful when happiness occurs. Themes gratitude happiness philosophy Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal reflection - daily life - mental health - relationships Key Concepts existentialism mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - Do you take happiness for granted? - How can you cultivate gratitude? A Different Perspective Happiness can be fleeting and dependent on external factors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actresses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actresses/) [Amazing woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amazing-woman/) [Appreciation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appreciation/) [Being happy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-happy/) [Being thankful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-thankful/) [Famous women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/famous-women/) [Feeling happy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feeling-happy/) [Gratitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gratitude/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Singers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/singers/) [Thank you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thank-you/) [Thankful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thankful/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [I do not think we have a "right" to happiness. If happiness happens, say thanks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlene-dietrich/i-do-not-think-we-have-a-right-to-happiness-if-happiness-happens-say/) [Marlene Dietrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlene-dietrich/) > [You cannot achieve happiness. Happiness happens and is a transitory stage. Imagine how happy I felt when I got relief from bladder pressure. How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-cannot-achieve-happiness-happiness-happens-and-is-a-transitory/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You cannot achieve happiness. Happiness happens and is a transitory stage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-salomon-perls/you-cannot-achieve-happiness-happiness-happens-and-is-a-transitory-2/) [Frederick Salomon Perls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-salomon-perls/) > [“The right to the pursuit of happiness, originally envisaged as a restraint on state power, has imperceptibly morphed into the right to happiness –…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/the-right-to-the-pursuit-of-happiness-originally-envisaged-as-a/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [Compassion should be unbiased and based on the recognition that others have the right to happiness, just like you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/compassion-should-be-unbiased-and-based-on-the-recognition-that/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [No one has a right to happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/no-one-has-a-right-to-happiness/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [I do not know what right I have to so much happiness, but rather hold it in reserve till the time of my desert.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-do-not-know-what-right-i-have-to-so-much-happiness-but-rather-hold/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Life's a long and winding ride, better have the right one by your side; And happiness don't drug its feet, time moves faster than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kip-moore/life-s-a-long-and-winding-ride-better-have-the-right-one-by-your-side/) [Kip Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kip-moore/) > [The right to happiness is fundamental; men live so little time and die alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertolt-brecht/the-right-to-happiness-is-fundamental-men-live-so-little-time-and-die/) [Bertolt Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertolt-brecht/) > [I am a happy camper so I guess I’m doing something right. Happiness is like a butterfly; the more you chase it, the more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-am-a-happy-camper-so-i-guess-i-m-doing-something-right-happiness-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Contentment is knowing you're right. Happiness is knowing someone else is wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bailey/contentment-is-knowing-you-re-right-happiness-is-knowing-someone-else/) [Bill Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bailey/) > [“the world has become man's right and everything in it has become a right: the desire for love the right to love, the desire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-world-has-become-man-s-right-and-everything-in-it-has-become-a/) [milan kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“That sense of entitlement is precisely where we want them because the right to happiness is directly opposed to one of The Adversary’s greatest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-wood/that-sense-of-entitlement-is-precisely-where-we-want-them-because-the/) [Geoffrey Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-wood/) > [Having the right to happiness means having the right to earn it, not having it given to you without effort and action on your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jillian-michaels/having-the-right-to-happiness-means-having-the-right-to-earn-it-not/) [Jillian Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jillian-michaels/) > [The right to happiness is fundamental.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-pavlova/the-right-to-happiness-is-fundamental/) [Anna Pavlova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-pavlova/) ## More by Marlene Dietrich > [What a man notices first about a woman is whether she notices him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlene-dietrich/what-a-man-notices-first-about-a-woman-is-whether-she-notices-him/) [Marlene Dietrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlene-dietrich/) > [ \[The lover says:\] How beautiful you are, now that you love me. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlene-dietrich/the-lover-says-how-beautiful-you-are-now-that-you-love-me/) [Marlene Dietrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlene-dietrich/) > [To lose your prejudices you must travel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlene-dietrich/to-lose-your-prejudices-you-must-travel/) [Marlene Dietrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlene-dietrich/) > [“There is a gigantic difference between earning a great deal of money and being rich" Under a picture of a mom holding a baby…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlene-dietrich/there-is-a-gigantic-difference-between-earning-a-great-deal-of-money/) [Marlene Dietrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlene-dietrich/) > [one should be afraid of life, not of death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlene-dietrich/one-should-be-afraid-of-life-not-of-death/) [Marlene Dietrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlene-dietrich/) > [Tenderness is greater proof of love than the most passionate of vows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlene-dietrich/tenderness-is-greater-proof-of-love-than-the-most-passionate-of-vows/) [Marlene Dietrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlene-dietrich/) > [There's something about an American soldier you can't explain. 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They have to be handled with kid gloves, mentally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlene-dietrich/writers-composers-painters-also-artists-like-directors-and-actors/) [Marlene Dietrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlene-dietrich/) > [Lover's words: “How beautiful you are, now that you love me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlene-dietrich/lover-s-words-how-beautiful-you-are-now-that-you-love-me/) [Marlene Dietrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlene-dietrich/) > [Love affairs are the real only education in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlene-dietrich/love-affairs-are-the-real-only-education-in-life/) [Marlene Dietrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlene-dietrich/) > [ \[On Orson Welles:\] When I talk to him, I feel like a plant that's been watered. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlene-dietrich/on-orson-welles-when-i-talk-to-him-i-feel-like-a-plant-that-s-been/) [Marlene Dietrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlene-dietrich/) > [It is my private life which no one knows anything about, nor ever will. It needs more than half my time if it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlene-dietrich/it-is-my-private-life-which-no-one-knows-anything-about-nor-ever-will/) [Marlene Dietrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlene-dietrich/) > [Habit: Often mistaken for love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlene-dietrich/habit-often-mistaken-for-love/) [Marlene Dietrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlene-dietrich/) > [Love for the joy of loving, and not for the offerings of someone else's heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlene-dietrich/love-for-the-joy-of-loving-and-not-for-the-offerings-of-someone-else/) [Marlene Dietrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlene-dietrich/) > [Gentleman. A man who buys two of the same morning paper from the doorman of his favorite nightclub when he leaves with his girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlene-dietrich/gentleman-a-man-who-buys-two-of-the-same-morning-paper-from-the/) [Marlene Dietrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlene-dietrich/) [Explore all 110 Marlene Dietrich quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlene-dietrich/) ## More Actresses quotes > [I feel excited about getting older as an actress, too. I think there are some amazing opportunities around the corner and I don't need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sutton-foster/i-feel-excited-about-getting-older-as-an-actress-too-i-think-there/) [Sutton Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sutton-foster/) > [I think most of us are raised with preconceived notions of the choices we're supposed to make. We waste so much time making decisions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-bullock/i-think-most-of-us-are-raised-with-preconceived-notions-of-the/) [Sandra Bullock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-bullock/) > [I've been told before, and I tend to believe it, I'm not like most actresses out there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moira-kelly/i-ve-been-told-before-and-i-tend-to-believe-it-i-m-not-like-most/) [Moira Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moira-kelly/) > [Marilyn was a great actress, not a dumb blond bombshell. She was very smart, very astute and a good businesswoman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-schiller/marilyn-was-a-great-actress-not-a-dumb-blond-bombshell-she-was-very/) [Lawrence Schiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-schiller/) > [By the time I was seventeen, I was on my way to Hollywood and didn't look back. My family is supportive now, but like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-heard/by-the-time-i-was-seventeen-i-was-on-my-way-to-hollywood-and-didn-t/) [Amber Heard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-heard/) > [Just have fun. Smile. And keep putting on lipstick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-keaton/just-have-fun-smile-and-keep-putting-on-lipstick/) [Diane Keaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-keaton/) > [There are a lot of great actresses out there. You learn to appreciate each one for what they offer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-pratt/there-are-a-lot-of-great-actresses-out-there-you-learn-to-appreciate/) [Victoria Pratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-pratt/) > [I want to be fulfilled creatively as an actress and get to be in roles that are meaningful and impactful. I hope the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amandla-stenberg/i-want-to-be-fulfilled-creatively-as-an-actress-and-get-to-be-in/) [Amandla Stenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amandla-stenberg/) > [There's certain things I try to avoid, as an actress, just to keep my world from being as narrow as it could be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/famke-janssen/there-s-certain-things-i-try-to-avoid-as-an-actress-just-to-keep-my/) [Famke Janssen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/famke-janssen/) > [All the baggage that comes with fame, being an actress. The down side to it is the intrusion into your life and this expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-watson/all-the-baggage-that-comes-with-fame-being-an-actress-the-down-side/) [Emma Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-watson/) > [I am going to be a great actress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivien-leigh/i-am-going-to-be-a-great-actress/) [Vivien Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivien-leigh/) > [As a black actress you've got to work doubly hard. But it doesn't ever get me to the point where I give up on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naturi-naughton/as-a-black-actress-you-ve-got-to-work-doubly-hard-but-it-doesn-t-ever/) [Naturi Naughton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naturi-naughton/) > [I've seen new actresses do one show and disappear or struggle for years to get their next break. 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