--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I do not think we have a \"right\" to…" description: "\"I do not think we have a \"right\" to happiness. If happiness happens, say thanks.\" — Marlene Dietrich" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f2/marlene-dietrich-4460_happiness_i-do-not-think-we-have-a-right-to-happin_667471.jpg" --- # I do not think we have a "right" to happiness. If… ![“I do not think we have a "right" to happiness. If happiness happens, say thanks.” quote by Marlene Dietrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f2/marlene-dietrich-4460_happiness_i-do-not-think-we-have-a-right-to-happin_667471.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f2/marlene-dietrich-4460_happiness_i-do-not-think-we-have-a-right-to-happin_667471.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f2/marlene-dietrich-4460_happiness_i-do-not-think-we-have-a-right-to-happin_667471.jpg) > “I do not think 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 guaranteed right; when it occurs, appreciate it gratefully. **In simple terms:** Happiness isn’t owed; be grateful when it comes. Key Takeaway Cherish moments of joy. Themes gratitude contentment philosophy Mood reflective calm Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - personal setbacks - health recovery - unexpected success - daily life Key Concepts existentialism mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - Do you take time to acknowledge small joys? - How can gratitude improve wellbeing? A Different Perspective It may be fleeting and not everyone experiences it equally. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [I do not think that we have a “right” to happiness. If happiness happens, say thanks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlene-dietrich/i-do-not-think-that-we-have-a-right-to-happiness-if-happiness-happens/) [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/) > [Out of all the fighters that I have developed, clothed, financed, Gerrie Coetzee is the only one who had the decency to say 'thanks'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-king/out-of-all-the-fighters-that-i-have-developed-clothed-financed-gerrie/) [Don King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-king/) > [Before you go to sleep, do not forget to say thanks for everything good that has happened to you in the last 24 hours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-orbison/before-you-go-to-sleep-do-not-forget-to-say-thanks-for-everything/) [Roy Orbison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-orbison/) > [I have become so used to having people say, 'We loved your movie' instead of 'We read your book' that now I merely say,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-r-jackson/i-have-become-so-used-to-having-people-say-we-loved-your-movie/) [Charles R. Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-r-jackson/) > [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/) > [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/) ## 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. They're so grateful for anything, even a film actress coming to see them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlene-dietrich/there-s-something-about-an-american-soldier-you-can-t-explain-they-re/) [Marlene Dietrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlene-dietrich/) > [Writers, Composers, Painters, - also artists like directors and actors fall into the same category. 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 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 [Browse all 40,288 Happiness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I do not think we have a \"right\" to happiness. 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