--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I took comfort in doing without because I…" description: "\"“I took comfort in doing without because I knew it was all for the greater good. We all made great sacrifices, none more so than those boys who lost th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/063/megan-mccafferty-1994_choose-to-be-happy_i-took-comfort-in-doing-without-because_1425229.png" --- # I took comfort in doing without because I knew it was all… ![“I took comfort in doing without because I knew it was all for the greater good. We all made great sacrifices, none more so than those boys who lost their lives. Tragedy was part of our daily routine. But through it all, I never understood the point of being sad when I could choose to be happy.” quote by Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/063/megan-mccafferty-1994_choose-to-be-happy_i-took-comfort-in-doing-without-because_1425229.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/063/megan-mccafferty-1994_choose-to-be-happy_i-took-comfort-in-doing-without-because_1425229.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/063/megan-mccafferty-1994_choose-to-be-happy_i-took-comfort-in-doing-without-because_1425229.png) > ““I took comfort in doing without because I knew it was all for the greater good. We all made great sacrifices, none more so than those boys who lost their lives. Tragedy was part of our daily routine. But through it all, I never understood the point of being sad when I could choose to be happy.”” [Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Finding purpose in sacrifice can mask personal grief, urging a choice of happiness over sorrow. **In simple terms:** Choosing happiness despite tragedy Key Takeaway Embrace joy, not sorrow Themes purpose sacrifice emotions Mood reflective hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - War remembrance - personal loss - daily routine - mental health Key Concepts Existentialism psychology Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance duty and personal grief? - Can joy be authentic after loss? A Different Perspective Happiness may ignore legitimate mourning needs ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choose to be happy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choose-to-be-happy/) [Daily Routine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/daily-routine/) [Great Sacrifices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-sacrifices-3069933/) [Greater good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greater-good/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Sacrifices Boys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacrifices-boys-5058638/) [Took Comfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/took-comfort-386198/) [Tragedy Daily](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tragedy-daily-5058639/) ## Related quotes > [“It should hurt, shouldn’t it? Shouldn’t it hurt to be ripped in half? But it didn’t. It didn’t hurt the least little bit. 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Go after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mordecai-orimiladeye/the-great-sacrifices-you-make-in-pursuit-of-your-dreams-is-little/) [Mordecai Orimiladeye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mordecai-orimiladeye/) > [“In the face of certain death, men will show great courage, make great sacrifices, show a selfless determination to complete an impossible task. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andreas-christensen/in-the-face-of-certain-death-men-will-show-great-courage-make-great/) [Andreas Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andreas-christensen/) > [Some people are capable of making great sacrifices, but few are capable of concealing how much the effort has cost them; and it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marguerite-gardiner-countess-of-blessington/some-people-are-capable-of-making-great-sacrifices-but-few-are/) [Marguerite Gardiner, Countess of Blessington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marguerite-gardiner-countess-of-blessington/) > [Happy 4th of July, patriots! Please remember those who have made great sacrifices to make today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/happy-4th-of-july-patriots-please-remember-those-who-have-made-great/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Men are capable of making great sacrifices, who are not willing to make the lesser ones, on which so much of the happiness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marguerite-gardiner-countess-of-blessington/men-are-capable-of-making-great-sacrifices-who-are-not-willing-to/) [Marguerite Gardiner, Countess of Blessington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marguerite-gardiner-countess-of-blessington/) > [Memorial Day this year is especially important as we are reminded almost daily of the great sacrifices that the men and women of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-hayes/memorial-day-this-year-is-especially-important-as-we-are-reminded/) [Robin Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-hayes/) > [Above all, we know that although Americans can be led to make great sacrifices, they do not like to be driven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/above-all-we-know-that-although-americans-can-be-led-to-make-great/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [I have seen Americans making great and sincere sacrifices for the key common good and a hundred times I have noticed that, when needs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/i-have-seen-americans-making-great-and-sincere-sacrifices-for-the-key/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [How truly blessed we shall be if at the price of even very great sacrifices we shall have made God known and loved by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-philippine-duchesne/how-truly-blessed-we-shall-be-if-at-the-price-of-even-very-great/) [Rose Philippine Duchesne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-philippine-duchesne/) ## More by Megan McCafferty > [As much as I don't care about those things, I think it's human nature to not want to feel totally insignificant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mccafferty/as-much-as-i-don-t-care-about-those-things-i-think-it-s-human-nature/) [Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) > [“I almost can’t believe I’m going to make myself vulnerable to him again. But what is love but the most”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mccafferty/i-almost-can-t-believe-i-m-going-to-make-myself-vulnerable-to-him/) [Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) > [I believe that what we get out of life is what we've set ourselves up to get, so there's no such thing as an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mccafferty/i-believe-that-what-we-get-out-of-life-is-what-we-ve-set-ourselves-up/) [Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) > [It's just Jessica and Marcus, oxymoronically alone together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mccafferty/it-s-just-jessica-and-marcus-oxymoronically-alone-together/) [Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) > [When you say too much about anything important, it always ends up sounding more trivial than it is. Words trash it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mccafferty/when-you-say-too-much-about-anything-important-it-always-ends-up/) [Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) > [“Don't talk to strangers. Don't do drugs. Don't smoke. Don't drink and drive. Don't have sex. Wear a condom. Wear sunblock. Wear a seat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mccafferty/don-t-talk-to-strangers-don-t-do-drugs-don-t-smoke-don-t-drink-and/) [Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) > [“We help others only as much as they let us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mccafferty/we-help-others-only-as-much-as-they-let-us/) [Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) > [Gone for a while Hoping, always, to return If you will let me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mccafferty/gone-for-a-while-hoping-always-to-return-if-you-will-let-me/) [Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) > [You, yes, you, linger inside my heart The same you who stopped us before we could start.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mccafferty/you-yes-you-linger-inside-my-heart-the-same-you-who-stopped-us-before/) [Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) > [I used to think that I wouldn't change anything from my past, because doing so would inevitably affect who I am now. But considering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mccafferty/i-used-to-think-that-i-wouldn-t-change-anything-from-my-past-because/) [Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) > [The higher my GPA gets the more I realize high school is useless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mccafferty/the-higher-my-gpa-gets-the-more-i-realize-high-school-is-useless/) [Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) > [I know it makes sense for me and him to just break up now and just live our seperate lives and not have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mccafferty/i-know-it-makes-sense-for-me-and-him-to-just-break-up-now-and-just/) [Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) > [“Because I've learned that you can't control what other people are going to think about you. The best you can do in life is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mccafferty/because-i-ve-learned-that-you-can-t-control-what-other-people-are/) [Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) > [furious flutter awakened hummingbird heart hello hello love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mccafferty/furious-flutter-awakened-hummingbird-heart-hello-hello-love/) [Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) > [And yet I know I am too young, that we're too young, for me to live my life only as it relates to you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mccafferty/and-yet-i-know-i-am-too-young-that-we-re-too-young-for-me-to-live-my/) [Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) [Explore all 193 Megan McCafferty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) ## More Choose to be happy quotes > [The only reason you are happy is because you choose to be happy. Happiness is a choice, and so is suffering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-angel-ruiz/the-only-reason-you-are-happy-is-because-you-choose-to-be-happy/) [Miguel Angel Ruiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-angel-ruiz/) > [No matter what's happening, choose to be happy. Don't focus on what's wrong. Find something positive in your life. Thank God for the small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/no-matter-what-s-happening-choose-to-be-happy-don-t-focus-on-what-s/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [Life is filled with choices...we either choose to be happy or be content. Believe me there's a big difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-filled-with-choices-we-either-choose-to-be-happy-or-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's not that life has been perfect or easy or exactly how I expected it to be. It's just that I choose to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/it-s-not-that-life-has-been-perfect-or-easy-or-exactly-how-i-expected/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [Don't ever rob a bank. Enjoy life. Have fun. Choose to be happy now; don't wait until you're 'successful,' because honestly, I was as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-farrelly/don-t-ever-rob-a-bank-enjoy-life-have-fun-choose-to-be-happy-now-don/) [Peter Farrelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-farrelly/) > [“I’m not the only person in the world who’s suffered. I do think happiness is a choice. I don’t mean for people who suffer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sariah-wilson/i-m-not-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-s-suffered-i-do-think/) [Sariah Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sariah-wilson/) > [“IT’S MY CHOICE I get a gift every morning, the gift of a new day, It’s up to me whether I make it bright,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maddy-malhotra/it-s-my-choice-i-get-a-gift-every-morning-the-gift-of-a-new-day-it-s/) [Maddy Malhotra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maddy-malhotra/) > [“Instead to be sad,I choose to be happy .”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/makis-philosofukciss/instead-to-be-sad-i-choose-to-be-happy/) [Makis Philosofukciss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/makis-philosofukciss/) > [“None of us live happily forever after. But we can choose to be happy today.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-c-hines/none-of-us-live-happily-forever-after-but-we-can-choose-to-be-happy/) [Jim C. Hines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-c-hines/) > [“When nothing is certain - and nothing ever is - choose to be happy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-gawdat/when-nothing-is-certain-and-nothing-ever-is-choose-to-be-happy/) [Mo Gawdat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-gawdat/) > [“A positive attitude eventually begets positive experiences. Choose to be happy. Decide you are well or happy instead of unwell or unhappy, and your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-k-papp/a-positive-attitude-eventually-begets-positive-experiences-choose-to/) [James K. Papp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-k-papp/) > [“I have no control over some of the things that happen in my life, but with the help of God I can now choose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alcoholics-anonymous/i-have-no-control-over-some-of-the-things-that-happen-in-my-life-but/) [Alcoholics Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alcoholics-anonymous/) > [At any given moment the choice to be happy is present we just have to choose to be happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-maraboli/at-any-given-moment-the-choice-to-be-happy-is-present-we-just-have-to/) [Steve Maraboli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-maraboli/) > [Whether your life is happy or not is your own choice. Many people think I can't live a normal life because I don't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-vujicic/whether-your-life-is-happy-or-not-is-your-own-choice-many-people/) [Nick Vujicic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-vujicic/) > [Life is going by. Don't waste a minute being negative, offended, or bitter. Choose to be happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/life-is-going-by-don-t-waste-a-minute-being-negative-offended-or/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) [Browse all 123 Choose to be happy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choose-to-be-happy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I took comfort in doing without because I knew it was all for the greater good. We all made great sacrifices, none more so than those boys who lost their lives. Tragedy was part of our daily routine. 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