--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Existence is more important than…" description: "\"“Existence is more important than happiness; we can’t live without existence, but we can live with unhappiness!”\" — Mehmet Murat ildan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/691/mehmet-murat-ildan-3_existence_existence-is-more-important-than-happine_3074636.jpg" --- # Existence is more important than happiness; we can’t live… ![“Existence is more important than happiness; we can’t live without existence, but we can live with unhappiness!” quote by Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/691/mehmet-murat-ildan-3_existence_existence-is-more-important-than-happine_3074636.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/691/mehmet-murat-ildan-3_existence_existence-is-more-important-than-happine_3074636.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/691/mehmet-murat-ildan-3_existence_existence-is-more-important-than-happine_3074636.jpg) > ““Existence is more important than happiness; we can’t live without existence, but we can live with unhappiness!”” [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Existence is a prerequisite for any experience, including happiness; one can endure unhappiness but not non-existence. **In simple terms:** Being alive matters more than feeling happy. Key Takeaway Value life even when joy is absent. Themes existence happiness philosophy Mood contemplative philosophical Type existential motivational When to use this quote - health crises - mental health struggles - philosophical contemplation - end‑of‑life care Key Concepts ontological necessity human condition Questions to Reflect On - What gives life meaning beyond happiness? - How do we find purpose in suffering? A Different Perspective Happiness alone cannot justify existence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Existence Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence-important-266316/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Important Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-happiness-581458/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Live Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/live-existence-5217943/) [Live Unhappiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/live-unhappiness-583908/) [Sadness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sadness/) ## Related quotes > [I think that people create the world that they live in. Your existence is very subjective, and you tell stories and organize the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-kaufman/i-think-that-people-create-the-world-that-they-live-in-your-existence/) [Charlie Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-kaufman/) > [The whole movement of happiness, unhappiness, happiness, unhappiness, could be called unhappiness. You're suffering because your state of mind is in flux, moving back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/the-whole-movement-of-happiness-unhappiness-happiness-unhappiness/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [“For a long time I spent my nights worrying how I was going to live with my unhappiness,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-a-long-time-i-spent-my-nights-worrying-how-i-was-going-to-live/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Every breath I take reminds me of the people for whom my existence is important... and it is for them that I breathe and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/punkinhead-abhishek/every-breath-i-take-reminds-me-of-the-people-for-whom-my-existence-is/) [Punkinhead Abhishek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/punkinhead-abhishek/) > [“You said you wanted someone to know you. Maybe I just want to have someone know me too. Without you in this world, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-shirvington/you-said-you-wanted-someone-to-know-you-maybe-i-just-want-to-have/) [Jessica Shirvington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-shirvington/) > [The problem with allowing God a role in the history of life is not that science would cease, but rather that scientists would have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillip-e-johnson/the-problem-with-allowing-god-a-role-in-the-history-of-life-is-not/) [Phillip E. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillip-e-johnson/) > [India was ... a country filled for the most part with people who live so close to the necessities of existence that only important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santha-rama-rau/india-was-a-country-filled-for-the-most-part-with-people-who-live-so/) [Santha Rama Rau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santha-rama-rau/) > [Modern history is, as you all know, full of examples of great movements that disappeared because they had ceased to have any genuine reason…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-menzies/modern-history-is-as-you-all-know-full-of-examples-of-great-movements/) [Robert Menzies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-menzies/) > [“For me, my targets are more important than my happiness and that is the secret of my happiness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/for-me-my-targets-are-more-important-than-my-happiness-and-that-is/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Believing that power is much more important than money and that money is much more important than happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/believing-that-power-is-much-more-important-than-money-and-that-money/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Wisdom is the most important part of happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/wisdom-is-the-most-important-part-of-happiness/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [It appears that the way people perceive the world is much more important to happiness than objective circumstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-diener/it-appears-that-the-way-people-perceive-the-world-is-much-more/) [Ed Diener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-diener/) > [The last part, the part you're now approaching, was for Aristotle the most important for happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-van-doren/the-last-part-the-part-you-re-now-approaching-was-for-aristotle-the/) [Charles Van Doren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-van-doren/) > [“A sense of growth is so important to happiness that it’s often preferable to be progressing to the summit rather than to be at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/a-sense-of-growth-is-so-important-to-happiness-that-it-s-often/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [“Savoring special moments as they happen is an important happiness skill. Sometimes we miss out on what life is really about because we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valorie-burton/savoring-special-moments-as-they-happen-is-an-important-happiness/) [Valorie Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valorie-burton/) ## More by Mehmet Murat ildan > [Anger is a rough water; if you can canalize it into a water mill, you can benefit from it. Anything bad can be transformed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/anger-is-a-rough-water-if-you-can-canalize-it-into-a-water-mill-you/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [We must love animals in such a powerful way that we should reject to eat them!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/we-must-love-animals-in-such-a-powerful-way-that-we-should-reject-to/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“Treat every natural beauty you met as if you see them for the first and last time!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/treat-every-natural-beauty-you-met-as-if-you-see-them-for-the-first/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“Via your talents, you can go beyond the limits!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/via-your-talents-you-can-go-beyond-the-limits/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Be the inner journeys, be the outer travels, all trips elevate man, all voyages lift him up!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/be-the-inner-journeys-be-the-outer-travels-all-trips-elevate-man-all/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“The hardest roads are often empty; the darkest paths are mostly silent; toughest destinations are almost peopleless! No easy road brings you great victory!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/the-hardest-roads-are-often-empty-the-darkest-paths-are-mostly-silent/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“If there are no stars on the sky, you must try to be happy with the shining streetlights!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/if-there-are-no-stars-on-the-sky-you-must-try-to-be-happy-with-the/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Even in a remote monastery, you may still be remote from the truth! To find the truth, all you need is a sound way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/even-in-a-remote-monastery-you-may-still-be-remote-from-the-truth-to/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [History respects revolutions; and yet, if a revolution is progressive, support it; if it is reactionary, resist it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/history-respects-revolutions-and-yet-if-a-revolution-is-progressive/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“My kingdom not for a horse, but for a good piece of advice!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/my-kingdom-not-for-a-horse-but-for-a-good-piece-of-advice/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [If somebody tells you 'History will never forgive you,' just laugh at him! Because when the history comes, you won't be here! The threat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/if-somebody-tells-you-history-will-never-forgive-you-just-laugh-at/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [As long as your curiosity is greater than your fear, you will move forward!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/as-long-as-your-curiosity-is-greater-than-your-fear-you-will-move/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“You can drink your soup ice-cold, but it's no longer soup; you can do eccentric things in life, but if you haven't been able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/you-can-drink-your-soup-ice-cold-but-it-s-no-longer-soup-you-can-do/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Face the truth or the truth will face you!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/face-the-truth-or-the-truth-will-face-you/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“Update your belief! If necessary, throw it to the bin! Don’t exaggerate your belief! Remember that your belief is not that much important; the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/update-your-belief-if-necessary-throw-it-to-the-bin-don-t-exaggerate/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) [Explore all 4,007 Mehmet Murat ildan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) ## More Existence quotes > [Getting on the cover of TIME guarantees the existence of opposition in the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/getting-on-the-cover-of-time-guarantees-the-existence-of-opposition/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [The time that one gains cannot be accumulated in a storehouse; it is contradictory to want to save up existence, which, the fact is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/the-time-that-one-gains-cannot-be-accumulated-in-a-storehouse-it-is/) [Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/) > [A lot of indigenous cultures are deeply involved in working with ancestor spirits, elemental spirits, and demons. Many of these cultures feel that, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-pinchbeck/a-lot-of-indigenous-cultures-are-deeply-involved-in-working-with/) [Daniel Pinchbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-pinchbeck/) > [It does not seem to me to be sufficiently recognized everywhere among the officials that the existence or non-existence of our people and Empire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-von-hindenburg/it-does-not-seem-to-me-to-be-sufficiently-recognized-everywhere-among/) [Paul von Hindenburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-von-hindenburg/) > [Quantum physics fluctuates all the time. But now the fluctuations are not just particles coming into and out of existence, which happens all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/quantum-physics-fluctuates-all-the-time-but-now-the-fluctuations-are/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [We have a fear of facing ourselves. That is the obstacle. Experiencing the innermost core of our existence is very embarrassing to a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chogyam-trungpa/we-have-a-fear-of-facing-ourselves-that-is-the-obstacle-experiencing/) [Chogyam Trungpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chogyam-trungpa/) > [One of the things I regret about not putting in that book or I think it's there but I didn't really elaborate on it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-warner/one-of-the-things-i-regret-about-not-putting-in-that-book-or-i-think/) [Brad Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-warner/) > [My mind rebels at stagnation. Give me problems, give me work, give me the most abstruse cryptogram, or the most intricate analysis, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/my-mind-rebels-at-stagnation-give-me-problems-give-me-work-give-me/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [May God bless each of us in our calls to serve. May our faith strengthen as we serve in righteousness, faithfully keeping the commandments.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-tom-perry/may-god-bless-each-of-us-in-our-calls-to-serve-may-our-faith/) [L. Tom Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-tom-perry/) > [Never belong to a crowd; Never belong to a nation; Never belong to a religion; Never belong to a race. Belong to the whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/never-belong-to-a-crowd-never-belong-to-a-nation-never-belong-to-a/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [A knowledge of the existence of something we cannot penetrate, of the manifestations of the profoundest reason and the most radiant beauty - it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/a-knowledge-of-the-existence-of-something-we-cannot-penetrate-of-the/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Universities are the cathedrals of the modern age. They shouldn't have to justify their existence by utilitarian criteria.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lodge/universities-are-the-cathedrals-of-the-modern-age-they-shouldn-t-have/) [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) > [Just as everybody has the vote including women, I think children should, because as a child is conscious of itself then it has to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/just-as-everybody-has-the-vote-including-women-i-think-children/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [To divide one's life by years is of course to tumble into a trap set by our own arithmetic. The calendar consents to carry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifton-fadiman/to-divide-one-s-life-by-years-is-of-course-to-tumble-into-a-trap-set/) [Clifton Fadiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifton-fadiman/) > [The party in Alobar’s head, which agitation and anxiety were throwing, now was crashed by a notion: existence can be rearranged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-party-in-alobar-s-head-which-agitation-and-anxiety-were-throwing/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) [Browse all 7,646 Existence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Existence is more important than happiness; we can’t live without existence, but we can live with unhappiness!”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mehmet Murat ildan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/existence-is-more-important-than-happiness-we-can-t-live-without/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Existence" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/existence-is-more-important-than-happiness-we-can-t-live-without/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/691/mehmet-murat-ildan-3_existence_existence-is-more-important-than-happine_3074636.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/691/mehmet-murat-ildan-3_existence_existence-is-more-important-than-happine_3074636.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/691/mehmet-murat-ildan-3_existence_existence-is-more-important-than-happine_3074636.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Existence is more important than happiness; we can’t live without existence, but we can live with unhappiness!” — Mehmet Murat ildan", "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": "Mehmet Murat ildan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Existence is more important than happiness;...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/existence-is-more-important-than-happiness-we-can-t-live-without/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/existence-is-more-important-than-happiness-we-can-t-live-without/#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 } } ] } ```