--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is no such thing as happiness, only…" description: "\"There is no such thing as happiness, only lesser shades of melancholy.\" — Milan Kundera" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44a/milan-kundera-120_happiness_there-is-no-such-thing-as-happiness-only_2053241.jpg" --- # There is no such thing as happiness, only lesser shades of… ![“There is no such thing as happiness, only lesser shades of melancholy.” quote by Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44a/milan-kundera-120_happiness_there-is-no-such-thing-as-happiness-only_2053241.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44a/milan-kundera-120_happiness_there-is-no-such-thing-as-happiness-only_2053241.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44a/milan-kundera-120_happiness_there-is-no-such-thing-as-happiness-only_2053241.jpg) > “There is no such thing as happiness, only lesser shades of melancholy.” [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) ## 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 unattainable; only varying degrees of melancholy exist. **In simple terms:** Happiness is a myth, only melancholy. Key Takeaway Accept melancholy as part of life. Themes philosophy existentialism emotion Mood reflective philosophical Type literary thought‑provoking When to use this quote - personal reflection - creative writing - mental health discussions Key Concepts nihilism subjective well‑being Questions to Reflect On - What defines true happiness? - Can melancholy coexist with contentment? A Different Perspective Overlooks moments of joy and resilience. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Melancholy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/melancholy/) [Sad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sad/) ## Related quotes > [“Happy, Muriel? No, not happy. Your aim is wrong. There is no such thing as happiness. Life bends joy and pain, beauty and ugliness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-toomer/happy-muriel-no-not-happy-your-aim-is-wrong-there-is-no-such-thing-as/) [Jean Toomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-toomer/) > [“But 'tis a sad thing that all one's happiness is only that the world does not know you are miserable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-osborne/but-tis-a-sad-thing-that-all-one-s-happiness-is-only-that-the-world/) [Dorothy Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-osborne/) > [“And if all could with one voice be asked whether they wished to be happy, there is no doubt they would all answer that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine/and-if-all-could-with-one-voice-be-asked-whether-they-wished-to-be/) [Saint Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-augustine/) > [How simple and frugal a thing is happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/how-simple-and-frugal-a-thing-is-happiness/) [Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/) > [The thing about happiness is that it doesnt help you to grow; only unhappiness does that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lana-turner/the-thing-about-happiness-is-that-it-doesnt-help-you-to-grow-only/) [Lana Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lana-turner/) > [“Every little thing is sent for something, and in that thing there should be happiness and the power to make happy. Like the grasses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/black-elk/every-little-thing-is-sent-for-something-and-in-that-thing-there/) [Black Elk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/black-elk/) > [As women, we're nurturers by nature. We want to make sure everyone is happy. That's a good thing, but we also have to put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-osteen/as-women-we-re-nurturers-by-nature-we-want-to-make-sure-everyone-is/) [Victoria Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-osteen/) > [A human being is responsible for one thing only: His own happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-premodaya/a-human-being-is-responsible-for-one-thing-only-his-own-happiness/) [Swami Premodaya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-premodaya/) > [There's such a thing as too much happiness and sadness. What I'm after is contentment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-charles/there-s-such-a-thing-as-too-much-happiness-and-sadness-what-i-m-after/) [Ray Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-charles/) > [It was that impossible thing: happiness that does not wilt to reveal the thin shoots of some new desire rising from within it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/it-was-that-impossible-thing-happiness-that-does-not-wilt-to-reveal/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [Joy is a noble thing, but happiness though fleeting can be found every day and in every small little way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/joy-is-a-noble-thing-but-happiness-though-fleeting-can-be-found-every/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Everyone wants the same thing—happiness—but we all go about it with varying levels of skill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-harris/everyone-wants-the-same-thing-happiness-but-we-all-go-about-it-with/) [Dan Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-harris/) > [No matter when, at whatever moment, if she were asked what she was thinking about she could reply quite correctly - one thing, her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/no-matter-when-at-whatever-moment-if-she-were-asked-what-she-was/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“I believe that being happy is the only important thing. Happiness. Simple as a glass of chocolate or torturous as the heart. Bitter. Sweet.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanne-harris/i-believe-that-being-happy-is-the-only-important-thing-happiness/) [Joanne Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanne-harris/) > [There is no such thing as happiness. Life bends joy and pain, beauty and ugliness, in such a way that no one may isolate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-toomer/there-is-no-such-thing-as-happiness-life-bends-joy-and-pain-beauty/) [Jean Toomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-toomer/) ## More by Milan Kundera > [“The future is only an indifferent void no one cares about, but the past is filled with life, and its countenance is irritating, repellent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-future-is-only-an-indifferent-void-no-one-cares-about-but-the/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“From that time on they both looked forward to sleeping together. I might even say that the goal of their lovemaking was not so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/from-that-time-on-they-both-looked-forward-to-sleeping-together-i/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“Beauty in the European sense has always had a premeditated quality to it. We've always had an aesthetic intention and a long-range plan. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/beauty-in-the-european-sense-has-always-had-a-premeditated-quality-to/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [The beauty of New York is unintentional; it arose independent of human design, like a stalagmite cavern.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-beauty-of-new-york-is-unintentional-it-arose-independent-of-human/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Children, Never look Back!" and this meant that we must never allow the future to be weighed down by memory . for children have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/children-never-look-back-and-this-meant-that-we-must-never-allow-the/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“Our lives may be separate, but they run in the same direction, like parallel lines.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/our-lives-may-be-separate-but-they-run-in-the-same-direction-like/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“Having a child is to show an absolute accord with mankind. If I have a child, it's as though I'm saying: I was born…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/having-a-child-is-to-show-an-absolute-accord-with-mankind-if-i-have-a/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Love is a battle," said Marie-Claude, still smiling. "And I plan to go on fighting. To the end." Love is a battle?" said Franz.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/love-is-a-battle-said-marie-claude-still-smiling-and-i-plan-to-go-on/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“He remained annoyed with himself until he realized that not knowing what he wanted was actually quite natural. We can never know what to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/he-remained-annoyed-with-himself-until-he-realized-that-not-knowing/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“Whenever I think about ancient cultures nostalgia seizes me. Perhaps this is nothing but envy of the sweet slowness of the history of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/whenever-i-think-about-ancient-cultures-nostalgia-seizes-me-perhaps/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [When we ignore the body, we are more easily victimized by it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/when-we-ignore-the-body-we-are-more-easily-victimized-by-it/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“Do stories, apart from happening, being, have something to say? For all my skepticism, some trace of irrational superstition did survive in me, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/do-stories-apart-from-happening-being-have-something-to-say-for-all/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“Os extremos delimitam a fronteira para além da qual a vida termina, e a paixão pelo extremismo, tanto em arte como em política, é…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/os-extremos-delimitam-a-fronteira-para-al-m-da-qual-a-vida-termina-e/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [The characters in my novels are my own unrealized possibilities. That is why I am equally fond of them all and equally horrified by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-characters-in-my-novels-are-my-own-unrealized-possibilities-that/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Anyone whose goal is 'something higher' must expect someday to suffer vertigo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/anyone-whose-goal-is-something-higher-must-expect-someday-to-suffer/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) [Explore all 952 Milan Kundera quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) ## 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": "There is no such thing as happiness, only lesser shades of melancholy.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Milan Kundera" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/there-is-no-such-thing-as-happiness-only-lesser-shades-of-melancholy/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Happiness" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/there-is-no-such-thing-as-happiness-only-lesser-shades-of-melancholy/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44a/milan-kundera-120_happiness_there-is-no-such-thing-as-happiness-only_2053241.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44a/milan-kundera-120_happiness_there-is-no-such-thing-as-happiness-only_2053241.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44a/milan-kundera-120_happiness_there-is-no-such-thing-as-happiness-only_2053241.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There is no such thing as happiness, only lesser shades of melancholy.” — Milan Kundera", "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": "Milan Kundera", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There is no such thing as...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/there-is-no-such-thing-as-happiness-only-lesser-shades-of-melancholy/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/there-is-no-such-thing-as-happiness-only-lesser-shades-of-melancholy/#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 } } ] } ```