---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Any intelligent person knows that life is…"
description: "\"Any intelligent person knows that life is a beautiful thing and that the purpose of life is to be happy,\" said my father as he watched the three beauti..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/413/orhan-pamuk-500_beautiful_any-intelligent-person-knows-that-life-i_447775.jpg"
---

#  Any intelligent person knows that life is a beautiful…

![“Any intelligent person knows that life is a beautiful thing and that the purpose of life is to be happy,&quot; said my father as he watched the three beauties. &quot;But it seems only idiots are ever happy. How can we explain this?” quote by Orhan Pamuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/413/orhan-pamuk-500_beautiful_any-intelligent-person-knows-that-life-i_447775.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/413/orhan-pamuk-500_beautiful_any-intelligent-person-knows-that-life-i_447775.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/413/orhan-pamuk-500_beautiful_any-intelligent-person-knows-that-life-i_447775.jpg)

> “Any intelligent person knows that life is a beautiful thing and that the purpose of life is to be happy," said my father as he watched the three beauties. "But it seems only idiots are ever happy. How can we explain this?”

[Orhan Pamuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orhan-pamuk/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The quote contrasts the ideal that life should be happy with the observation that happiness often eludes those who seek it intelligently, highlighting a paradox between wisdom and contentment.

**In simple terms:** People think happiness is simple, but it’s often harder for the wise.

Key Takeaway

Seek happiness beyond intellectual expectations.

Themes

philosophy human nature paradox happiness

Mood

contemplative melancholic thoughtful

Type

literary philosophical reflective

When to use this quote

- personal reflection
- mental health counseling
- philosophical debate
- literary analysis

Key Concepts

existentialism psychology cognitive dissonance

Questions to Reflect On

- What assumptions prevent you from feeling happy?
- Can happiness be a rational choice?

A Different Perspective

Intellectuals may overthink, hindering simple joy.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Beautiful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful/) [Beautiful things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful-things/) [Beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Idiot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idiot/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose/) [Purpose of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose-of-life/)

## Related quotes

> [I am very proud to be a part of '3 Idiots,' and happy that the character has worked in a big way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boman-irani/i-am-very-proud-to-be-a-part-of-3-idiots-and-happy-that-the-character/)

[Boman Irani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boman-irani/)

> [I've always watched actors on the red carpet getting drunk and making idiots of themselves and now I'm happy to join their ranks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/i-ve-always-watched-actors-on-the-red-carpet-getting-drunk-and-making/)

[Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/)

> [“Because in all my own searching, I know now what the true meaning and purpose of life is. It is to be happy. To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-clement-davies/because-in-all-my-own-searching-i-know-now-what-the-true-meaning-and/)

[David Clement-Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-clement-davies/)

> [“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-foreman/the-purpose-of-life-is-not-to-be-happy-it-is-to-be-useful-to-be/)

Mark Foreman

> [The purpose of life is to be happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/the-purpose-of-life-is-to-be-happy/)

[Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/)

> [Sometimes it is hard to see in life. If the fog rolls in we can't see anything. Most people get caught up in life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/sometimes-it-is-hard-to-see-in-life-if-the-fog-rolls-in-we-can-t-see/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [The purpose of life is not to be happy, the purpose of life is to matter..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-rosten/the-purpose-of-life-is-not-to-be-happy-the-purpose-of-life-is-to/)

[Leo Rosten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-rosten/)

> [Our purpose in life is to be happy. From the very core of our being, we simply desire contentment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/our-purpose-in-life-is-to-be-happy-from-the-very-core-of-our-being-we/)

[Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/)

> [Whatever anybody says, the most important thing in life is to be happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orhan-pamuk/whatever-anybody-says-the-most-important-thing-in-life-is-to-be-happy/)

[Orhan Pamuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orhan-pamuk/)

> [Faith is the conviction that God knows more than we do about this life and He will get us through it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/faith-is-the-conviction-that-god-knows-more-than-we-do-about-this/)

[Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/)

> [“Art educates. That's why writers must know life. . .If the writer knows life, his work is often progressive, even though his own consciousness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slawomir-mrozek/art-educates-that-s-why-writers-must-know-life-if-the-writer-knows/)

slawomir mrozek

> [When I say it's you I like, I'm talking about that part of you that knows that life is far more than anything you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/when-i-say-it-s-you-i-like-i-m-talking-about-that-part-of-you-that/)

[Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/)

> [A stronge person knows, how to keep their life in line. With tears in their eyes, still manages to say NAH, I'M FINE.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-stronge-person-knows-how-to-keep-their-life-in-line-with-tears-in/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Sometimes -- she knows this from her own life -- to get to the other side, you must travel through grief. No detours are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chitra-banerjee-divakaruni/sometimes-she-knows-this-from-her-own-life-to-get-to-the-other-side/)

[Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chitra-banerjee-divakaruni/)

> [The soul knows everything. Be who you are and your life will transform forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/the-soul-knows-everything-be-who-you-are-and-your-life-will-transform/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

## More by Orhan Pamuk

> [It is not my intention to explain Turkey, its culture and its problems. My literature has a universal concern: I want to bring people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orhan-pamuk/it-is-not-my-intention-to-explain-turkey-its-culture-and-its-problems/)

[Orhan Pamuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orhan-pamuk/)

> [I need the pain of loneliness to make my imagination work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orhan-pamuk/i-need-the-pain-of-loneliness-to-make-my-imagination-work/)

[Orhan Pamuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orhan-pamuk/)

> [I believe in a world where there are no heroes, and I've read and know humanity a lot. There are moments that I admire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orhan-pamuk/i-believe-in-a-world-where-there-are-no-heroes-and-i-ve-read-and-know/)

[Orhan Pamuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orhan-pamuk/)

> [I really don't want to portray the Islamists as simply evil, the way it's often done in the west.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orhan-pamuk/i-really-don-t-want-to-portray-the-islamists-as-simply-evil-the-way/)

[Orhan Pamuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orhan-pamuk/)

> [I am proud to be a Turk, and to write in Turkish about Turkey - and to have been translated into about 40 languages.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orhan-pamuk/i-am-proud-to-be-a-turk-and-to-write-in-turkish-about-turkey-and-to/)

[Orhan Pamuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orhan-pamuk/)

> [I don't want to be a tree; I want to be its meaning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orhan-pamuk/i-don-t-want-to-be-a-tree-i-want-to-be-its-meaning/)

[Orhan Pamuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orhan-pamuk/)

> [“...love is deep attention, deep compassion...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orhan-pamuk/love-is-deep-attention-deep-compassion/)

[Orhan Pamuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orhan-pamuk/)

> [Books, which we mistake for consolation, only add depth to our sorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orhan-pamuk/books-which-we-mistake-for-consolation-only-add-depth-to-our-sorrow/)

[Orhan Pamuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orhan-pamuk/)

> [“If you think you are better than Stork, then by all means, get hold of me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orhan-pamuk/if-you-think-you-are-better-than-stork-then-by-all-means-get-hold-of/)

[Orhan Pamuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orhan-pamuk/)

> [I need a moment of time for myself every day, like a child playing with his things. When I travel, I routinely find a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orhan-pamuk/i-need-a-moment-of-time-for-myself-every-day-like-a-child-playing/)

[Orhan Pamuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orhan-pamuk/)

> [Love is a sacred silence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orhan-pamuk/love-is-a-sacred-silence/)

[Orhan Pamuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orhan-pamuk/)

> [“Creíamos saber mucho, pero no sabíamos nada. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orhan-pamuk/cre-amos-saber-mucho-pero-no-sab-amos-nada/)

[Orhan Pamuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orhan-pamuk/)

> [“- Za nas je otkucaj sata, baš kao žuvor šadrvana u dvorištu džamije, odjek zakoračenja u ono što je u nama, a ne zvuk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orhan-pamuk/za-nas-je-otkucaj-sata-ba-kao-uvor-adrvana-u-dvori-tu-d-amije-odjek/)

[Orhan Pamuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orhan-pamuk/)

> [“A writer is someone who spends years patiently trying to discover the second being inside him, and the world that makes him who he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orhan-pamuk/a-writer-is-someone-who-spends-years-patiently-trying-to-discover-the/)

[Orhan Pamuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orhan-pamuk/)

> [“Near Taksim he suddenly found himself inside a crowd of people leaving a movie theater. They were staring straight ahead, as if in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orhan-pamuk/near-taksim-he-suddenly-found-himself-inside-a-crowd-of-people/)

[Orhan Pamuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orhan-pamuk/)

[Explore all 402 Orhan Pamuk quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orhan-pamuk/)

## More Beautiful quotes

> [I received a beautiful welcome to the world of music. I want to give something back to the younger generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luciano-pavarotti/i-received-a-beautiful-welcome-to-the-world-of-music-i-want-to-give/)

[Luciano Pavarotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luciano-pavarotti/)

> [Being beautiful comes naturally!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-beautiful-comes-naturally/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/)

[Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/)

> [“do not misunderstand person by beauty You really do not know its real or Mask on dirty thoughts”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-zaki-ansari/do-not-misunderstand-person-by-beauty-you-really-do-not-know-its-real/)

[Mohammed Zaki Ansari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-zaki-ansari/)

> [In the hearing world, I'm constantly having to lip-read and trying to understand what's going on. Sign language is so beautiful. It gives you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-ayling-ellis/in-the-hearing-world-i-m-constantly-having-to-lip-read-and-trying-to/)

[Rose Ayling-Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-ayling-ellis/)

> [The more perfect the sight is the more delightful the beautiful object. The more perfect the appetite, the sweeter the food. The more musical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/the-more-perfect-the-sight-is-the-more-delightful-the-beautiful/)

[Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/)

> [Call her beautiful a million times and she won't believe you. Call her ugly once, and she will never forget it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tumblr/call-her-beautiful-a-million-times-and-she-won-t-believe-you-call-her/)

Tumblr

> [You will never know just how beautiful you are to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-will-never-know-just-how-beautiful-you-are-to-me/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [You felt a deep sorrow, the kind of melancholy you feel when you're in a beautiful place and the sun is going down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thrity-umrigar/you-felt-a-deep-sorrow-the-kind-of-melancholy-you-feel-when-you-re-in/)

[Thrity Umrigar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thrity-umrigar/)

> [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/)

[John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/)

> [You're beautiful, cute, pretty, gorgeous, and fuck.. I ran out of words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raghib-clitso/you-re-beautiful-cute-pretty-gorgeous-and-fuck-i-ran-out-of-words/)

[Raghib Clitso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raghib-clitso/)

> [Growing up in Iceland, it was very beautiful, very safe, but quite isolated. There was something about jazz music that had a way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laufey/growing-up-in-iceland-it-was-very-beautiful-very-safe-but-quite/)

[Laufey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laufey/)

> [How could you feel worthless when God has honoured you by creating you and choosing you to be with Him, in this life and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-mogahed/how-could-you-feel-worthless-when-god-has-honoured-you-by-creating/)

[Yasmin Mogahed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-mogahed/)

> [Sometimes it's about less is more. It's about the seed. Thinking about this gigantic tree that you think is so beautiful but it started…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-durst/sometimes-it-s-about-less-is-more-it-s-about-the-seed-thinking-about/)

[Fred Durst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-durst/)

> [God's Word does provide life lessons to teach us how to live. And it gives us beautiful poetry that gives voice to our human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-rothschild/god-s-word-does-provide-life-lessons-to-teach-us-how-to-live-and-it/)

[Jennifer Rothschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-rothschild/)

[Browse all 17,976 Beautiful quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Any intelligent person knows that life is a beautiful thing and that the purpose of life is to be happy,\" said my father as he watched the three beauties. \"But it seems only idiots are ever happy. How can we explain this?",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Orhan Pamuk"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orhan-pamuk/any-intelligent-person-knows-that-life-is-a-beautiful-thing-and-that/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Beautiful"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orhan-pamuk/any-intelligent-person-knows-that-life-is-a-beautiful-thing-and-that/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/413/orhan-pamuk-500_beautiful_any-intelligent-person-knows-that-life-i_447775.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/413/orhan-pamuk-500_beautiful_any-intelligent-person-knows-that-life-i_447775.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/413/orhan-pamuk-500_beautiful_any-intelligent-person-knows-that-life-i_447775.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Any intelligent person knows that life is a beautiful thing and that the purpose of life is to be happy,\"…” — Orhan Pamuk",
                "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": "Orhan Pamuk",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orhan-pamuk/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Any intelligent person knows that life...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orhan-pamuk/any-intelligent-person-knows-that-life-is-a-beautiful-thing-and-that/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orhan-pamuk/any-intelligent-person-knows-that-life-is-a-beautiful-thing-and-that/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
