--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: At any rate, Therese thought, she was…" description: "\"“At any rate, Therese thought, she was happier than she ever had been before. And why worry about defining everything?”\" — Patricia Highsmith" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ee/patricia-highsmith-3982_defining_at-any-rate-therese-thought-she-was-happ_3162755.jpg" --- # At any rate, Therese thought, she was happier than she… ![“At any rate, Therese thought, she was happier than she ever had been before. And why worry about defining everything?” quote by Patricia Highsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ee/patricia-highsmith-3982_defining_at-any-rate-therese-thought-she-was-happ_3162755.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ee/patricia-highsmith-3982_defining_at-any-rate-therese-thought-she-was-happ_3162755.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ee/patricia-highsmith-3982_defining_at-any-rate-therese-thought-she-was-happ_3162755.jpg) > ““At any rate, Therese thought, she was happier than she ever had been before. And why worry about defining everything?”” [Patricia Highsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-highsmith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Happiness can be found in accepting life as it is, without over‑analysis or rigid definitions. **In simple terms:** Being happy without defining everything. Key Takeaway Embrace uncertainty and enjoy the moment. Themes happiness acceptance uncertainty Mood contemplative free‑spirited Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - daily life - creative work - relationships Key Concepts existentialism psychology literature Questions to Reflect On - What does “defining everything” mean to you? - How can you practice acceptance? A Different Perspective Over‑analysis may still arise despite intention. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Defining](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defining/) [Happier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happier/) [Happier Worry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happier-worry-5723553/) [Happy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happy/) [Labels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labels/) [Lesbian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lesbian/) [Lgbt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lgbt/) [Patricia-highsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patricia-highsmith-141037/) [Rate Therese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rate-therese-5723554/) [Sexuality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sexuality/) [The-price-of-salt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/the-price-of-salt-188195/) [Therese Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/therese-thought-5723552/) [Thought Happier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought-happier-789511/) ## Related quotes > [“Her life was a series of zigzags. 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I don't know if I'd ever seen Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-highsmith/i-didn-t-hang-around-films-i-don-t-know-if-i-d-ever-seen-hitchcock-s/) [Patricia Highsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-highsmith/) > [“I feel I stand in a desert with my hands outstretched, and you are raining down upon me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-highsmith/i-feel-i-stand-in-a-desert-with-my-hands-outstretched-and-you-are/) [Patricia Highsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-highsmith/) > [One situation – maybe one alone – could drive me to murder: family life, togetherness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-highsmith/one-situation-maybe-one-alone-could-drive-me-to-murder-family-life/) [Patricia Highsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-highsmith/) > [“He felt he was about to experience again some ancient, delicious childhood moment that the steam calliope's sour hollowness, the stitching hurdy-gurdy accompaniment, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-highsmith/he-felt-he-was-about-to-experience-again-some-ancient-delicious/) [Patricia Highsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-highsmith/) > [“It was a kind of arrogance, perhaps, to believe so in one's destiny. But, on the other hand, who could be more genuinely humble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-highsmith/it-was-a-kind-of-arrogance-perhaps-to-believe-so-in-one-s-destiny-but/) [Patricia Highsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-highsmith/) > [I should love to do a novel, about one abnormal character seeing present-day life, very ordinary life, yet arresting through it, abnormality, until at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-highsmith/i-should-love-to-do-a-novel-about-one-abnormal-character-seeing/) [Patricia Highsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-highsmith/) > [I don't set the alarm to get up. I get up when I feel like it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-highsmith/i-don-t-set-the-alarm-to-get-up-i-get-up-when-i-feel-like-it/) [Patricia Highsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-highsmith/) > [“Dusk was falling quickly. It was just after 7 P.M., and the month was October.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-highsmith/dusk-was-falling-quickly-it-was-just-after-7-p-m-and-the-month-was/) [Patricia Highsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-highsmith/) > [“What chance combination of shadow and sound and his own thoughts had created it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-highsmith/what-chance-combination-of-shadow-and-sound-and-his-own-thoughts-had/) [Patricia Highsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-highsmith/) > [“Happiness was like a green vine spreading through her, stretching fine tendrils, bearing flowers through her flesh. She had a vision of a pale-white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-highsmith/happiness-was-like-a-green-vine-spreading-through-her-stretching-fine/) [Patricia Highsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-highsmith/) > [“That's exactly where you're wrong! Any kind of person can murder. 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Without any past, we will deprive ourselves of the defining impression of our being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-burns/good-history-is-a-question-of-survival-without-any-past-we-will/) [Ken Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-burns/) > [ I never left my roots. You can identify me as someone that didn't become high and mighty. Humility is a defining \[trait\] all of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serena-williams/i-never-left-my-roots-you-can-identify-me-as-someone-that-didn-t/) [Serena Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serena-williams/) > [I think the word 'soul' - it depends on what you define by 'soul.' If you're defining it as a mystical aura that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-nicolelis/i-think-the-word-soul-it-depends-on-what-you-define-by-soul-if-you-re/) [Miguel Nicolelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-nicolelis/) > [“There are no defining moments. 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It was wrong. You don't nationalize private - it was wrong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-gohmert/i-think-tarp-was-the-most-defining-vote-since-i-ve-been-in-congress/) [Louie Gohmert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-gohmert/) [Browse all 544 Defining quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defining/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“At any rate, Therese thought, she was happier than she ever had been before. 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