--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The British do not expect happiness. I…" description: "\"The British do not expect happiness. I had the impression, all the time that I lived there, that they do not want to be happy; they want to be right.\" ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5d/quentin-crisp-1163_british_the-british-do-not-expect-happiness-i-ha_3193323.png" --- # The British do not expect happiness. I had the impression… ![“The British do not expect happiness. I had the impression, all the time that I lived there, that they do not want to be happy; they want to be right.” quote by Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5d/quentin-crisp-1163_british_the-british-do-not-expect-happiness-i-ha_3193323.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5d/quentin-crisp-1163_british_the-british-do-not-expect-happiness-i-ha_3193323.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5d/quentin-crisp-1163_british_the-british-do-not-expect-happiness-i-ha_3193323.png) > “The British do not expect happiness. I had the impression, all the time that I lived there, that they do not want to be happy; they want to be right.” [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker observes a cultural tendency to prioritize being correct over seeking happiness. **In simple terms:** People value being right more than being happy. Key Takeaway Balance truth‑seeking with joy. Themes culture values happiness intellectual pride Mood critical observational Type social philosophical When to use this quote - political debate - personal relationships - workplace dynamics - social media discourse Key Concepts British social norms philosophical attitudes Questions to Reflect On - What does being right cost me? - Can happiness coexist with intellectual rigor? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on correctness can stifle emotional wellbeing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [British](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british/) [British Expect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british-expect-5899199/) [English](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/english/) [Expect Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expect-happiness-392603/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Happiness Impression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness-impression-5899200/) [Impression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impression/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Want Happy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-happy/) ## Related quotes > [“In his own life, then, a man is not to expect happiness, only to profit by it gladly when it shall arise; he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/in-his-own-life-then-a-man-is-not-to-expect-happiness-only-to-profit/) [Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/) > [No one can escape death and unhappiness. If people expect only happiness in life, they will be disappointed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/no-one-can-escape-death-and-unhappiness-if-people-expect-only/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [It is in the expectations of happiness that much of happiness itself is found. And it takes courage to expect happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-nightingale/it-is-in-the-expectations-of-happiness-that-much-of-happiness-itself/) [Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-nightingale/) > [All history and art are against us, but we still expect happiness in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/all-history-and-art-are-against-us-but-we-still-expect-happiness-in/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [“Having worked so hard to have children, parents may feel it's only natural to expect happiness from the experience. 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They are unhappy before they marry,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-mitford/the-trouble-is-that-people-seem-to-expect-happiness-in-life-i-can-t/) [Nancy Mitford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-mitford/) > [“A great obstacle to happiness is to expect too much happiness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-de-fontanelle/a-great-obstacle-to-happiness-is-to-expect-too-much-happiness/) [Bernard de Fontanelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-de-fontanelle/) > [In England, the system is benign and the people are hostile. In America, the people are friendlyand the system is brutal!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/in-england-the-system-is-benign-and-the-people-are-hostile-in-america/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [God please help me erase this love I'm feeling. I also want to be happy even though I know I won't be with him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-please-help-me-erase-this-love-i-m-feeling-i-also-want-to-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“People just want to be happy, she thought.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-brundage/people-just-want-to-be-happy-she-thought/) [Elizabeth Brundage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-brundage/) > [I just want you to be happy even if I'm not the reason behind that happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-just-want-you-to-be-happy-even-if-i-m-not-the-reason-behind-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm not worrying. I'm tired of being mad and sad and confused and for once I want to be happy, and aint.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-not-worrying-i-m-tired-of-being-mad-and-sad-and-confused-and-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I want to be happy. We all want to be happy. I want to be treated like a normal human being, but I also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-alaina/i-want-to-be-happy-we-all-want-to-be-happy-i-want-to-be-treated-like/) [Lauren Alaina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-alaina/) > [I want to be happy and free, living and loving for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-rawls/i-want-to-be-happy-and-free-living-and-loving-for-me/) [Lou Rawls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-rawls/) ## More by Quentin Crisp > [You can behave as badly as you like in America. Nobody notices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/you-can-behave-as-badly-as-you-like-in-america-nobody-notices/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [Never keep up with the Joneses. Drag them down to your level.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/never-keep-up-with-the-joneses-drag-them-down-to-your-level/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [“Masturbation is not only an expression of self-regard: it is also the natural emotional outlet of those who, before anything has reared its ugly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/masturbation-is-not-only-an-expression-of-self-regard-it-is-also-the/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [I am the last of Britain's stately homos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/i-am-the-last-of-britain-s-stately-homos/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [My mother protected me from the world and my father threatened me with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/my-mother-protected-me-from-the-world-and-my-father-threatened-me/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [Nothing more rapidly inclines a person to go into a monastery than reading a book on etiquette. There are so many trivial ways in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/nothing-more-rapidly-inclines-a-person-to-go-into-a-monastery-than/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [Vice is its own reward. It is virtue which, if it is to be marketed with consumer appeal, must carry Green Shield stamps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/vice-is-its-own-reward-it-is-virtue-which-if-it-is-to-be-marketed/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [Most men when they make up their faces, the makeup stands forward, and their faces are behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/most-men-when-they-make-up-their-faces-the-makeup-stands-forward-and/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [Development of character consists solely in moving toward self-sufficiency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/development-of-character-consists-solely-in-moving-toward-self/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [Women have decided to be people, which is a great mistake. Women were nicer than people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/women-have-decided-to-be-people-which-is-a-great-mistake-women-were/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [Sex is the last refuge of the misreable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/sex-is-the-last-refuge-of-the-misreable/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [I was amazed to receive later a substantial sum for sitting in my room and talking about myself. If only I could get some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/i-was-amazed-to-receive-later-a-substantial-sum-for-sitting-in-my/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [If you live in America, you don't have to work. You can just drift along in the smiling and nodding racket.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/if-you-live-in-america-you-don-t-have-to-work-you-can-just-drift/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [“I was from birth an object of mild ridicule because of my movements - especially the perpetual flutter of my hands - and my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/i-was-from-birth-an-object-of-mild-ridicule-because-of-my-movements/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [If a man were to look over the fence on one side of his garden and observe that the neighbor on his left had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/if-a-man-were-to-look-over-the-fence-on-one-side-of-his-garden-and/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) [Explore all 279 Quentin Crisp quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) ## More British quotes > [I'd love to work in the States; I'd love to work anywhere where you get a good script and a good part to play.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-carmichael/i-d-love-to-work-in-the-states-i-d-love-to-work-anywhere-where-you/) [Laura Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-carmichael/) > [I shot for French and British Vogue. The British Vogue one featured clothes by Chloe and was shot at Highgate and the John Soane…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nan-goldin/i-shot-for-french-and-british-vogue-the-british-vogue-one-featured/) [Nan Goldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nan-goldin/) > [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. Our belief in tolerance and liberty which shines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/we-can-find-common-qualities-and-common-values-that-have-made-britain/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [ No wonder that Churchill described this effort \[the British codebreakers working at Bletchley Park\] as "Britian"s secret weapon," a weapon far more effective than… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hilton/no-wonder-that-churchill-described-this-effort-the-british/) [Peter Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hilton/) > [When we first sold the Wallace and Gromit shorts to America, people suggested we get rid of the strange British accents and put clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-park/when-we-first-sold-the-wallace-and-gromit-shorts-to-america-people/) [Nick Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-park/) > [I always wanted to make a 'James Bond' film, and they only seemed to hire British directors, and I'd made 'Swingers' - they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-liman/i-always-wanted-to-make-a-james-bond-film-and-they-only-seemed-to/) [Doug Liman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-liman/) > [Somebody said that part of my reaction to British cinema is actually, paradoxically, a patriotic one. I'm so disappointed that we're not better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-brownlow/somebody-said-that-part-of-my-reaction-to-british-cinema-is-actually/) [Kevin Brownlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-brownlow/) > [All the cliches of glamorous sophistication have little appeal to me. Do I want to live the British version of 'Dynasty?' No thanks!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sade-adu/all-the-cliches-of-glamorous-sophistication-have-little-appeal-to-me/) [Sade Adu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sade-adu/) > [British Forces should be in a position to give back in a ten fold measure any attack that the Germans may attempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-banting/british-forces-should-be-in-a-position-to-give-back-in-a-ten-fold/) [Frederick Banting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-banting/) > [Although I don't have anything against people from other countries, the higher the influx into England the more the British identity disappears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/although-i-don-t-have-anything-against-people-from-other-countries/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It could be my British need for discipline that makes me admire the American appetite for freedom and passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-winwood/it-could-be-my-british-need-for-discipline-that-makes-me-admire-the/) [Steve Winwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-winwood/) > [While we like to think queueing is unique to British culture, the truth is that we are mere amateurs. 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