--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Happiness and well-being are actually…" description: "\"Happiness and well-being are actually best regarded as skills.\" — Richard Davidson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0f/richard-davidson-27788_happiness_happiness-and-well-being-are-actually-be_1606362.png" --- # Happiness and well-being are actually best regarded as… ![“Happiness and well-being are actually best regarded as skills.” quote by Richard Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0f/richard-davidson-27788_happiness_happiness-and-well-being-are-actually-be_1606362.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0f/richard-davidson-27788_happiness_happiness-and-well-being-are-actually-be_1606362.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0f/richard-davidson-27788_happiness_happiness-and-well-being-are-actually-be_1606362.png) > “Happiness and well-being are actually best regarded as skills.” [Richard Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-davidson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Well‑being can be cultivated like any skill through practice and training. **In simple terms:** Happiness is a skill. Key Takeaway Practice gratitude and mindfulness. Themes happiness skill well‑being Mood optimistic reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - daily routines - education - therapy - personal growth Key Concepts neuroscience positive psychology Questions to Reflect On - What skill can you practice to feel happier? - How do you measure progress? A Different Perspective Skill development requires consistent effort and may face setbacks. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Skills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skills/) [Well being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/well-being/) ## Related quotes > [Your worst mistakes is actually your best advice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mod-sun/your-worst-mistakes-is-actually-your-best-advice/) [Mod Sun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mod-sun/) > [The wilderness within us is actually the best part of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-marche/the-wilderness-within-us-is-actually-the-best-part-of-us/) [Stephen Marche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-marche/) > [I try not to go the obvious route all the time, but sometimes the most obvious is actually the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-yankovic/i-try-not-to-go-the-obvious-route-all-the-time-but-sometimes-the-most/) [Al Yankovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-yankovic/) > [We tend to Seek Happiness when Happiness is actually a Choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-white/we-tend-to-seek-happiness-when-happiness-is-actually-a-choice/) Rodney White > [“Sometimes we are only aware of how happy we are when the moment has passed. 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We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-hirata/happiness-is-actually-found-in-simple-things-such-as-taking-my-nephew/) [Andrea Hirata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-hirata/) > [Happiness is actually an individual choice, even in the midst of negative circumstances. It's not something our employers can give to us, though they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-achor/happiness-is-actually-an-individual-choice-even-in-the-midst-of/) [Shawn Achor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-achor/) > [When happiness is actually in possession, the thought of evil can no more acquire the feeling of reality than the thought of good can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/when-happiness-is-actually-in-possession-the-thought-of-evil-can-no/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [Sometimes we are only aware of how happy we are when the moment has passed. But now and again, if we are very lucky,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-parsons/sometimes-we-are-only-aware-of-how-happy-we-are-when-the-moment-has/) [Tony Parsons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-parsons/) > [People seem to assume that relationships are the way to happiness but you actually have more of a chance of being miserable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-seem-to-assume-that-relationships-are-the-way-to-happiness-but/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Inner happiness actually is the fuel of success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/inner-happiness-actually-is-the-fuel-of-success/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [From being in Tibet and being around Tibetans, I feel like I've learned so much more about what brings a person happiness, about what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-yauch/from-being-in-tibet-and-being-around-tibetans-i-feel-like-i-ve/) [Adam Yauch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-yauch/) > [More compassionate mind, more sense of concern for other's well-being, is source of happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/more-compassionate-mind-more-sense-of-concern-for-other-s-well-being/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) ## More by Richard Davidson > [Spatial working memory is impaired by stress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-davidson/spatial-working-memory-is-impaired-by-stress/) [Richard Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-davidson/) > [I think the messiness and embodied nature of modern life just produces an enhanced signal for our attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-davidson/i-think-the-messiness-and-embodied-nature-of-modern-life-just/) [Richard Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-davidson/) > [One key point is that different people may benefit from different types of meditation, as well as other interventions. This question of optimal matching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-davidson/one-key-point-is-that-different-people-may-benefit-from-different/) [Richard Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-davidson/) > [We have no idea how the subjective quality of consciousness emerges from the physical stuff of the brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-davidson/we-have-no-idea-how-the-subjective-quality-of-consciousness-emerges/) [Richard Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-davidson/) > [I committed to doing everything I could to put compassion on the scientific map.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-davidson/i-committed-to-doing-everything-i-could-to-put-compassion-on-the/) [Richard Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-davidson/) > [We need a different conception of happiness, more enduring and more genuine, not dependent on external circumstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-davidson/we-need-a-different-conception-of-happiness-more-enduring-and-more/) [Richard Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-davidson/) > [The Dalai Lama challenged me - he said, 'Why can't you use technological tools to study kindness and compassion?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-davidson/the-dalai-lama-challenged-me-he-said-why-can-t-you-use-technological/) [Richard Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-davidson/) > [In meditation you experience time slowing down because you can notice more things per discreet moment and you're more open... The word 'meditation' in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-davidson/in-meditation-you-experience-time-slowing-down-because-you-can-notice/) [Richard Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-davidson/) > [There are certainly beliefs in traditional Buddhism that conflict with basic principles of scientific understanding, .. We can't make sense of those beliefs in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-davidson/there-are-certainly-beliefs-in-traditional-buddhism-that-conflict/) [Richard Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-davidson/) > [Resilience is the maintenance of high levels of positive affect and well-being in the face of adversity. It is not that resilient individuals never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-davidson/resilience-is-the-maintenance-of-high-levels-of-positive-affect-and/) [Richard Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-davidson/) > [Mindfulness - moment to moment non-judgemental attention and awareness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-davidson/mindfulness-moment-to-moment-non-judgemental-attention-and-awareness/) [Richard Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-davidson/) > [We can change the brain by changing the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-davidson/we-can-change-the-brain-by-changing-the-mind/) [Richard Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-davidson/) > [Our brain is continuously being shaped - we can take more responsibility for our own brain by cultivating positive influences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-davidson/our-brain-is-continuously-being-shaped-we-can-take-more/) [Richard Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-davidson/) > [The key to a healthy life is having a healthy mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-davidson/the-key-to-a-healthy-life-is-having-a-healthy-mind/) [Richard Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-davidson/) > [The best way I can mentor and lead those around me is to embody these qualities myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-davidson/the-best-way-i-can-mentor-and-lead-those-around-me-is-to-embody-these/) [Richard Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-davidson/) [Explore all 20 Richard Davidson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-davidson/) ## 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": "Happiness and well-being are actually best regarded as skills.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richard Davidson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-davidson/happiness-and-well-being-are-actually-best-regarded-as-skills/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Happiness" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-davidson/happiness-and-well-being-are-actually-best-regarded-as-skills/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0f/richard-davidson-27788_happiness_happiness-and-well-being-are-actually-be_1606362.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0f/richard-davidson-27788_happiness_happiness-and-well-being-are-actually-be_1606362.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0f/richard-davidson-27788_happiness_happiness-and-well-being-are-actually-be_1606362.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Happiness and well-being are actually best regarded as skills.” — Richard Davidson", "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": "Richard Davidson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-davidson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Happiness and well-being are actually best...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-davidson/happiness-and-well-being-are-actually-best-regarded-as-skills/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-davidson/happiness-and-well-being-are-actually-best-regarded-as-skills/#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 } } ] } ```