--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Here's conventional wisdom: Success makes…" description: "\"Here's conventional wisdom: Success makes you happy. Happiness permits you to be generous. In fact, it actually works like this: Generosity makes you h..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46b/seth-godin-152_being-successful_here-s-conventional-wisdom-success-makes_3115527.png" --- # Here's conventional wisdom: Success makes you happy… ![“Here's conventional wisdom: Success makes you happy. Happiness permits you to be generous. In fact, it actually works like this: Generosity makes you happy. Happy people are more likely to be successful.” quote by Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46b/seth-godin-152_being-successful_here-s-conventional-wisdom-success-makes_3115527.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46b/seth-godin-152_being-successful_here-s-conventional-wisdom-success-makes_3115527.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46b/seth-godin-152_being-successful_here-s-conventional-wisdom-success-makes_3115527.png) > “Here's conventional wisdom: Success makes you happy. Happiness permits you to be generous. In fact, it actually works like this: Generosity makes you happy. Happy people are more likely to be successful.” [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Explains a feedback loop where success breeds happiness, which encourages generosity, and generosity in turn fosters further success. **In simple terms:** Success, happiness, and generosity reinforce each other. Key Takeaway Cultivate generosity to fuel success and joy. Themes success happiness generosity reciprocity Mood optimistic pragmatic encouraging Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - building a business - team leadership - community projects - personal goal setting Key Concepts economics psychology behavioral science Questions to Reflect On - How can you practice generosity without expecting success? - What habits sustain happiness beyond achievement? A Different Perspective Success may not always lead to happiness; external factors matter. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-successful/) [Conventional wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conventional-wisdom/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Generosity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generosity/) [Generous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generous/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Happy people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happy-people/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [If You're Not Happy, You Can Become Happy. Happiness Is a Choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-aniston/if-you-re-not-happy-you-can-become-happy-happiness-is-a-choice/) [Jennifer Aniston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-aniston/) > [Stop trying to do things that will make you happy. Happiness is a state of mind; because otherwise, you are a slave to circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/stop-trying-to-do-things-that-will-make-you-happy-happiness-is-a/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Talking about someone who makes you happy actually makes you happy. Being happy makes you want to talk, to go over everything, to share…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-scott/talking-about-someone-who-makes-you-happy-actually-makes-you-happy/) [Elizabeth Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-scott/) > [A chic home makes you happy and a happy home makes you chic!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-adler/a-chic-home-makes-you-happy-and-a-happy-home-makes-you-chic/) [Jonathan Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-adler/) > [Happiness is a critical factor for work, and work is a critical factor for happiness. In one of those life-isn't-fair results, it turns out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/happiness-is-a-critical-factor-for-work-and-work-is-a-critical-factor-2/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [“New Orleans, city of roaches, city of decay, city of our family, and of happy, happy people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/new-orleans-city-of-roaches-city-of-decay-city-of-our-family-and-of/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) > [The only thing that will make you happy is being happy with who you are, and not who people think you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goldie-hawn/the-only-thing-that-will-make-you-happy-is-being-happy-with-who-you/) [Goldie Hawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goldie-hawn/) > [“No pain, no gain." You can hear the phrase in the world of physical exercise and conditioning. Muscles that feel no pain are probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dykstra/no-pain-no-gain-you-can-hear-the-phrase-in-the-world-of-physical/) [Robert Dykstra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dykstra/) > [If you do not decide to be happy, very few people can make you happy. If you decide to be happy, very few people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-muller/if-you-do-not-decide-to-be-happy-very-few-people-can-make-you-happy/) [Robert Muller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-muller/) > [A bully is playing a game, one that he or she enjoys and needs. You're welcome to play this game if it makes you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/a-bully-is-playing-a-game-one-that-he-or-she-enjoys-and-needs-you-re/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [“Every small success makes the next big success possible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/del-suggs/every-small-success-makes-the-next-big-success-possible/) [Del Suggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/del-suggs/) > [Success makes enemies of those who would've never been real friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanna-bonta/success-makes-enemies-of-those-who-would-ve-never-been-real-friends/) [Vanna Bonta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanna-bonta/) > [The danger of success is that it makes us forget the world's dreadful injustice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-renard/the-danger-of-success-is-that-it-makes-us-forget-the-world-s-dreadful/) [Jules Renard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-renard/) > [“success makes the destiny ; but failure creates the destiny…!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-a-samuel/success-makes-the-destiny-but-failure-creates-the-destiny/) [felix a samuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-a-samuel/) > [Success makes life easier. It doesn't make living easier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/success-makes-life-easier-it-doesn-t-make-living-easier/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) ## More by Seth Godin > [“You weren't born to be a cog in the giant industrial machine. You were trained to become a cog. There's an alternative available to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/you-weren-t-born-to-be-a-cog-in-the-giant-industrial-machine-you-were/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Forgive yourself for not being the richest, the thinnest, the tallest, the one with the best hair. Forgive yourself for not being the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/forgive-yourself-for-not-being-the-richest-the-thinnest-the-tallest/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [The easier it is to quantify, the less it's worth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/the-easier-it-is-to-quantify-the-less-it-s-worth/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Developing expertise or assets that are not easily copied is essential; otherwise you're just a middleman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/developing-expertise-or-assets-that-are-not-easily-copied-is/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Leadership is a choice. It's the choice not to do nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/leadership-is-a-choice-it-s-the-choice-not-to-do-nothing/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [The next thing you do today will be the most important thing on your agenda, because, after all, you're doing it next. 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You've got to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/making-an-average-pitch-to-average-people-or-having-an-average-gala/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Our job is to make change. Our job is to connect to people, to interact with them in a way that leaves them better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/our-job-is-to-make-change-our-job-is-to-connect-to-people-to-interact/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [“Life is actually far better than it is in the movies. And it takes longer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/life-is-actually-far-better-than-it-is-in-the-movies-and-it-takes/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [I don't think there's a shortage of remarkable ideas. I think your business has plenty of great opportunities to do great things. Nope, what's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-shortage-of-remarkable-ideas-i-think-your/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [The mirror we hold up to the person next to us is one of the most important pictures she will ever see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/the-mirror-we-hold-up-to-the-person-next-to-us-is-one-of-the-most/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [If you're a marketer who doesn't know how to invent, design, influence, adapt, and ultimately discard products, then you're no longer a marketer. You're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/if-you-re-a-marketer-who-doesn-t-know-how-to-invent-design-influence/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) [Explore all 1,110 Seth Godin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) ## More Being successful quotes > [I always say there are two things to be successful. 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There is never an open road, except the wide road that leads to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kirubi/business-is-always-a-struggle-there-are-always-obstacles-and/) Chris Kirubi > [You cannot be successful without passion. If you don't love what you're doing, if you don't have passion for it - forget it. Do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/you-cannot-be-successful-without-passion-if-you-don-t-love-what-you/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [You can't not be a little different from others and be successful for three decades.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-sheen/you-can-t-not-be-a-little-different-from-others-and-be-successful-for/) [Charlie Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-sheen/) > [Everyone has a breaking point, turning point, stress point, the game is permeated with it. The fans don't see it because we make it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-winfield/everyone-has-a-breaking-point-turning-point-stress-point-the-game-is/) [Dave Winfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-winfield/) > [If you increase the number of rockets you build and you buy, then it's the scale of the economy, the price is going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leroy-chiao/if-you-increase-the-number-of-rockets-you-build-and-you-buy-then-it-s/) [Leroy Chiao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leroy-chiao/) > [Hockey is a unique sport in the sense that you need each and every guy helping each other and pulling in the same direction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-gretzky/hockey-is-a-unique-sport-in-the-sense-that-you-need-each-and-every/) [Wayne Gretzky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-gretzky/) > [There has always been a display of wealth and always will be, until the depression comes, which it always does. And let me tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/there-has-always-been-a-display-of-wealth-and-always-will-be-until/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [I think there is a big and significant difference between being a leader and being a manager-leaders lead from the heart. You have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-jung/i-think-there-is-a-big-and-significant-difference-between-being-a/) [Andrea Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-jung/) > [There's nobody that wants the president to be successful more than I.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-r-clapper/there-s-nobody-that-wants-the-president-to-be-successful-more-than-i/) [James R. Clapper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-r-clapper/) > [Don't worry about your individual numbers. Worry about the team. 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There are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blair-hull/also-it-s-not-the-mathematical-skill-that-s-critical-to-winning-it-s/) Blair Hull [Browse all 1,002 Being successful quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-successful/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Here's conventional wisdom: Success makes you happy. Happiness permits you to be generous. In fact, it actually works like this: Generosity makes you happy. 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