--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are no happy endings, endings are…" description: "\"“There are no happy endings, endings are sad-so let's have a happy beginning and a happy middle.”\" — Shel Silverstein" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ea/shel-silverstein-1914_happy-ending_there-are-no-happy-endings-endings-are-s_435059.jpg" --- # There are no happy endings, endings are sad-so let's have… ![“There are no happy endings, endings are sad-so let's have a happy beginning and a happy middle.” quote by Shel Silverstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ea/shel-silverstein-1914_happy-ending_there-are-no-happy-endings-endings-are-s_435059.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ea/shel-silverstein-1914_happy-ending_there-are-no-happy-endings-endings-are-s_435059.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ea/shel-silverstein-1914_happy-ending_there-are-no-happy-endings-endings-are-s_435059.jpg) > ““There are no happy endings, endings are sad-so let's have a happy beginning and a happy middle.”” [Shel Silverstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shel-silverstein/) ## 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 suggests that while endings often feel sad, we can choose to create joy at the start and throughout the story. **In simple terms:** Create happiness at the beginning and middle instead of focusing on sad endings. Key Takeaway Focus on positive beginnings and ongoing joy. Themes happiness storytelling perspective Mood reflective optimistic Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal relationships - creative projects - life planning - family events Key Concepts narrative structure optimism Questions to Reflect On - How can you design a happy beginning in a current project? - What does a happy middle look like in your life? A Different Perspective It may overlook that endings can also be meaningful and uplifting. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Happy ending](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happy-ending/) [Happy endings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happy-endings/) ## Related quotes > [My family doesn't do happy endings. We do sad endings or frustrating endings or no endings at all. We are hardwired to expect the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-solo/my-family-doesn-t-do-happy-endings-we-do-sad-endings-or-frustrating/) [Hope Solo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-solo/) > [There are no happy endings. Endings are the saddest part, So just give me a happy middle And a very happy start.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shel-silverstein/there-are-no-happy-endings-endings-are-the-saddest-part-so-just-give/) [Shel Silverstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shel-silverstein/) > [In this book, not only is there no happy ending, there is no happy beginning and very few happy things in the middle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-this-book-not-only-is-there-no-happy-ending-there-is-no-happy/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [HAPPY ENDINGS? There are no happy endings,Endings are th saddest part,so just give me a happy middle and a very happy start!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/happy-endings-there-are-no-happy-endings-endings-are-th-saddest-part/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [And in real life endings aren't always neat, whether they're happy endings, or whether they're sad endings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/and-in-real-life-endings-aren-t-always-neat-whether-they-re-happy/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“The Beginning of a Happy Ending is not as bad as it sounds.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/el-namartina/the-beginning-of-a-happy-ending-is-not-as-bad-as-it-sounds/) ElénaMartina > [There are no happy endings... There are no endings, happy or otherwise. We all have our own stories which are just part of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-are-no-happy-endings-there-are-no-endings-happy-or-otherwise-we/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You will be sad in the beginning, but you will be happy in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/themonsterace/you-will-be-sad-in-the-beginning-but-you-will-be-happy-in-the-end/) TheMonsterAce > [When I finally got there, to where I thought was the top, I wasn't doing what I was doing in the beginning. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/skepta/when-i-finally-got-there-to-where-i-thought-was-the-top-i-wasn-t/) [Skepta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/skepta/) > [“What I'm trying to explain to my sulky little cousin is that we are doing things backwards. We are going from the end of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mal-peet/what-i-m-trying-to-explain-to-my-sulky-little-cousin-is-that-we-are/) [Mal Peet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mal-peet/) > [“All beginnings are scary, like all endings are sad, but that’s the journey and everything in between is worth experiencing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-reed/all-beginnings-are-scary-like-all-endings-are-sad-but-that-s-the/) [J.C. Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-c-reed/) > [Beginnings are usually scary and endings are always sad but it's everything in between that makes it all worth living for .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-bullock/beginnings-are-usually-scary-and-endings-are-always-sad-but-it-s/) [Sandra Bullock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-bullock/) > [It makes me so happy. To be at the beginning again, knowing almost nothing… A door like this has cracked open five or six…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/it-makes-me-so-happy-to-be-at-the-beginning-again-knowing-almost/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [“...if this is not a happy ending, it is perhaps a happy beginning.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hoban/if-this-is-not-a-happy-ending-it-is-perhaps-a-happy-beginning/) [Julia Hoban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hoban/) > [At every sad ending is a happy beginning. Don't disrupt the process.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/at-every-sad-ending-is-a-happy-beginning-don-t-disrupt-the-process/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) ## More by Shel Silverstein > [“I cannot go to school today" Said little Peggy Ann McKay. "I have the measles and the mumps, A gash, a rash and purple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shel-silverstein/i-cannot-go-to-school-today-said-little-peggy-ann-mckay-i-have-the/) [Shel Silverstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shel-silverstein/) > [Oh, I'm being eaten By a boa constrictor, A boa constrictor, A boa constrictor, I'm being eaten by a boa constrictor, And I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shel-silverstein/oh-i-m-being-eaten-by-a-boa-constrictor-a-boa-constrictor-a-boa/) [Shel Silverstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shel-silverstein/) > [“Many leaves one tree”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shel-silverstein/many-leaves-one-tree/) [Shel Silverstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shel-silverstein/) > [Magic Sandra’s seen a leprechaun, Eddie touched a troll, Laurie danced with witches once, Charlie found some goblins gold. Donald heard a mermaid sing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shel-silverstein/magic-sandra-s-seen-a-leprechaun-eddie-touched-a-troll-laurie-danced/) [Shel Silverstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shel-silverstein/) > [He has the obligation to society that any human being has. I don't think a satirist has any greater obligation to society than a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shel-silverstein/he-has-the-obligation-to-society-that-any-human-being-has-i-don-t/) [Shel Silverstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shel-silverstein/) > [“Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would not take the garbage out! She'd scour the pots and scrape the pans, Candy the yams and spice the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shel-silverstein/sarah-cynthia-sylvia-stout-would-not-take-the-garbage-out-she-d-scour/) [Shel Silverstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shel-silverstein/) > [To me, freedom entitles you to do something, not to not do something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shel-silverstein/to-me-freedom-entitles-you-to-do-something-not-to-not-do-something/) [Shel Silverstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shel-silverstein/) > [“Ol' man Simon, planted a diamond. Grew hisself a garden the likes of none. Sprouts all growin' comin' up glowin' Fruit of jewels all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shel-silverstein/ol-man-simon-planted-a-diamond-grew-hisself-a-garden-the-likes-of/) [Shel Silverstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shel-silverstein/) > [“Ma and God God gave us fingers--Ma says, "Use your fork." God gave us voices--Ma says, "Don't scream." Ma says eat broccoli, cereal and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shel-silverstein/ma-and-god-god-gave-us-fingers-ma-says-use-your-fork-god-gave-us/) [Shel Silverstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shel-silverstein/) > [Ourchestra: So you haven't got a drum, just beat your belly. So I haven't got a horn-I'll play my nose. So we haven't any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shel-silverstein/ourchestra-so-you-haven-t-got-a-drum-just-beat-your-belly-so-i-haven/) [Shel Silverstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shel-silverstein/) > [“Ickle me, pickle me, tickle me too never returned to the world they knew and nobody knows what happened to dear ickle me, pickle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shel-silverstein/ickle-me-pickle-me-tickle-me-too-never-returned-to-the-world-they/) [Shel Silverstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shel-silverstein/) > [I would hope that people, no matter what age, would find something to identify with in my books, pick one up and experience a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shel-silverstein/i-would-hope-that-people-no-matter-what-age-would-find-something-to/) [Shel Silverstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shel-silverstein/) > [What you've got to say, you say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shel-silverstein/what-you-ve-got-to-say-you-say/) [Shel Silverstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shel-silverstein/) > [G'bye, I'm going out to play!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shel-silverstein/g-bye-i-m-going-out-to-play/) [Shel Silverstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shel-silverstein/) > [A spider lives inside my head Who weaves a strange and wondrous web Of silken threads and silver strings To catch all sorts of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shel-silverstein/a-spider-lives-inside-my-head-who-weaves-a-strange-and-wondrous-web/) [Shel Silverstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shel-silverstein/) [Explore all 198 Shel Silverstein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shel-silverstein/) ## More Happy ending quotes > [You could be the leaf that never falls from the tree you could be the sun that never leaves the sky this might be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/you-could-be-the-leaf-that-never-falls-from-the-tree-you-could-be-the/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [The happy ending is hardly important, though we may be glad its there. The real joy is knowing that if you felt the trouble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynda-barry/the-happy-ending-is-hardly-important-though-we-may-be-glad-its-there/) [Lynda Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynda-barry/) > [There are no such things as happy endings. Never. They're totally manufactured by fiction writers who choose to end the story on a high…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-david/there-are-no-such-things-as-happy-endings-never-they-re-totally/) [Peter David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-david/) > [ Harvey \[Weinstein\] didn't want to release \[MY SON THE FANATIC\]; he held it for two years because he wanted a happy ending, although I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-kureishi/harvey-weinstein-didn-t-want-to-release-my-son-the-fanatic-he-held-it/) [Hanif Kureishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-kureishi/) > [“The consolation of fairy-stories, the joy of the happy ending; or more correctly of the good catastrophe, the sudden joyous "turn" (for there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien/the-consolation-of-fairy-stories-the-joy-of-the-happy-ending-or-more/) [J.R.R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien/) > [ “\[pitching the proposal for Mononoke-hime (1997)\] There cannot be a happy ending to the fight between the raging gods and humans. However, even in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hayao-miyazaki/pitching-the-proposal-for-mononoke-hime-1997-there-cannot-be-a-happy/) [Hayao Miyazaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hayao-miyazaki/) > [Maybe my movie isn't over, I say, because sometimes moviemakers trick the audience with a false bad ending, and just when you think the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-quick/maybe-my-movie-isn-t-over-i-say-because-sometimes-moviemakers-trick/) [Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/) > [Happy endings come in different packages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-f-wright/happy-endings-come-in-different-packages/) [Jason F. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-f-wright/) > [I don't believe in happy endings. Children have got to face death sooner or later. Granny and Grandpa die, dogs die, cats die, gerbils…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-briggs/i-don-t-believe-in-happy-endings-children-have-got-to-face-death/) Raymond Briggs > [“A diamond's happy ending is on a crown, but its beauty was formed in dirt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/a-diamond-s-happy-ending-is-on-a-crown-but-its-beauty-was-formed-in/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [ “How are you, Rory?' \[the Doctor\] asked. I \[Rory\]... answered him. 'It's been odd being you.' 'Isn't it?' The Doctor's smile didn't quite reach… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-goss/how-are-you-rory-the-doctor-asked-i-rory-answered-him-it-s-been-odd/) [James Goss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-goss/) > [“I won, goddammit. I beat Kollberg. I beat you. I got everything I goddamn wanted: fame, wealth, power. Shit, I even got the girl."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-stover/i-won-goddammit-i-beat-kollberg-i-beat-you-i-got-everything-i-goddamn/) [Matthew Stover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-stover/) > [This is a modern fairytale. No happy endings. No wind in our sails. But I can't imagine a life without. Breathless moments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/selena-gomez/this-is-a-modern-fairytale-no-happy-endings-no-wind-in-our-sails-but/) [Selena Gomez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/selena-gomez/) > [When your parents split up, it's impossible to delude yourself about fairytale romance and happy endings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-aniston/when-your-parents-split-up-it-s-impossible-to-delude-yourself-about/) [Jennifer Aniston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-aniston/) > [“Most of us begin, aided by almost every aspect of our culture, hoping for a perfect marriage. What this means is that we accept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-g-heilbrun/most-of-us-begin-aided-by-almost-every-aspect-of-our-culture-hoping/) Carolyn G. Heilbrun [Browse all 959 Happy ending quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happy-ending/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“There are no happy endings, endings are sad-so let's have a happy beginning and a happy middle.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Shel Silverstein" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shel-silverstein/there-are-no-happy-endings-endings-are-sad-so-let-s-have-a-happy/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Happy ending" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shel-silverstein/there-are-no-happy-endings-endings-are-sad-so-let-s-have-a-happy/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ea/shel-silverstein-1914_happy-ending_there-are-no-happy-endings-endings-are-s_435059.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ea/shel-silverstein-1914_happy-ending_there-are-no-happy-endings-endings-are-s_435059.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ea/shel-silverstein-1914_happy-ending_there-are-no-happy-endings-endings-are-s_435059.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There are no happy endings, endings are sad-so let's have a happy beginning and a happy middle.” — Shel Silverstein", "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": "Shel Silverstein", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shel-silverstein/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“There are no happy endings, endings...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shel-silverstein/there-are-no-happy-endings-endings-are-sad-so-let-s-have-a-happy/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shel-silverstein/there-are-no-happy-endings-endings-are-sad-so-let-s-have-a-happy/#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 } } ] } ```