Always happy Quote by Shirley Geok-lin Lim
“"I want to be always happy," Maxine Hong Kingston announces . But, as this interview makes clear, for me, it was the desire to write poetry that kept me discontented, if not depressed and unhappy, through what many casual biographers have characterized as successful and productive decades.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: The New Yorker, "The Poetry of Maxine Hong Kingston", 2015
The speaker reveals that relentless pursuit of happiness can mask deeper creative drives, leading to discontent despite outward success.
In simple terms: Seeking happiness can hide deeper motivations and cause dissatisfaction.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and honor underlying drives beyond surface happiness.
Themes
creativity
discontent
success
happiness
Mood
reflective
melancholic
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
personal
literary
When to use this quote
- writing career
- personal therapy
- career counseling
- mental health awareness
Key Concepts
existentialism
psychology
artistic drive
Questions to Reflect On
- What drives you beyond the desire for happiness?
- How can you balance contentment with creative restlessness?
A Different Perspective
Happiness alone may not satisfy deeper artistic or existential needs.
![“This desire [to write] is rather strange all the same and is not without a certain "cracked" quality.” quote by Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/004/jean-paul-sartre-220_certain_this-desire-to-write-is-rather-strange-a_1141879.jpg)
![“[...] as I have seen with other people whose sense of their work is vocational rather than pragmatic, my desire to write, to understand things at a depth I can reach in no other way, pushes me to write and go on writing, even when my wants—for an easier or more sociable life, or one less exposed…” quote by Stephanie Dowrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/317/stephanie-dowrick-28632_life_as-i-have-seen-with-other-people-whose-s_271176.jpg)
![“I feel compassionate, because I know [students] all have to go down this road of suffering and it's going to be tough.” quote by Shirley Geok-lin Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/26d/shirley-geok-lin-lim-3190_compassion_i-feel-compassionate-because-i-know-stud_214814.jpg)
![“[People say]'You're always happy' and I'm, like, sometimes I have a huge zit on my face. But if you smile, people won't notice that. I do have bad-hair days but if you feel confident in yourself it would make people want to be around you.” quote by Cheyenne Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fcc/cheyenne-kimball-22357_always-happy_people-say-you-re-always-happy-and-i-m-l_279980.jpg)
