--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Clearly the secret of happiness...is a…" description: "\"Clearly the secret of happiness...is a variation on the general principle of banging your head against a wall, and then stopping.\" — Stef Penney" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b0/stef-penney-29187_banging_clearly-the-secret-of-happiness-is-a-var_2635150.png" --- # Clearly the secret of happiness...is a variation on the… ![“Clearly the secret of happiness...is a variation on the general principle of banging your head against a wall, and then stopping.” quote by Stef Penney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b0/stef-penney-29187_banging_clearly-the-secret-of-happiness-is-a-var_2635150.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b0/stef-penney-29187_banging_clearly-the-secret-of-happiness-is-a-var_2635150.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b0/stef-penney-29187_banging_clearly-the-secret-of-happiness-is-a-var_2635150.png) > “Clearly the secret of happiness...is a variation on the general principle of banging your head against a wall, and then stopping.” [Stef Penney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stef-penney/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Happiness often feels like futile effort, like repeatedly hitting a wall and then quitting. **In simple terms:** Happiness can seem like pointless struggle. Key Takeaway Recognize when effort becomes counterproductive. Themes happiness effort frustration Mood irustrated reflective Type advice observational When to use this quote - personal goals - work projects - relationships - creative pursuits Key Concepts psychology existentialism Questions to Reflect On - When does effort become self‑sabotage? - How can you tell if a goal is worth pursuing? A Different Perspective Sometimes persistence without reflection leads to burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Banging your head](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/banging-your-head/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principles/) [Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) [Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wall/) ## Related quotes > [The important thing is to learn a lesson every time you lose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcenroe/the-important-thing-is-to-learn-a-lesson-every-time-you-lose/) [John McEnroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcenroe/) > [Working with the artist elite can be like banging your head against the wall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/questlove/working-with-the-artist-elite-can-be-like-banging-your-head-against/) [Questlove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/questlove/) > [If you are in front of a wall that you cannot get past, would you just keep banging your head into the wall?... No,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-belle/if-you-are-in-front-of-a-wall-that-you-cannot-get-past-would-you-just/) [David Belle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-belle/) > [Generating exciting new ideas burns 325 calories per hour and has no carbs. Banging your head against a wall uses 150 calories an hour.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-brown/generating-exciting-new-ideas-burns-325-calories-per-hour-and-has-no/) [Mike Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-brown/) > [If you can't go through it, find a way around it. Don't spend all your time banging your head against it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-wilkens/if-you-can-t-go-through-it-find-a-way-around-it-don-t-spend-all-your-2/) [Lenny Wilkens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-wilkens/) > [Writing is a very strenuous thing - it's like banging your head against a wall. At the end of the day, acting is better,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-glover/writing-is-a-very-strenuous-thing-it-s-like-banging-your-head-against/) [Donald Glover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-glover/) > [Graffiti is one of the few tools you have if you have almost nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banksy/graffiti-is-one-of-the-few-tools-you-have-if-you-have-almost-nothing/) [Banksy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banksy/) > [It struck me as pretty ridiculous to be called Mr. Darcy and to stand on your own looking snooty at a party. It's like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fielding/it-struck-me-as-pretty-ridiculous-to-be-called-mr-darcy-and-to-stand/) [Helen Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fielding/) > [The important thing is to learn a lesson every time you lose. Life is a learning process and you have to try to learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcenroe/the-important-thing-is-to-learn-a-lesson-every-time-you-lose-life-is/) [John McEnroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcenroe/) > [Nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nothing-is-more-common-than-unsuccessful-people-with-talent/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The secret of happiness is learn to accept the impossible, to do without the indispensable and to bear the intolerable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-secret-of-happiness-is-learn-to-accept-the-impossible-to-do/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The secret of happiness is renunciation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-carnegie/the-secret-of-happiness-is-renunciation/) [Andrew Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-carnegie/) > [A Sufi mystic who had always remained happy was asked… For seventy years people had watched him, he had never been found sad. One…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/a-sufi-mystic-who-had-always-remained-happy-was-asked-for-seventy/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [The secret of happiness is: Find something more important than you are and dedicate your life to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-dennett/the-secret-of-happiness-is-find-something-more-important-than-you-are/) [Daniel Dennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-dennett/) > [The secret of happiness is freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/the-secret-of-happiness-is-freedom/) [Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) ## More by Stef Penney > [Just because we think of wolves (or the wilderness, or another race) as wild and fierce, doesn't mean there isn't another side to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stef-penney/just-because-we-think-of-wolves-or-the-wilderness-or-another-race-as/) [Stef Penney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stef-penney/) > [I definitely do feel a pull toward people and places that are far from my own life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stef-penney/i-definitely-do-feel-a-pull-toward-people-and-places-that-are-far/) [Stef Penney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stef-penney/) > [I don't think I could write about someone I didn't feel some sympathy for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stef-penney/i-don-t-think-i-could-write-about-someone-i-didn-t-feel-some-sympathy/) [Stef Penney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stef-penney/) > [“He smiled to show he meant no offense, but Scott takes offense like it is going out of style, and bristled.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stef-penney/he-smiled-to-show-he-meant-no-offense-but-scott-takes-offense-like-it/) [Stef Penney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stef-penney/) > [Whenever I pick up a book I think, "Tell me something I don't know."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stef-penney/whenever-i-pick-up-a-book-i-think-tell-me-something-i-don-t-know/) [Stef Penney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stef-penney/) > [Initially I only decided to try and write a novel because I wasn't getting enough screenwriting work. It wasn't a long-held ambition, and certainly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stef-penney/initially-i-only-decided-to-try-and-write-a-novel-because-i-wasn-t/) [Stef Penney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stef-penney/) > [...it just goes to show you can't leave anything behind. You bring it all with you, whether you want to or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stef-penney/it-just-goes-to-show-you-can-t-leave-anything-behind-you-bring-it-all/) [Stef Penney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stef-penney/) > [I love research, and in fact it's liberating because you have to create your own world. No one can say "I've just got back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stef-penney/i-love-research-and-in-fact-it-s-liberating-because-you-have-to/) [Stef Penney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stef-penney/) > [I suppose the short chapters and differing narrative points of view are quite "cinematic" devices, which came very naturally to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stef-penney/i-suppose-the-short-chapters-and-differing-narrative-points-of-view/) [Stef Penney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stef-penney/) > [I don't use real people for inspiration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stef-penney/i-don-t-use-real-people-for-inspiration/) [Stef Penney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stef-penney/) > [If writers stuck to firsthand experience, novels would be pretty limited.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stef-penney/if-writers-stuck-to-firsthand-experience-novels-would-be-pretty/) [Stef Penney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stef-penney/) > [Gypsies are, to say the least, underrepresented in literature and film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stef-penney/gypsies-are-to-say-the-least-underrepresented-in-literature-and-film/) [Stef Penney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stef-penney/) > [I despise this weakness in myself--this endless one-sided conversation that takes the place of action...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stef-penney/i-despise-this-weakness-in-myself-this-endless-one-sided-conversation/) [Stef Penney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stef-penney/) > [ “He thought of the next Saturday. \[...\] He thought of the picnic by the dipping pool on the river, where oaks and willows dappled… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stef-penney/he-thought-of-the-next-saturday-he-thought-of-the-picnic-by-the/) [Stef Penney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stef-penney/) > [Endings are never neat, because when life goes on, there is no end. You may want to speculate about what the characters get up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stef-penney/endings-are-never-neat-because-when-life-goes-on-there-is-no-end-you/) [Stef Penney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stef-penney/) [Explore all 18 Stef Penney quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stef-penney/) ## More Banging quotes > [I was banging seven-gram rocks, because that’s how I roll. I have one speed, I have one gear: Go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-sheen/i-was-banging-seven-gram-rocks-because-that-s-how-i-roll-i-have-one/) [Charlie Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-sheen/) > [A lot of banging in the head has built up over the decades, and for my own sanity, I needed to write. I wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-donovan/a-lot-of-banging-in-the-head-has-built-up-over-the-decades-and-for-my/) [Martin Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-donovan/) > [The Metallica film was like this incredible life experience where I learned the most through guys that stereotypically you would think couldn't offer much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-berlinger/the-metallica-film-was-like-this-incredible-life-experience-where-i/) [Joe Berlinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-berlinger/) > [“the rest of you... keep banging the rocks together”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/the-rest-of-you-keep-banging-the-rocks-together/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [Basically Ken is a very gentle, home-loving person. I remember when one of his stick insects had a knee infection. He stayed up all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/basically-ken-is-a-very-gentle-home-loving-person-i-remember-when-one/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [I love the protests. And if you think about it, what better way to send a message to Wall Street than by sitting in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/i-love-the-protests-and-if-you-think-about-it-what-better-way-to-send/) [David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/) > [How can you not love a man banging on the drums? He knows how to keep a rhythm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malin-akerman/how-can-you-not-love-a-man-banging-on-the-drums-he-knows-how-to-keep/) [Malin Akerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malin-akerman/) > [You always want to try, in everything you do, to attempt something you've never tried before, and the only way to succeed at that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beau-willimon/you-always-want-to-try-in-everything-you-do-to-attempt-something-you/) [Beau Willimon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beau-willimon/) > [The important thing is to learn a lesson every time you lose. Life is a learning process and you have to try to learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcenroe/the-important-thing-is-to-learn-a-lesson-every-time-you-lose-life-is/) [John McEnroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcenroe/) > [I've been playing my instrument since I was about three or four. That's when I started banging around on the piano, trying to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-wolff/i-ve-been-playing-my-instrument-since-i-was-about-three-or-four-that/) [Nat Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-wolff/) > [At moments when life is at its worst there are two things you can do: 1.) break down,lose hope and refuse to go on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecelia-ahern/at-moments-when-life-is-at-its-worst-there-are-two-things-you-can-do/) [Cecelia Ahern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecelia-ahern/) > [The music I used to make was a lot more rock, so I come from this background of head banging a lot, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-lucia/the-music-i-used-to-make-was-a-lot-more-rock-so-i-come-from-this/) [St. Lucia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-lucia/) > [Directing takes a lot longer than acting. This was about seven years in development, and then two and a half years with pre-production, production,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-schwimmer/directing-takes-a-lot-longer-than-acting-this-was-about-seven-years/) [David Schwimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-schwimmer/) > [And if there are no cars or planes, and if no one’s Uncle John is out in the wood lot west of town banging…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/and-if-there-are-no-cars-or-planes-and-if-no-one-s-uncle-john-is-out/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Music loud, hear it banging through the whole street. Beat getting shit on: toilet bowl seat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mac-miller/music-loud-hear-it-banging-through-the-whole-street-beat-getting-shit/) [Mac Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mac-miller/) Browse all 179 Banging quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Clearly the secret of happiness...is a variation on the general principle of banging your head against a wall, and then stopping.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Stef Penney" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stef-penney/clearly-the-secret-of-happiness-is-a-variation-on-the-general/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Banging" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stef-penney/clearly-the-secret-of-happiness-is-a-variation-on-the-general/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b0/stef-penney-29187_banging_clearly-the-secret-of-happiness-is-a-var_2635150.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b0/stef-penney-29187_banging_clearly-the-secret-of-happiness-is-a-var_2635150.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b0/stef-penney-29187_banging_clearly-the-secret-of-happiness-is-a-var_2635150.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Clearly the secret of happiness...is a variation on the general principle of banging your head against a…” — Stef Penney", "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": "Stef Penney", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stef-penney/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Clearly the secret of happiness...is a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stef-penney/clearly-the-secret-of-happiness-is-a-variation-on-the-general/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stef-penney/clearly-the-secret-of-happiness-is-a-variation-on-the-general/#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 } } ] } ```