--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Happiness is not a goal; happiness is a…" description: "\"Happiness is not a goal; happiness is a by-product.\" — Steven Satak" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5af/steven-satak-111182_goal_happiness-is-not-a-goal-happiness-is-a-b_2900023.jpg" --- # Happiness is not a goal; happiness is a by-product. ![“Happiness is not a goal; happiness is a by-product.” quote by Steven Satak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5af/steven-satak-111182_goal_happiness-is-not-a-goal-happiness-is-a-b_2900023.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5af/steven-satak-111182_goal_happiness-is-not-a-goal-happiness-is-a-b_2900023.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5af/steven-satak-111182_goal_happiness-is-not-a-goal-happiness-is-a-b_2900023.jpg) > “Happiness is not a goal; happiness is a by-product.” [Steven Satak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-satak/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Happiness isn’t a target but a by‑product of living meaningfully; chasing it directly is ineffective. **In simple terms:** Happiness follows meaningful actions. Key Takeaway Live purposefully, happiness follows. Themes happiness purpose process mindset Mood content optimistic inspirational Type Goal:0 Goals:0 Happiness:1 Product:0 Happiness Product:0 Happiness Goal:0 Goal Happiness:0 When to use this quote - daily habits - volunteer work - creative pursuits Key Concepts philosophy psychology well‑being Questions to Reflect On - What activities bring you joy? - How can you embed purpose daily? A Different Perspective May ignore structural barriers to happiness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) [Goal Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal-happiness-3889105/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Happiness Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness-goal-444156/) [Happiness Product](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness-product-407384/) [Product](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/product/) ## Related quotes > [Happiness will never come if it's a goal in itself; happiness is a by-product of a commitment of worthy causes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/happiness-will-never-come-if-it-s-a-goal-in-itself-happiness-is-a-by/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [Happiness is a by product of service.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-critchlow-jr/happiness-is-a-by-product-of-service/) [William J. Critchlow, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-critchlow-jr/) > [Life is the reward of virtue. And happiness is the goal and reward of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/life-is-the-reward-of-virtue-and-happiness-is-the-goal-and-reward-of/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [Anything that's expanding the mind and heart is happiness. But it's not a goal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-gere/anything-that-s-expanding-the-mind-and-heart-is-happiness-but-it-s/) [Richard Gere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-gere/) > [“How we pursue the goal of happiness matters at least as much, perhaps more, than the goal itself. They are, in fact, one and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-weiner/how-we-pursue-the-goal-of-happiness-matters-at-least-as-much-perhaps/) [Eric Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-weiner/) > [The goal of all goals is happiness, and our emotions are like road signs on that journey toward the goal of happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/the-goal-of-all-goals-is-happiness-and-our-emotions-are-like-road/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Happiness is not reaching your goal. Happiness is being on the way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ingvar-kamprad/happiness-is-not-reaching-your-goal-happiness-is-being-on-the-way/) [Ingvar Kamprad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ingvar-kamprad/) > [Happiness is a by-product of an effort to make someone else happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretta-brooker-palmer/happiness-is-a-by-product-of-an-effort-to-make-someone-else-happy/) [Gretta Brooker Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretta-brooker-palmer/) > [Happiness is always a by-product. It is probably a matter of temperament, and for anything I know it may be glandular.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/happiness-is-always-a-by-product-it-is-probably-a-matter-of-2/) [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) > [Happiness is a by-product rather than an end in itself. It pops into your life unbidden, and then tends to pop out again. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monty-don/happiness-is-a-by-product-rather-than-an-end-in-itself-it-pops-into/) [Monty Don](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monty-don/) > [Happiness is mostly a by-product of doing what makes us feel fulfilled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-spock/happiness-is-mostly-a-by-product-of-doing-what-makes-us-feel-fulfilled/) [Benjamin Spock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-spock/) > [Happiness is a by-product. It is not a primary product of life. It is a thing which you suddenly realize you have because you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/happiness-is-a-by-product-it-is-not-a-primary-product-of-life-it-is-a/) [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) > [The highest happiness is a by-product of worthy work well done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-auberjonois/the-highest-happiness-is-a-by-product-of-worthy-work-well-done/) [Rene Auberjonois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-auberjonois/) > [Happiness is always a by-product. It is probably a matter of temperament, and for anything I know it may be glandular. But it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/happiness-is-always-a-by-product-it-is-probably-a-matter-of/) [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) > [Remember that happiness is a by-product of you living a life true to yourself, and though you can't always force it, if you look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/remember-that-happiness-is-a-by-product-of-you-living-a-life-true-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Steven Satak > [Never sleep with someone who has more problems than you do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-satak/never-sleep-with-someone-who-has-more-problems-than-you-do/) [Steven Satak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-satak/) [Explore all 2 Steven Satak quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-satak/) ## More Goal quotes > [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The goal of spiritual practice is full recovery, and the only thing you need to recover from is a fractured sense of self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-goal-of-spiritual-practice-is-full-recovery-and-the-only-thing/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [According to the best research, less than 3% of Americans have written goals, and less than 1% review and rewrite their goals on a daily basis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/according-to-the-best-research-less-than-3-of-americans-have-written/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [When you have accomplished your goal simply walk away. This is the path way to Heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/when-you-have-accomplished-your-goal-simply-walk-away-this-is-the/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [“my role my goal my dream my life not yours -all mine”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emi-sisk/my-role-my-goal-my-dream-my-life-not-yours-all-mine/) [Emi Sisk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emi-sisk/) > [Eugenic goals are most likely to be attained under another name than eugenics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-osborn/eugenic-goals-are-most-likely-to-be-attained-under-another-name-than/) [Frederick Osborn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-osborn/) > [The Only cure for nihilism is for liberal democratic societies - their electorates, their judiciary, and their political leadership- to insist that force is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/the-only-cure-for-nihilism-is-for-liberal-democratic-societies-their/) [Michael Ignatieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/) > [Everybody tries to score a great goal, and I am lucky I have netted a few.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zlatan-ibrahimovic/everybody-tries-to-score-a-great-goal-and-i-am-lucky-i-have-netted-a/) [Zlatan Ibrahimovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zlatan-ibrahimovic/) > [However, however, if the goal is to abandon America's free enterprise economy, if the goal is to convert America into a submissive member of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/however-however-if-the-goal-is-to-abandon-america-s-free-enterprise/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [If your only goal is to become rich, you will never achieve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-rockefeller/if-your-only-goal-is-to-become-rich-you-will-never-achieve-it/) [John D. Rockefeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-rockefeller/) > [When you look around the room during meetings and practice, you see that everyone has the same goal. It's obvious by the way that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kendricks/when-you-look-around-the-room-during-meetings-and-practice-you-see/) [Eric Kendricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-kendricks/) > [I like to wake up and just feel gratitude. Gratitude for waking up, for my health, for my kids, for my family. A lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-corcoran/i-like-to-wake-up-and-just-feel-gratitude-gratitude-for-waking-up-for/) [Barbara Corcoran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-corcoran/) > [“Dreams will come true as long as you give some effort towards your goal”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dayana/dreams-will-come-true-as-long-as-you-give-some-effort-towards-your/) [Dayana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dayana/) > [“There are two kinds of people: goal-oriented and ego-oriented. Goal-oriented people work together and get things gone. Ego-oriented people don’t work.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charbel-tadros/there-are-two-kinds-of-people-goal-oriented-and-ego-oriented-goal/) [Charbel Tadros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charbel-tadros/) [Browse all 9,890 Goal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Happiness is not a goal; happiness is a by-product.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Steven Satak" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-satak/happiness-is-not-a-goal-happiness-is-a-by-product/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Goal" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-satak/happiness-is-not-a-goal-happiness-is-a-by-product/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5af/steven-satak-111182_goal_happiness-is-not-a-goal-happiness-is-a-b_2900023.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5af/steven-satak-111182_goal_happiness-is-not-a-goal-happiness-is-a-b_2900023.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5af/steven-satak-111182_goal_happiness-is-not-a-goal-happiness-is-a-b_2900023.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Happiness is not a goal; happiness is a by-product.” — Steven Satak", "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": "Steven Satak", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-satak/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Happiness is not a goal; happiness...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-satak/happiness-is-not-a-goal-happiness-is-a-by-product/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-satak/happiness-is-not-a-goal-happiness-is-a-by-product/#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 } } ] } ```