--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Do you know how much harm ‘happily ever…" description: "\"“Do you know how much harm ‘happily ever after’ has done to mankind? I wish they said something else at the end of those stories instead. ‘They tried t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42a/victor-lavalle-9013_eternal-happiness_do-you-know-how-much-harm-happily-ever-a_1499506.jpg" --- # Do you know how much harm ‘happily ever after’ has done to… ![“Do you know how much harm ‘happily ever after’ has done to mankind? I wish they said something else at the end of those stories instead. ‘They tried to be happy.’ Or ‘Eternal happiness is a fruitless pursuit.” quote by Victor LaValle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42a/victor-lavalle-9013_eternal-happiness_do-you-know-how-much-harm-happily-ever-a_1499506.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42a/victor-lavalle-9013_eternal-happiness_do-you-know-how-much-harm-happily-ever-a_1499506.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42a/victor-lavalle-9013_eternal-happiness_do-you-know-how-much-harm-happily-ever-a_1499506.jpg) > ““Do you know how much harm ‘happily ever after’ has done to mankind? I wish they said something else at the end of those stories instead. ‘They tried to be happy.’ Or ‘Eternal happiness is a fruitless pursuit.”” [Victor LaValle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-lavalle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The ideal of endless bliss is unrealistic and can cause disappointment; acknowledging effort and imperfection is healthier. **In simple terms:** Eternal happiness is unrealistic. Key Takeaway Accept effort over flawless endings. Themes realism expectations psychology Mood reflective critical Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - relationships - storytelling - mental health - personal growth Key Concepts human desire contentment narrative critique Questions to Reflect On - How can we reframe stories to value struggle? - What realistic alternatives to “happily ever after” can we teach? A Different Perspective Idealized endings ignore life's complexities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [End Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/end-stories-956612/) [Eternal happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eternal-happiness/) [Fairy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fairy/) [Happily Mankind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happily-mankind-5494065/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Happiness Fruitless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness-fruitless-5494063/) [Harm Happily](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harm-happily-5494064/) [Said End](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said-end-1346292/) ## Related quotes > [On Iraq, the president said he would end the war. Governor Romney said that was a tragic mistake, we should have left 30,000...he ended…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/on-iraq-the-president-said-he-would-end-the-war-governor-romney-said/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [“That's it,” Piper said. “That's the end.” But I knew it wasn't. They'd left out a chapter. The one where the hero comes home…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-rosoff/that-s-it-piper-said-that-s-the-end-but-i-knew-it-wasn-t-they-d-left/) [Meg Rosoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-rosoff/) > [An era can be said to end when its basic illusions are exhausted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/an-era-can-be-said-to-end-when-its-basic-illusions-are-exhausted/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) > [“Well, here we are," Ethan said. "The end of the world." I smiled, turning slightly to take in the full view. "It's different to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/well-here-we-are-ethan-said-the-end-of-the-world-i-smiled-turning/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [“These things end," she said. "They always end. Nobody marries their first love. First love is just that. First. It’s implied that something else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/these-things-end-she-said-they-always-end-nobody-marries-their-first-2/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) > [“This is the end of everything' (he said), 'at least it is the end of the career of Toad, which is the same thing;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-grahame/this-is-the-end-of-everything-he-said-at-least-it-is-the-end-of-the/) [Kenneth Grahame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-grahame/) > [Take it back, take it back, my friend, All the things that you said about the end. This is it, this is me telling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angel-eyes/take-it-back-take-it-back-my-friend-all-the-things-that-you-said/) [Angel\_eyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angel-eyes/) > [“This is the beginning of the end (talking about the war)... Everyone was saying... But the British Prime Minister said, "This is not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/this-is-the-beginning-of-the-end-talking-about-the-war-everyone-was/) [Anne Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/) > [You tell me to come over or call, So I call, So many fights, So many words, All we said in the end was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-tell-me-to-come-over-or-call-so-i-call-so-many-fights-so-many/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“ You act as if I were your enemy. “You are my enemy. You seek to end the things I love.” And is an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/you-act-as-if-i-were-your-enemy-you-are-my-enemy-you-seek-to-end-the/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“Exitus probatur,” he said. The end is justified. “Ergo acta probantur,” said one of the waiting men. Therefore the means are justified.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-grecian/exitus-probatur-he-said-the-end-is-justified-ergo-acta-probantur-said/) [Alex Grecian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-grecian/) > [These things end,” she said. “They always end. Nobody marries their first love. First love is just that. First. It’s implied that something else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/these-things-end-she-said-they-always-end-nobody-marries-their-first/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) > [“It wasn't the way to end things, not at all. I agreed, but the problem was, there was no real way to end things.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-ozma/it-wasn-t-the-way-to-end-things-not-at-all-i-agreed-but-the-problem/) [Alice Ozma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-ozma/) > [It's not the end of the world at all," he said. "It's only the end for us. The world will go on just the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nevil-shute/it-s-not-the-end-of-the-world-at-all-he-said-it-s-only-the-end-for-us/) [Nevil Shute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nevil-shute/) > [So we face our final hours...and all that was once certain has become uncertain. Except for defeat. That, as always, is the end of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tad-williams/so-we-face-our-final-hours-and-all-that-was-once-certain-has-become/) [Tad Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tad-williams/) ## More by Victor LaValle > [“This is how you hustle the arcane. Skirt the rules but don’t break them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-lavalle/this-is-how-you-hustle-the-arcane-skirt-the-rules-but-don-t-break-them/) [Victor LaValle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-lavalle/) > [Doubt is the big machine. It grinds up the delusions of women and men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-lavalle/doubt-is-the-big-machine-it-grinds-up-the-delusions-of-women-and-men/) [Victor LaValle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-lavalle/) > [“I don’t know what to say about the hygiene of the male species.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-lavalle/i-don-t-know-what-to-say-about-the-hygiene-of-the-male-species/) [Victor LaValle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-lavalle/) > [A little style is a good thing, but you can’t trust a person who won’t be ugly in front of you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-lavalle/a-little-style-is-a-good-thing-but-you-can-t-trust-a-person-who-won-t/) [Victor LaValle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-lavalle/) > [“His life had been disrupted, but not his billing cycles.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-lavalle/his-life-had-been-disrupted-but-not-his-billing-cycles/) [Victor LaValle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-lavalle/) > [“It's hard to fake faith, in yourself or anything else.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-lavalle/it-s-hard-to-fake-faith-in-yourself-or-anything-else/) [Victor LaValle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-lavalle/) > [“People hear that you grew up religious, and they can’t imagine you’d have a complex relationship with faith. If you believe one part, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-lavalle/people-hear-that-you-grew-up-religious-and-they-can-t-imagine-you-d/) [Victor LaValle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-lavalle/) > [Empathy is what separates human beings from teenage boys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-lavalle/empathy-is-what-separates-human-beings-from-teenage-boys/) [Victor LaValle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-lavalle/) > [“Wheeler turned back to Apollo. “I’ve never been this far uptown in Manhattan.” “Best roast chicken in New York is right on 175th,” Apollo…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-lavalle/wheeler-turned-back-to-apollo-i-ve-never-been-this-far-uptown-in/) [Victor LaValle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-lavalle/) > [Why do any of us act the way we do? Is it our beliefs or our biology that shapes us? Lauren Grodstein considers this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-lavalle/why-do-any-of-us-act-the-way-we-do-is-it-our-beliefs-or-our-biology/) [Victor LaValle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-lavalle/) > [“I don’t have much faith in institutions, but I still believe in people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-lavalle/i-don-t-have-much-faith-in-institutions-but-i-still-believe-in-people/) [Victor LaValle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-lavalle/) > [“A thought, an idea, a shared dream; parenthood is a story two people start telling together.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-lavalle/a-thought-an-idea-a-shared-dream-parenthood-is-a-story-two-people/) [Victor LaValle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-lavalle/) > [Jesmyn Ward is an alchemist. She transmutes pain and loss into gold. Men We Reaped illustrates hardships but thankfully, vitally, it's just as clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-lavalle/jesmyn-ward-is-an-alchemist-she-transmutes-pain-and-loss-into-gold/) [Victor LaValle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-lavalle/) > [“Every human being is a series of stories; it’s nice when someone wants to hear a new one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-lavalle/every-human-being-is-a-series-of-stories-it-s-nice-when-someone-wants/) [Victor LaValle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-lavalle/) > [“If you haven't caused a scene in a psych unit, it's just because you haven't been inside long enough.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-lavalle/if-you-haven-t-caused-a-scene-in-a-psych-unit-it-s-just-because-you/) [Victor LaValle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-lavalle/) [Explore all 76 Victor LaValle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-lavalle/) ## More Eternal happiness quotes > [I have only one purpose: to make people free, to urge them towards freedom, to help them to break away from all limitations, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/i-have-only-one-purpose-to-make-people-free-to-urge-them-towards/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [Family is the center of life. It is the key to eternal happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-tom-perry/family-is-the-center-of-life-it-is-the-key-to-eternal-happiness/) [L. Tom Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-tom-perry/) > [Without morals a republic cannot subsist any length of time; they therefore who are decrying the Christian religion, whose morality is so sublime and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-carroll-of-carrollton/without-morals-a-republic-cannot-subsist-any-length-of-time-they/) [Charles Carroll of Carrollton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-carroll-of-carrollton/) > [There'll be no more big powers and oppressed poor - only fairness and justice for all, and eternal happiness. So if you're looking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-berg/there-ll-be-no-more-big-powers-and-oppressed-poor-only-fairness-and/) [David Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-berg/) > [Let me close by bearing witness (and my nine decades on this earth fully qualify me to say this) that the older I get,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-tom-perry/let-me-close-by-bearing-witness-and-my-nine-decades-on-this-earth/) [L. Tom Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-tom-perry/) > [“God has considered contented state of chit (internal component of knowledge and vision) as happiness. Even when someone swears at you, picks your pocket;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/god-has-considered-contented-state-of-chit-internal-component-of/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [“The wrong understanding is unhappiness and the right understanding is happiness. One has to see which kind of understanding he is getting. The entanglement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/the-wrong-understanding-is-unhappiness-and-the-right-understanding-is/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [A joyful heart is like the sunshine of God's love, the hope of eternal happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/a-joyful-heart-is-like-the-sunshine-of-god-s-love-the-hope-of-eternal/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [Come walk the path that leads to eternal happiness, joy, and everlasting life in the kingdom of our Heavenly Father.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-d-hales/come-walk-the-path-that-leads-to-eternal-happiness-joy-and/) [Robert D. Hales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-d-hales/) > [“The virtue of modesty leads to eternal happiness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sir-kristian-goldmund-aumann/the-virtue-of-modesty-leads-to-eternal-happiness/) [sir kristian goldmund aumann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sir-kristian-goldmund-aumann/) > [“Satsang means the coming together (yog) of the eternal (sat); it is the coming together of good things, of positive things. And the coming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/satsang-means-the-coming-together-yog-of-the-eternal-sat-it-is-the/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [“Despite making a firm decision, if you become weak; then make the decision again and again, but you must never say, ‘I am not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/despite-making-a-firm-decision-if-you-become-weak-then-make-the/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [“Our Asian Nuru Massage London is one of the outstanding massages you will ever experience. This Massage session helps to relax the body and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crispinrexweb/our-asian-nuru-massage-london-is-one-of-the-outstanding-massages-you/) [crispinrexweb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crispinrexweb/) > [At the heart of our desires is eternal happiness without the slightest hint of misery. You could say that we are pleasure seekers; however,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-cole-whittaker/at-the-heart-of-our-desires-is-eternal-happiness-without-the/) [Terry Cole-Whittaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-cole-whittaker/) > [“The one who wants satsang (company of the eternal), his satsang is not missed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/the-one-who-wants-satsang-company-of-the-eternal-his-satsang-is-not/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) [Browse all 155 Eternal happiness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eternal-happiness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Do you know how much harm ‘happily ever after’ has done to mankind? 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