--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Wise or unwise, who doubts for a moment…" description: "\"Wise or unwise, who doubts for a moment that contentment is the cause of happiness? Yet the inverse is true: we are contented because we are happy, and..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12c/walter-savage-landor-1404_causes_wise-or-unwise-who-doubts-for-a-moment-t_2757850.jpg" --- # Wise or unwise, who doubts for a moment that contentment… ![“Wise or unwise, who doubts for a moment that contentment is the cause of happiness? Yet the inverse is true: we are contented because we are happy, and not happy because we are contented. Well-regulated minds may be satisfied with a small portion of happiness; none can be happy with a small…” quote by Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12c/walter-savage-landor-1404_causes_wise-or-unwise-who-doubts-for-a-moment-t_2757850.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12c/walter-savage-landor-1404_causes_wise-or-unwise-who-doubts-for-a-moment-t_2757850.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12c/walter-savage-landor-1404_causes_wise-or-unwise-who-doubts-for-a-moment-t_2757850.jpg) > “Wise or unwise, who doubts for a moment that contentment is the cause of happiness? Yet the inverse is true: we are contented because we are happy, and not happy because we are contented. Well-regulated minds may be satisfied with a small portion of happiness; none can be happy with a small portion of content.” [Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Contentment and happiness are interlinked; true happiness arises from being content, not the other way around, and small amounts of contentment cannot sustain happiness. **In simple terms:** Being content leads to happiness, not vice‑versa. Key Takeaway Cultivate genuine contentment. Themes philosophy psychology well‑being happiness contentment Mood thoughtful calm Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - personal reflection - mental health practice - goal setting - life coaching Key Concepts subjective well‑being mindset inner peace Questions to Reflect On - What practices foster authentic contentment? - Can happiness exist without contentment? A Different Perspective Contentment alone may not be sufficient without external conditions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cause Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cause-happiness-1383677/) [Causes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/causes/) [Contentment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contentment/) [Contentment Cause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contentment-cause-3147993/) [Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Happiness Inverse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness-inverse-3147994/) [Inverse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inverse/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Not happy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/not-happy/) [Portion Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/portion-happiness-3147995/) [Portions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/portions/) [Satisfied](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/satisfied/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Unwise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unwise/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) [Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise/) ## Related quotes > [The wise become as the unwise in the enchanted chambers of Power, whose lamps make every face the same colour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/the-wise-become-as-the-unwise-in-the-enchanted-chambers-of-power/) [Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/) > [Physical circumstance will not cause happiness. Or if it does, there is the fear of loss. Now you are a slave to it. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/physical-circumstance-will-not-cause-happiness-or-if-it-does-there-is/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [The only cause of happiness is love. The only cause of suffering is self grasping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garchen-rinpoche/the-only-cause-of-happiness-is-love-the-only-cause-of-suffering-is/) [Garchen Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garchen-rinpoche/) > [“Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go" - Oscar Wilde”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-george/some-cause-happiness-wherever-they-go-others-whenever-they-go-oscar/) [Christina George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-george/) > [“Pleasure is not the cause of happiness; rather, it is the effect. 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We think that if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-marshall/the-cause-of-that-happiness-was-gone-of-course-dead-and-gone-but/) [Michael Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-marshall/) > [The mind is a matter over every kind of fortune; itself acts in both ways, being the cause of its own happiness and misery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/the-mind-is-a-matter-over-every-kind-of-fortune-itself-acts-in-both/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [“Some people cause happiness wherever they go. Some whenever they go.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anoynomous/some-people-cause-happiness-wherever-they-go-some-whenever-they-go/) [Anoynomous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anoynomous/) > [There is no effect more disproportionate to its cause than the happiness bestowed by a small compliment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-no-effect-more-disproportionate-to-its-cause-than-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Feel that you are happy without any cause for happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goswami-kriyananda/feel-that-you-are-happy-without-any-cause-for-happiness/) [Goswami Kriyananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goswami-kriyananda/) > [Devotes your time to where you will find true happiness, cause without happiness everything else is useless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaze-olamiday/devotes-your-time-to-where-you-will-find-true-happiness-cause-without/) [Blaze Olamiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaze-olamiday/) > [The cause of happiness and the solution to our problems do not lie in knowledge of material things. Happiness and suffering are states of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geshe-kelsang-gyatso/the-cause-of-happiness-and-the-solution-to-our-problems-do-not-lie-in/) [Geshe Kelsang Gyatso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geshe-kelsang-gyatso/) > [The first person you think of in the morning, or last person you think of at night, is either the cause of your happiness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/the-first-person-you-think-of-in-the-morning-or-last-person-you-think/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) ## More by Walter Savage Landor > [Nations, like individuals, interest us in their growth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/nations-like-individuals-interest-us-in-their-growth/) [Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/) > [Ah what avails the sceptred race, Ah what the form divine! What every virtue, every grace! Rose Aylmer, all were thine. Rose Aylmer, whom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/ah-what-avails-the-sceptred-race-ah-what-the-form-divine-what-every/) [Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/) > [A solitude is the audience-chamber of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/a-solitude-is-the-audience-chamber-of-god/) [Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/) > [No ashes are lighter than those of incense, and few things burn out sooner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/no-ashes-are-lighter-than-those-of-incense-and-few-things-burn-out/) [Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/) > [As there are some flowers which you should smell but slightly to extract all that is pleasant in them ... so there are some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/as-there-are-some-flowers-which-you-should-smell-but-slightly-to/) [Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/) > [We talk on principle, but we act on interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/we-talk-on-principle-but-we-act-on-interest/) [Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/) > [States, like men, have their growth, their manhood, their decrepitude, their decay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/states-like-men-have-their-growth-their-manhood-their-decrepitude/) [Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/) > [The only effect of public punishment is to show the rabble how bravely it can be borne; and that every one who hath lost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/the-only-effect-of-public-punishment-is-to-show-the-rabble-how/) [Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/) > [Every great writer is a writer of history, let him treat on almost what subject he may.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/every-great-writer-is-a-writer-of-history-let-him-treat-on-almost/) [Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/) > [I strove with none; for none was worth my strife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/i-strove-with-none-for-none-was-worth-my-strife/) [Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/) > [The habit of pleasing by flattery makes a language soft; the fear of offending by truth makes it circuitous and conventional.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/the-habit-of-pleasing-by-flattery-makes-a-language-soft-the-fear-of/) [Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/) > [There is no eloquence which does not agitate the soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/there-is-no-eloquence-which-does-not-agitate-the-soul/) [Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/) > [We care not how many see us in choler, when we rave and bluster, and make as much noise and bustle as we can;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/we-care-not-how-many-see-us-in-choler-when-we-rave-and-bluster-and/) [Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/) > [Whatever is worthy to be loved for anything is worthy of preservation. 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