--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We must be doing something to be happy." description: "\"We must be doing something to be happy.\" — William Hazlitt" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f59/william-hazlitt-326_doing_we-must-be-doing-something-to-be-happy-2_2139456.png" --- # We must be doing something to be happy. ![“We must be doing something to be happy.” quote by William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f59/william-hazlitt-326_doing_we-must-be-doing-something-to-be-happy-2_2139456.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f59/william-hazlitt-326_doing_we-must-be-doing-something-to-be-happy-2_2139456.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f59/william-hazlitt-326_doing_we-must-be-doing-something-to-be-happy-2_2139456.png) > “We must be doing something to be happy.” [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Happiness requires purposeful activity, not passive waiting. **In simple terms:** Being active leads to happiness. Key Takeaway Engage in meaningful tasks to feel fulfilled. Themes happiness purpose activity Mood optimistic energetic Type advice motivational When to use this quote - volunteering - creative projects - exercise - career development Key Concepts psychology well‑being Questions to Reflect On - What activity brings you joy? - How can you balance effort and rest? A Different Perspective Overworking can diminish joy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Doing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing/) [Doing Happy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-happy-1216653/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Happy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happy/) ## Related quotes > [If you are happy so keep doing what you are doing, but if you are not happy, and you want to be happy, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ala-lala/if-you-are-happy-so-keep-doing-what-you-are-doing-but-if-you-are-not/) [Ala Lala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ala-lala/) > [You are worried about seeing him spend his early years in doing nothing. What! Is it nothing to be happy? Nothing to skip, play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/you-are-worried-about-seeing-him-spend-his-early-years-in-doing/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [I just like doing things with people that I love and care about and trust to work with, and I care about good material…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tye-sheridan/i-just-like-doing-things-with-people-that-i-love-and-care-about-and/) [Tye Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tye-sheridan/) > [I've loved to be a part of anything, having an opportunity to entertain, to be a part of a film, or just continue to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-reigns/i-ve-loved-to-be-a-part-of-anything-having-an-opportunity-to/) [Roman Reigns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-reigns/) > [It's good for people to look at me and think, 'This guy is doing his thing and enjoying what he's doing and successful at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/it-s-good-for-people-to-look-at-me-and-think-this-guy-is-doing-his/) [Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/) > [I am my own person. What I'm doing, I'm happy with it. I'm doing what I want to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bo-jackson/i-am-my-own-person-what-i-m-doing-i-m-happy-with-it-i-m-doing-what-i/) [Bo Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bo-jackson/) > [I'll do everything I've got to do to get on base, and I've been doing that. I'm happy with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccutchen/i-ll-do-everything-i-ve-got-to-do-to-get-on-base-and-i-ve-been-doing/) [Andrew McCutchen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccutchen/) > [Make sure, as often as possible, you are doing something you’d be happy to die doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-haig/make-sure-as-often-as-possible-you-are-doing-something-you-d-be-happy/) [Matt Haig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-haig/) > [I spent a lot of my 20s just trying to make other people happy, rather than trying to figure out if doing that made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reese-witherspoon/i-spent-a-lot-of-my-20s-just-trying-to-make-other-people-happy-rather/) [Reese Witherspoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reese-witherspoon/) > [I love making records, and part of really doing that and being happy about it is just that each time I've done something, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-barlow/i-love-making-records-and-part-of-really-doing-that-and-being-happy/) [Lou Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-barlow/) > [My passion is doing movies, so as long as I keep doing that I will be happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-hudgens/my-passion-is-doing-movies-so-as-long-as-i-keep-doing-that-i-will-be/) [Vanessa Hudgens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-hudgens/) > [Indolence is a delightful but distressing state; we must be doing something to be happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/indolence-is-a-delightful-but-distressing-state-we-must-be-doing/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [I don't know when I will peak and be at my best but I am learning every day and as long as I keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-jones/i-don-t-know-when-i-will-peak-and-be-at-my-best-but-i-am-learning/) [Phil Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-jones/) > [You cant see me but Im totally doing a happy dance. Thank you!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-cant-see-me-but-im-totally-doing-a-happy-dance-thank-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [As long as I can sustain myself and as long as people like what I am doing and are happy to support me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomston/as-long-as-i-can-sustain-myself-and-as-long-as-people-like-what-i-am/) [Thomston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomston/) ## More by William Hazlitt > [First impressions are often the truest, as we find (not infrequently) to our cost, when we have been wheedled out of them by plausible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/first-impressions-are-often-the-truest-as-we-find-not-infrequently-to/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [The art of life is to know how to enjoy a little and to endure very much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/the-art-of-life-is-to-know-how-to-enjoy-a-little-and-to-endure-very/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [We are thankful for good-will rather than for services, for the motive than the quantum of favor received.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/we-are-thankful-for-good-will-rather-than-for-services-for-the-motive/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [The discussing the characters and foibles of common friends is a great sweetness and cement of friendship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/the-discussing-the-characters-and-foibles-of-common-friends-is-a/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [Want of principle is power. Truth and honesty set a limit to our efforts, which impudence and hypocrisy easily overleap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/want-of-principle-is-power-truth-and-honesty-set-a-limit-to-our/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [Repose is as necessary in conversation as in a picture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/repose-is-as-necessary-in-conversation-as-in-a-picture/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [No act terminating in itself constitutes greatness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/no-act-terminating-in-itself-constitutes-greatness/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [Vice is man's nature: virtue is a habit--or a mask.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/vice-is-man-s-nature-virtue-is-a-habit-or-a-mask/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [We never do anything well till we cease to think about the manner doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/we-never-do-anything-well-till-we-cease-to-think-about-the-manner/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [Man is the only animal that laughs and weeps; for he is the only animal that is struck with the difference between what things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/man-is-the-only-animal-that-laughs-and-weeps-for-he-is-the-only/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [Those who have had none of the cares of this life to harass and disturb them, have been obliged to have recourse to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/those-who-have-had-none-of-the-cares-of-this-life-to-harass-and/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [Poverty, when it is voluntary, is never despicable, but takes an heroical aspect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/poverty-when-it-is-voluntary-is-never-despicable-but-takes-an/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [We are not satisfied to be right, unless we can prove others to be quite wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/we-are-not-satisfied-to-be-right-unless-we-can-prove-others-to-be/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [The world judge of men by their ability in their profession, and we judge of ourselves by the same test: for it is on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/the-world-judge-of-men-by-their-ability-in-their-profession-and-we/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [The best part of our lives we pass in counting on what is to come.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/the-best-part-of-our-lives-we-pass-in-counting-on-what-is-to-come/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) [Explore all 671 William Hazlitt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) ## More Doing quotes > [I don't know what I'm doing, but I'm damn well gonna do it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geri-halliwell/i-don-t-know-what-i-m-doing-but-i-m-damn-well-gonna-do-it/) [Geri Halliwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geri-halliwell/) > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [If you think you're doing everything right, then you have a tendency to stand pat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stockton/if-you-think-you-re-doing-everything-right-then-you-have-a-tendency/) [John Stockton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stockton/) > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [Focus on becoming more to achieve more while doing less](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-elrod/focus-on-becoming-more-to-achieve-more-while-doing-less/) [Hal Elrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-elrod/) > [Doing the right things is more important than doing things right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ko-wen-je/doing-the-right-things-is-more-important-than-doing-things-right/) [Ko Wen-je](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ko-wen-je/) > [I was in high school and I had an independent album out, and we kept sending that out, and I was doing shows. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-hilton/i-was-in-high-school-and-i-had-an-independent-album-out-and-we-kept/) [Tyler Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-hilton/) > [If I'm not thinking about you then I am texting you , if I am not texting you then I am on the phone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-i-m-not-thinking-about-you-then-i-am-texting-you-if-i-am-not/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [.\*. why u hate me..Bitches be doing the most](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty/why-u-hate-me-bitches-be-doing-the-most/) [Kitty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty/) > [“dances with mine as if we’ve been doing this our whole”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corinne-michaels/dances-with-mine-as-if-we-ve-been-doing-this-our-whole/) [Corinne Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corinne-michaels/) > [“I take my actions because of my passion not because of compulsion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/i-take-my-actions-because-of-my-passion-not-because-of-compulsion/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [When the dollar collapses, it's not doing it in a vacuum. If the dollar loses value, it's doing so relative to some other currency.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/when-the-dollar-collapses-it-s-not-doing-it-in-a-vacuum-if-the-dollar/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [When I made it, I still didn't wave the flag and say, Yeah go Asian people. I do want people to know that about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-hugo/when-i-made-it-i-still-didn-t-wave-the-flag-and-say-yeah-go-asian/) [Chad Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-hugo/) > [I really can't live without my In-N-Out burgers. Honestly, I can't. Even when I'm doing the whole no-carb thing occasionally, I make an exception…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-berkus/i-really-can-t-live-without-my-in-n-out-burgers-honestly-i-can-t-even/) [Nate Berkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-berkus/) > [You can't drain the swamp, as President Trump has touted doing, without getting rid of Mitch McConnell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-mcgrath/you-can-t-drain-the-swamp-as-president-trump-has-touted-doing-without/) [Amy McGrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-mcgrath/) [Browse all 10,133 Doing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We must be doing something to be happy.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Hazlitt" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/we-must-be-doing-something-to-be-happy/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Doing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/we-must-be-doing-something-to-be-happy/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f59/william-hazlitt-326_doing_we-must-be-doing-something-to-be-happy-2_2139456.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f59/william-hazlitt-326_doing_we-must-be-doing-something-to-be-happy-2_2139456.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f59/william-hazlitt-326_doing_we-must-be-doing-something-to-be-happy-2_2139456.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We must be doing something to be happy.” — William Hazlitt", "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": "William Hazlitt", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We must be doing something to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/we-must-be-doing-something-to-be-happy/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/we-must-be-doing-something-to-be-happy/#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 } } ] } ```